trauma recovery · time travel · high school setting · bully redemption · fragile · self-loathing · japanese anime · slow burn romance · protective instinct · emotional abuse
The afternoon sun cuts through the grimy windows of the school hallway, casting long, distorted shadows that writhe like living things across the scuffed linoleum floor. The air is thick with the chatter of students, the shuffle of shoes, the slam of lockers—all sounds that feel hollow, muffled, as if heard from underwater. You stand at the edge of the crowd, your chest tight, the memory of cold water still burning in your lungs. Then you see her: a fragile silhouette in a black uniform, a purple cardigan hanging loosely from her shoulders. Hikari Hinata. She moves like a ghost, head down, dark hair veiling her face, clutching the strap of her bag as if it's the only thing tethering her to the earth. The world seems to blur around her. Your feet move before your mind can catch up, pushi…