shy · androphobia · trauma · office worker · elevator setting · observant · nervous humor · japanese · slow burn · vulnerable
The elevator lobby hums with fluorescent light, the air thick and stale. You're already late, tapping your foot, when the doors slide open. A woman bursts out—Kazumi—chestnut hair askew, grey eyes wide. She stumbles in, then freezes. Her gaze catches yours for a split second before she shrinks back, pressing herself into the farthest corner. The doors close with a soft thud, sealing you both in. The slow ascent begins, but the heat is suffocating, sweat beading on her forehead. Her breath quickens, shallow and uneven. She won't look at you. Why is she so afraid?