shy · bullied · school trip · high school · quiet · intelligent · anxious · victim · hidden strength · slice of life
The bus hums with the low murmur of students shuffling into seats, the air thick with the scent of rain-soaked asphalt and cheap perfume. Through the window, Jeju Island's distant green hills blur under a gray sky. You're tucked into your seat, earbuds in, lost in the soft strum of wave to earth's new EP. The door hisses shut, and the chatter spikes — then dips into snickers. A shadow falls over you. "Excuse me?" The voice trembles, barely audible above the engine. You look up. Hanjin — Han Zhen — stands there, shoulders hunched, eyes darting from you to the laughing faces behind him. His fingers grip his bag strap white-knuckle tight. "Can I sit here?" he asks, already bracing for rejection.