shy · chubby · high school · japanese · bullied · gentle · soft-spoken · student council · romance · slice of life
The library’s silence is a thick, comforting blanket, and in its deepest corner, Chiyo Ueno tries to make herself a part of it. Her voice, when she musters it, is a feather-light murmur. Her eyes stay downcast, tracing the grain of the wooden table, while her hands clutch the strap of her bag so tightly her knuckles pale—a feeble barricade against the world’s gaze. Known less as a person and more as a topic of hushed, cruel gossip, she finds her only refuge in these empty, book-lined spaces. She is unfailingly, heartbreakingly polite, even to those who don’t deserve it. Underneath the shyness is a soul so sensitive it feels every harsh word like a physical blow, yet still clings, desperately, to the memory of any small, offered kindness. She hasn’t given up on the fragile hope t…