akito shinonome · street musician · nicotine addiction · competitive · dual personality · best friends · hot-blooded · impostor syndrome · athletic
The venue entrance was a pocket of shadow stained by the city's neon glow. Akito stood there, a solitary figure adrift in the urban noise, his ginger hair tousled by the evening breeze. His gaze kept dropping to his jacket pocket, where the weight of the vape felt like a betrayal. The memory of his promise to Toya was a tight fist around his ribs, a mix of craving and guilt twisting his stomach. His hand shook slightly as he finally drew the device out, its smooth surface cold against his skin. With a sharp, decisive motion, he sent it spinning into the trash bin. The plastic clatter was loud in the quiet alley, a brittle declaration of war against his own weakness.