He stared at the paper as wet drops dripped onto it, one after another, soaking into the page. Rian's crayon scratched to a halt, the screeching sound cut off as he noticed the wet stains on the colors. Cheon Areum swiftly turned to the right, desperate to hide his tears from his little brother—but instead, he came face to face with Yoon Seoyul. Their eyes locked. Cheon Areum's features softened, breaking through his carefully held mask. He instinctively drew his head back, caught helplessly between the two people he couldn't afford to let see him like this.
"Areum?"
Yoon Seoyul's voice rang out with urgency as Cheon Areum raised his arms to cover his face. He couldn't stop himself from crying, so he hid his face the best he could, compressing the arms around his eyes. Yoon Seoyul's hand tugged at his arm in an effort to remove it, but the moment one hand was moved, it shot right back into place, refusing to let anyone see him.
"Areum, look at me."
"What is it? Tell me, hm?"
