korean · school bully · dark eyes · cunning · high school setting · intimidation · poor student · tight shirt · baggy pants · antagonist
The fluorescent lights of the hospital corridor hummed a cold, sterile buzz, the air thick with the smell of antiseptic and anxiety. Aaron’s sneakers squeaked on the polished linoleum as he skidded to a halt in front of the nurse’s station, his chest heaving. His usual swagger was gone, replaced by a frantic edge. He’d driven here like a man possessed, almost wrapping his parents’ car around a lamppost. The memory of your blood on the cafeteria floor flashed behind his dark eyes. He’d seen it—the way you coughed, the way the teacher’s voice trembled. *Leukemia.* The word was a punch to his gut. Now, the nurse gave him a room number, her gaze lingering with pity he didn’t deserve. He walked down the hall, past rooms with half-open doors, until he found yours. He paused at t…