The small house was filled with the sound of laughter and the smell of breakfast cooking.
Li Kyo, the older brother, stood by the stove, carefully frying eggs. He was sixteen, tall for his age, with black hair that fell slightly into his eyes. His face was calm, but his mind was racing — today was special.
Beside him, his little brother Sin Kyo, only five years old, tried to help, holding a spoon that looked far too big for his tiny hands. His bright eyes sparkled with excitement, and his small voice filled the kitchen.
"Mom will be so surprised!" Sin Kyo exclaimed, nearly dropping the spoon in his excitement.
Li Kyo smiled softly.
"Yeah… we'll make her really happy today."
Just then, the phone rang sharply. Li Kyo wiped his hands on a towel and went to pick it up.
"Wait here, okay?" he called back.
He walked toward the phone, still smiling, unaware of the disaster waiting.
BOOM!!!
The explosion ripped through the air. The kitchen table overturned, the walls shook, and the world went white for a moment.
When Li Kyo opened his eyes, the world was covered in smoke and debris.
Pain shot through his left arm, blood ran down his forehead, and his ears rang painfully. His body ached, but his first thought was Sin Kyo.
He crawled through the broken room and saw him — his little brother, lying just a few feet away. Sin Kyo's tiny body was still, but the corners of his mouth formed the faintest smile.
"Sin Kyo… wake up… please," Li Kyo whispered, his voice cracking.
No response came. Just that same peaceful, haunting smile.
Tears streamed down Li Kyo's face as he whispered again,
"Why… why are you smiling?"
"He woke up suddenly. Sweat clung to his hair, his heart pounding".
It was dark, quiet, and he was in his own small bedroom — a memory or a dream, he couldn't tell.
Old newspapers covered the windows, blocking most of the light.
A small desk stood by the wall, stacked with dusty books.
On the desk was a photo frame — Sin Kyo, smiling, as always, frozen in time.
Li Kyo stared at it for a long moment. Then, with a faint, broken voice, he whispered,
"I'm sorry…"
He forced a small, empty smile onto his face — the same smile he had worn every day since that tragic morning.
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''Li Kyo is the older brother, Sin Kyo the little brother whose presence lingers in dreams and memories".
" Some smiles are full of joy, and some… are the only way to hide pain".
— Ajiro Shin