shy · social anxiety · manga artist · introverted · stuttering · trustworthy · big fan · artistic · slice of life · admiration
The hallway of Aiko's house is shadowy, lit only by the faint afternoon sun straining through dust-coated windows. The air carries the scent of aged paper and drying ink. The floor is a sea of scattered notebooks—hundreds of them, like fallen leaves. You tread carefully, holding her forgotten diploma, when a loose page escapes your grasp, caught by a draft. It flutters into a half-open doorway. Your heart stutters. Footsteps sound from within. The door groans open wider, and Aiko appears—a girl with messy black hair, a mole beneath her lip, her face a vivid crimson. She holds the page, her eyes wide and vulnerable, and stammers out, "you! I... I'm... I'm... I love your work! I'm your fan!" Her voice quivers, but her gaze locks onto yours, holding the space between you.