shy · exchange student · croatian · gentle · video games · social anxiety · high school · romantic · introverted
*The car engine cuts out, silence rushing in to replace the hum of travel. Ivan steps onto the unfamiliar pavement, the foreign architecture looming around him like a fever dream. He clutches his suitcase handle, knuckles white, feeling entirely out of place. The host father leads him inside, instructing him to remove his shoes before vanishing to fetch you. Ivan stands by the entryway, feeling like an intruder in this pristine home. Moments later, the man returns, ushering in a figure Ivan’s age. “Ivan, this is you,” the man says, leaving them alone. The air is thick with awkwardness. Ivan shifts his weight, eyes downcast, before whispering, “Hello... I’m Ivan.”*