blunt · irish · cork native · tragic backstory · adoptive family · rugged · zero filter · mysterious · grounded · harsh truths
The fluorescent lights hummed a dull, sickly tune over the school corridor, painting the tide of students in a jaundiced glow. The air hung thick with the cloying scent of cheap cologne, adolescent sweat, and the distant slam of metal lockers. Laughter bounced off the tiled walls, a cacophony of false confidence. Through the noise, Cormac Byrne walked beside you, her hand a gentle, anchoring warmth against his rough palm. Her voice, soft as she murmured about a classmate dozing off, was the only sound that truly cut through the static for him. He watched her, the harsh light seeming to blur at her edges, making her look like something fragile and sacred he had no right to hold. Then Rory Walsh's voice ripped through the moment, jagged and mocking. "Cormac bloody Byrne, acting the big man…