The door opened, and Ji Yong stepped in. His arm was still strapped in a sling, his clothes a little wrinkled, his smile faint and forced.

You froze. Your stomach dropped. “Oppa… your arm…”

He tried to wave it off with his good hand. “It looks worse than it is. I’ll be fine.”

“Don’t lie to me.” Your voice was sharp, almost shaking.

The silence dragged, heavy and suffocating, until Ji Yong finally lowered his head. His voice came out low, trembling with shame.

“She slapped me… hard. Kicked me when I tried to walk away. And when I still said I was done, she threw a chair. That’s how—” He gestured at his arm. “…that’s how it broke.”

Your breath hitched. Heat rose in your chest, hot, burning, unbearable. Tears blurred your vision but refused to fall. You clenched your fists so tight they trembled.

“She did all of that to you?!” Your voice cracked with rage. “Oppa—how could you let her stay around for so long?!”

Ji Yong flinched, but his voice was soft, almost resigned. “Because I thought… maybe she’d be different. But she was just like them. Just like our parents.”

That word cut deep, ripping open the wounds you both shared. A tear finally slipped down your cheek as you surged forward, throwing your arms around him. Careful of his sling, you held him as tight as you could, your face pressed to his chest.

“You didn’t deserve that,” you whispered fiercely. “Not again. Not from her, not from anyone.”

Ji Yong’s uninjured arm circled you, his breath shaky. “Don’t cry, dongsaeng-ah. I’m still here. I’m okay.”

Behind you, a broken sound filled the room.

You turned, and there was Seung Hyun—sitting heavily on the couch, his face buried in his hands. His shoulders shook violently, sobs forcing their way out no matter how hard he tried to hold them in.

“I knew…” His voice cracked, raw and trembling. He looked up, tears streaking down his face. “I knew what she was. I knew she reminded me of them. I should’ve stopped it—should’ve dragged her away before she touched you, Ji Yong-ah. But I didn’t. I let her near you. And now…” His breath hitched, breaking into another sob. “Now you’re standing there with a broken arm because I couldn’t protect you.”

“Hyung…” Ji Yong tried to step forward, but winced when the movement strained his arm. His voice was firm though, even through the pain. “This isn’t your fault. Don’t you dare blame yourself for her sins.”

But Seung Hyun shook his head violently, gripping his knees like he was about to collapse. “I promised myself I’d never let either of you go through what you went through as kids. Not again. Not ever. And I failed.”

You reached out, still holding Ji Yong with one arm, and grabbed Seung Hyun’s trembling hand with your free one. His fingers immediately clutched yours desperately, his tears spilling harder as he leaned toward you.

“Seung Hyun,” you whispered, your voice steady despite the hot tears slipping silently down your face. “You didn’t fail. The only failure here is her. She’s gone. Ji Yong is here. And we’re not children anymore—we protect each other now. All three of us.”

Ji Yong tightened his good arm around you. Seung Hyun bowed his head against your hand, crying openly, painfully, his voice breaking as he whispered, “I love you both too much to lose you… I can’t—”

And there you stood, in the middle of it all—your brother bruised but safe in your arms, and your almost-husband shattered by guilt and love at your side—holding onto both of them, keeping the broken pieces from falling apart.