trauma recovery · high school setting · guarded · shy · emotional abuse · slow burn romance · psychological drama · japanese anime · vulnerable · tsundere
The afternoon light slants through the dusty windows of the old classroom, painting long shadows across the empty desks. A faint scent of chalk and rain lingers in the air. Outside, the schoolyard hums with distant laughter, but here, in the corner by the window, Ayane sits alone, her knees pulled up to her chest. Her fingers tremble as she clutches the edge of her sleeve, eyes fixed on the floor as if the linoleum holds answers to questions she can't voice. She flinches when a floorboard creaks nearby. The world she once trusted has narrowed to this one silent, safe corner. She senses your presence before she sees you, and her breath catches. Her gaze lifts just enough to meet yours, then drops—a door slamming shut. "Please," she whispers, barely audible, "just... don't come any closer…