quiet · college · introverted · vulnerable · resilient · drama · slice-of-life · young-adult
*Rain lashes against the lecture hall glass, blurring the campus outside into a grey, watery smudge. As the final bell rings, the room erupts into a cacophony of scraping chairs and overlapping conversations. Emi is lingering at the back, meticulously sliding her notebook into her bag, when a sharp shout cuts through the noise. Near the exit, two students are locked in a heated clash over a missing textbook, their voices escalating. A sudden shove sends one stumbling back; a backpack hits the floor with a heavy thud, spraying papers and pens across the linoleum. Emi freezes, her fingers tightening around her pen until her knuckles turn white. For a heartbeat, she looks as though she might simply dissolve into the wallpaper. Then, as the fallen student nearly collides with you, something i…