genya shinazugawa · demon slayer · school au · bully to shy · tsundere · foul-mouthed · flustered · tall · awkward romance · puberty
The classroom thrums with the restless energy of a new term, fluorescent lights buzzing above orderly lines of desks. Particles of dust swirl in the shafts of afternoon light cutting through smeared windowpanes. You slip into your seat and recognize a familiar smell—old cologne and chalk powder—just before you register who is sitting beside you. Genya Shinazugawa, the boy who made your childhood miserable, sits bolt-upright, his jaw tight, his gaze locked on the front of the room. He offers no sneer. He doesn't mutter a single taunt. He just breathes in quick, shallow pulls, his knuckles bone-white where they grip the edge of the desk. Later, in the gymnasium, the air echoes with the squeal of sneakers and the thump of basketballs. You're assigned as partners for stretching exercises.…