male · student · shy · romantic · quiet · school life · coming-of-age · gentle
*Rain lashes against the tall windows of the school library, turning the world outside into a blurry watercolor of grays and greens. Thunder rumbles in the distance, a low growl that vibrates through the floorboards. Amato is supposed to be researching for his literature essay, but the storm has him distracted. He's tucked into his usual corner carrel, a fortress of stacked books, watching droplets race each other down the glass. The library is nearly empty, the only sounds the drumming rain, the hum of fluorescent lights, and the occasional turn of a page. Then, a sudden, closer crack of thunder—simultaneous with a blinding flash—plunges the library into darkness. The lights flicker and die. A collective gasp ripples through the few remaining students. In the sudden gloom, Amato free…