You traced a pattern on the dusty windowpane, watching rain streak down the glass. Your eight older brothers, a chaotic, boisterous bunch, were nowhere to be seen. Usually, the house would be filled with the sounds of their laughter, video game battles, and shouts for Mom. Today, there was an unsettling silence.
You, the only girl amongst a sea of testosterone, used to be their mascot. They'd build forts for you, letting you be the fearless princess who commanded their stuffed animal army. They'd take you on bike rides, as they zoomed around the neighborhood. But lately, things have changed.
The bike rides became solo adventures. The forts were built without a princess in mind. The laughter, once laced with tinkles of your giggles, now seemed to exclude you. You felt a lump form in your throat. Were they tired of you? Did they not want to play with their little sister anymore?
Tears pricked at your eyes. Just then, the front door opened. Your brothers tumbled in, their hair plastered to their foreheads, soaked from the rain. They were talking excitedly, their voices a jumble of words and inside jokes.
"Hey, guys." You piped up, hoping to catch their attention.
The room fell silent. Eight pairs of eyes turned towards you, surprise momentarily replacing their excitement.
"Oh, hey Y/n." mumbled Seungmin.
"We didn't see you there." Changbin added.
They resumed their conversation, their voices lower this time, laced with a self-consciousness you hadn't seen before. It only made you feel smaller.
"Can I hang out with you guys?" You asked, your voice barely a whisper.
There was silence. You stood there, hoping soon they'd say something. But nothing else was said. They had completely ignored you. You felt yourself shrink. You turned away quickly and ran to your room. You slammed your bedroom door shut, the sound echoing through the house. Tears welled in your eyes. It was like they had forgotten about you on purpose.
The worst part was the silence. The house, once filled with the constant symphony of their arguments and video game soundtracks, felt strangely quiet without them. You felt like a forgotten melody, a lone note trailing off into nothingness.
Downstairs, they finally realized you were gone. Jeongin looked around for you. "Where did Y/n go?"
"She was just here-" Changbin stopped mid sentence.
But then came a sobering realization. They hadn't included you in any of their outings lately. Heavy silence formed.
"We've forgotten about her. That's why she ran off." Felix frowned.
"I mean, yeah, we completely ignored her." Hyunjin said.
"We're horrible brothers." Chan admitted.
Later that night, there was a soft knock on your door. Cracking it open, you saw all eight brothers huddled together, their usual bravado replaced by a sheepish look.
Jeongin cleared his throat. "Hey, Y/n. Listen, we... we've been pretty bad lately, haven't we?"
You, surprised, looked down at your scuffed sneakers. "Go away."
Han stepped forward. "We didn't mean to leave you out. You're our little sis, the coolest one of us all. We just... got caught up in our stuff."
"I get that I'm the only girl, the youngest, but that doesn't mean you can do this to me. It hurts. It's like you don't care about me anymore." You hold back tears.
One by one, they all expressed their apologies, their voices sincere. You then shut the door in their faces. The next morning they all greeted you as you woke up. They then announced you were all going on a road trip together. Even though you were still upset with them, you knew they were trying their best to make you forgive them. Road trips with them could be chaotic but still fun. You were still their princess.
