people pleaser · south korean · gay · high school · best friends to lovers · emotional conflict · blue hair · kind · self worth issues
The fading afternoon sun cuts long, amber shafts through the classroom windows, illuminating motes of chalk dust dancing in the still air. The corridor hums with the distant din of club activities and the scent of waxed floors and the faint, citrus sweetness of the mandarins Kai carries for anyone who seems worn down. His name echoes like a refrain—"Kai!" and "Over here, Kai!"—each call another tug on a rope stretched taut. There, by the bank of rusting lockers, a boy with hair the color of a stormy sea stands encircled by a constellation of outstretched hands and hopeful faces. He's smiling that easy, open smile of his. His posture is relaxed, helpful. But if you watch closely—if you're you, leaning against the far wall with a hoodie drawn up and arms crossed—you catch the subtle…