MY SUNSHINE stray kids

8 - fragile

FLASHBACK

Kyosun stood on the doorstep for a long moment, steeling himself before he finally opened the door. He stepped inside, closing it quietly behind him. The house was quiet, too quiet, and that made his stomach twist with anxiety.

He didn't even make it to his room before his father's voice boomed through the house.

"What the hell happened to your hair?" his father demanded, storming into the hallway.

Kyosun flinched, his heart pounding in his chest. 

"I... I got it cut," he stammered, knowing better than to lie. His father would see through it in an instant.

"Why?" his father snarled, his face contorting with anger, "You look like one of those damn queers! Do you want people thinking that about you? About me?"

Kyosun opened his mouth to respond, but the words caught in his throat as his father's hand shot out, grabbing a vase from a nearby table and hurling it at him. The vase shattered against the wall, a shard of it slicing across Kyosun's arm. He cried out in pain, stumbling back as blood welled up from the cut.

"You're an embarrassment!" his father roared, "You think you can just go around looking like that? You think you can do whatever you want?"

Kyosun didn't respond. He couldn't. Tears streamed down his face as he turned and fled, running up the stairs to the room he shared with his younger brother, In-su. He burst through the door, slamming it shut behind him, and collapsed on the floor, his body shaking with sobs.

In-su, who had been lying on his bed reading a book, looked up in alarm. He immediately scrambled off the bed and rushed to Kyosun's side, wrapping his small arms around his older brother's waist. Kyosun's body was thin, almost fragile, and In-su could feel the bones beneath his hands as he held him tightly.

"Kyosun, what happened?" In-su asked, his voice trembling with worry.

Kyosun couldn't find the words to respond. He just buried his face in his hands, his body wracked with sobs. In-su held him close, not saying anything, just offering the silent comfort of his presence. He knew that whatever had happened, it had been bad, and that Kyosun needed him now more than ever.

They stayed like that for what felt like hours, the room silent except for the sound of Kyosun's crying. Eventually, Kyosun's sobs began to subside, his breathing slowing as the exhaustion from everything he had endured that day started to take over. In-su didn't let go, though his own small body was beginning to ache from holding Kyosun so tightly. He just wanted his brother to feel safe, to know that he wasn't alone.

Kyosun finally lifted his head, wiping his tear-streaked face with the sleeve of his hoodie. His eyes were swollen and red, his cheeks blotchy from crying. He looked at In-su, who was watching him with wide, worried eyes, and managed a weak smile.

"Thank you," Kyosun whispered, his voice hoarse. He felt a pang of guilt for dragging his younger brother into his misery, but In-su's presence was the only thing keeping him grounded at that moment.

In-su shook his head, his grip on Kyosun's waist tightening slightly. "You don't have to thank me," he said quietly, "I'm your brother. I'll always be here for you."

The words hit Kyosun hard, his chest tightening with a mix of emotions—love, gratitude, but also a deep sadness that he couldn't shake. He didn't want to burden In-su with his problems, but he was also painfully aware that, in many ways, In-su was the only person who truly understood him. They had always been close, but Kyosun couldn't help but feel that he was failing as an older brother. He was supposed to protect In-su, not the other way around.