“There. All better, right?”

The boy sat back on his heels, smiling softly at his teary-eyed younger brother. A large bandage stretched over his shoulder, with stains of red already piercing the white fabric. The elder’s smile flickered as the sound of a shattering glass echoed through the rickety old house. After a beat of silence, a choked sob tore through the air, and the teen dropped all pretense of cheeriness, pulling his brother into his arms and holding him close.

“Jongup-ah,” he whispered. “It’s alright. He’ll be in bed soon, it’s alright.”

Jongup shook his head with a whimper, clutching at the fabric beneath his fingers. “Hyung,” he gasped. His tears wet Daehyun’s shirt, staining the already dirty clothing. Footsteps approaching their door silenced both of them, Jongup muffling his cries in Daehyun’s chest. A fist pounded on their door, a booming voice, hoarse and raspy from overuse, demanding that it be opened.

Jongup squeaked as he was roughly shoved into the back of the closet. “No! Daehyunnie don’t-!”

Daehyun’s normally warm brown eyes were cold as he shook his head and hissed at him to be quiet. Before he could protest, darkness pressed in as the false wall was replaced. Jongup waited with baited breath, afraid to move in case he made any sound, as he heard the bedroom door open and those dreaded footsteps move into the room.

“Where is he?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Daehyun’s voice was harsh and emotionless, and so unlike his usual tone that Jongup whimpered and pressed himself further into his little cave.

“Don’t you lie to me, boy.” The distinct thud of a body hitting the floor echoed through the room and Jongup clapped his hands over his ears, though it did nothing to muffle the sounds coming from only a few meters away. “Where did you hide the brat, huh?”

“I sent him to play with Soojung!” Now he sounded pained. Jongup shook his head and tangled his fingers in his hair.

“Daehyunnie…” he whimpered.

“Soojung, ey?” There was another thud and a harsh cry from Daehyun. “Call him home.”

“Haven't you caused enough damage for one day?” Another thud. This one was louder. Daehyun groaned and coughed.

“Call him home.”

The footsteps retreated into the hall again and the door slammed shut, shaking the wall Jongup was pressed against.

Long moments passed in silence, and Jongup remained completely still and silent. I need to be good. I'll be good for hyung. He flinched at the sound of another door slamming somewhere in the house. Still, he did not move. Finally, as he was beginning to fall asleep, a sliver of light invaded his vision. He blinked himself awake and unraveled his stiff limbs.

“Jonguppie?” At the sound of Daehyun’s tired voice, Jongup immediately crawled forward, tears racing down his cheeks as he threw himself into his brother’s arms.

“Hyung,” he whimpered. Daehyun hissed in pain, causing Jongup to pull away with a gasp. Daehyun’s face was bruised and bloody, one of his eyes already swelling shut and the rest of his face covered in splotchy patches of red, some already turning a nasty shade of purple. Jongup’s eyes narrowed and he scrambled out of Daehyun's lap to get their first aid kit.

He hid his surprise when Daehyun didn't protest as he pulled open the bag and began to apply ointments and bandages to the worst of his wounds.

“One day,” he began quietly, “we’ll be far away from here. We can get a house, and dad won't be able to hurt either of us ever again.”

Daehyun's eyes flashed and a shadow of sadness overcame his face. “Jongup-”

“Everything will be great, hyung! We can talk to Junhong-ah and Yongguk-hyung and Himchan-hyung whenever we want. We can have warm dinners. We can-”

“Jongup.”

Daehyun's voice was stern, and Jongup froze at the sound of it, looking up at his brother in silence. He blinked slowly when he saw tears in Daehyun's eyes. What was going on?

“Jongup, in a month’s time I'll be eighteen,” he said quietly.

Jongup frowned. “I don't understand. What does that have to do with-”

“I'm going back to Seoul.”

Jongup stared in silence for a moment, disbelief coursing through his veins. “What?”

Daehyun reached forward and took his hands, gazing intently into his eyes. Distantly, Jongup noticed that he was shaking. “I’m going to go back to Seoul,” he repeated. “I’m going to move into an apartment with Yongguk-hyung and Himchan-hyung and go to college. I’ll get a job-” Jongup pulled