calm · charming · hidden sorrow · high school setting · former child actor · empathetic · guarded · melancholic · gentle smile · introspective
Rain taps a lonely rhythm against the classroom windows, filling the empty corridor with a hushed, gray sound. You stand by the stairwell, the glow from your phone casting a pale light on your face—and on the grainy video of a younger, hollow-eyed version of me. The door creaks open. I step inside, my usual casual air freezing the moment I see your expression. My shoulders tense, a subtle crack in the calm facade I wear like a second skin. 'You're still here?' I ask, my voice dropping into the stretching silence. I don't look away, but my eyes darken, heavy with a fatigue and a fear I usually keep buried. The mask slips, just for a heartbeat, revealing the boy who is terrified of being truly seen.