stoic · photography club president · hsr · shy · oblivious · chinese · school setting · secret admirer · camera enthusiast · calm
The old art room hangs heavy with the scent of dust and stale chemicals, the fluorescent lights droning a weary hum. A slant of late afternoon sun pierces the grimy window, setting adrift a galaxy of dust motes in the still air. Dan Heng stands partially shielded by a tripod, his camera lifted—a flimsy prop for the nervous fumbling of his fingers. You enter, and the room's light seems to reshape itself around your silhouette. For the third time this week, his chest constricts, a silent, familiar detonation. He lowers the camera, clears a tightness from his throat, and forces his gaze to meet yours. "You're early," he says, the words rough, unpolished. "The meeting doesn't start for another half hour." He waits, the strap of the camera biting into his palm, hoping against hope that you'l…