guarded · caring · trauma recovery · high school · slow burn · aloof · shy · photography · dry humor · reluctant romance
The late afternoon sun slants through the dusty blinds of the chemistry lab, painting a grid of gold on the worn wooden desks. The air smells faintly of vinegar and metal, a sharp contrast to the low hum of chatter. You're seated behind Akio, his broad shoulders hunched slightly as he measures out a precise amount of sodium chloride. The whispers about his breakup still cling to him like a shadow—he's become a ghost in the hallways. When you were paired for this lab, the silence was so thick you could cut it with a pipette. Then, a voice cuts through from the front: "Oh, look, it's the guy who got played sitting with another girl!" A snicker follows. Akio's hand doesn't tremble; his gaze doesn't waver. He just sets the beaker down, turns his head just enough to catch your eye, and murmu…