The Tagalong

When I was in middle school, my dad died and my mom ran off. I wore through my shoes running dozens of miles home from school in town. The only one left at home was my baby brother, who was still nursing. I wasn't a good person, but fortunately, I wasn't all that bad either. So I became this little burden's dad, and his mom, and in the end... Before God, I became this little burden's husband and wife. Actually, it wasn't really the end. From the moment this little brat grabbed me for milk and peed all over me, our lives became one, and we could never be separated again. It's just that the older this little rascal gets, the more he takes after me with that foul temper of his. He's stubborn as a mule, and I've worried myself sick over him from the day he was born! * I never knew my parents. The first person I saw when I opened my eyes was my brother. The first word I spoke was “Brother,” and before I learned to write my own name, I learned to write his. I never envied other people for having parents. My brother was everything to me, but... When I was little, people saying my brother and I weren't real brothers made me cry my eyes out. Once I grew up, people all said we were real brothers, and that was what made me suffer. I did everything I could to make my brother happy. I got good grades, and mastered laundry, cooking, and every kind of housework. But only in the end did I realize that all my brother's pain was because of me. His hands covered in scars, his shoulders blistered from the sun, the destruction of our happy family... I'm a harbinger of bad luck, a curse. I really should just die! * “Brother, I fell down again.” “Don't be scared, Xiao Cun. I'll hold you. You won't get hurt.” ## Big Daddy Brother x Ghost Boy Brother ## They are not related by blood and are not in the same household. No romantic feelings while they see each other as brothers. ## Told in the first person, alternating between the brother's and the younger brother's perspectives, with both taking the lead in the relationship. (Some events may not be true due to the limitations of these perspectives, and may only reflect the viewpoint character's subjective interpretation. The extras provide a more omniscient perspective.) ## Slow burn. Give it a few chapters. The brothers' interactions while raising the kid are adorable ^^. ## In the middle and later parts, readers say the romance goes wild, the characters are incredibly satisfying, the brothers are so compelling, and it made them cry several times. It's thrilling, angsty, and sweet. If you're curious, give it a try. The author certainly had fun writing it ^^. Theme: Life is a goddamn struggle, sharp as a steel needle, but my will is as strong as an iron shield.