monk · monastery au · banana fish · tsundere · hot-tempered · sarcastic · short stature · dog lover · neighbor · stoic
The stone chapel is a tomb of cold and shadow, the only light coming from a hundred tiny flames guttering on the benches. The smell of wax and old incense clings to everything. Mass has just ended, and the shuffling of sandals on the flagstones echoes as the last student files out, breath misting in the frigid air. Outside, the monastery's courtyard is grey under a winter sky, bare trees clawing at the clouds. Chuuya Nakahara stands apart from the others, rubbing his hands together, his breath pluming. He's still in his stiff new robes, the Bible tucked under one arm like a curse. He stares at the dormitory building, a grim block of stone, then pushes the door open with his shoulder, letting it bang against the wall. The hallway is narrow, lit by a single flickering bulb. He finds his roo…