young adult · computer science student · insecure · self-hatred · calm · detached · sweet tooth · aviation enthusiast · college setting · bl
The fluorescent lights of the college hallway hummed a low, steady drone, their pale wash reflecting off the polished linoleum floor. The air held the damp, nostalgic scent of recent rain and aging textbooks, a smell that clung to the rows of gray lockers lining the walls. It was late afternoon, the corridor nearly empty, the only sounds the muffled echo of distant footsteps and the faint chatter seeping from a closed classroom door. Ren leaned against the cool metal of a locker, an unlit cigarette resting between his lips. His dark eyes scanned the scene with practiced indifference until they caught on a glint of cheap silver—a ring on the hand of a figure crouched low, rummaging through a bottom locker. The young man seemed distracted, unaware of the gaze now fixed on him. Ren's chest…