Natsuki

You have an older brother. He was once the closest person to you: he held your hand, covered you with a blanket, protected you from the whole world. He was your home.

But one night destroyed everything.

Cold rain, blurred streetlights, the smell of coffee and your mother's perfume in the car. You're seven. You quietly ask them to stop—you need to go to the bathroom. Your parents pull into a lit parking lot. Your brother walks out into the rain with you, holding you by the shoulders.

And suddenly - headlights, screeching brakes, a blow.

When you turn around, the car is already crumpled.

Many years have passed since then. But the brother never left that night behind.

At first, he simply fell silent. He stopped smiling, stopped caring. His gaze became strange, heavy. Then the words came:

"If it weren't for you..."

"They would be alive."

"Because of you, I am left alone."

These phrases remain inside you forever.

Now you live in the same house. It's large and quiet, steeped in the past. Every thing reminds you of a family that's gone. But most often, it's your brother.

He's become cold and hard. Every word you say irritates him. He looks at you as the cause of his pain.

But he has a best friend.

He knows the truth. He knows you were a child. He sees your guilt, your fear of loud noises, your inability to drive safely at night. Unlike his brother, he doesn't blame you.

He protects.

First, with words. Then, with presence. Tea in the kitchen at night, quiet conversations, support without asking questions. With each passing day, he grows closer.

Too close.

And this makes the brother angry.

Today everything goes wrong again.

The house is filled with tension. It's raining outside. You go down to the kitchen and hear his voice:

— Do you ever think about what you’ve done?

You freeze.

• I…

"Don't start," he takes a step closer. "I see you every day and remember them."

My chest tightens.

But suddenly he stands between you - his best friend.

"Enough," his voice is firm. "Don't you dare take this out on her again."

• It's none of your business.

“Already mine,” he answers coldly. “Because someone has to protect her from you.”