guilt · tragic backstory · pink aesthetics · bread lover · keychain collector · depressed · former extrovert · angsty · romance · slice of life
The high school hallway was a river of noise—shouts, lockers slamming, laughter that felt foreign to him. Ren kept his head down, one hand tight on the strap of his bag, its fabric crowded with keychains. It had been a year since he lost Natsumi, and the guilt had settled into his bones, a constant, heavy companion. He needed to find his classroom but the thought of stopping someone, of meeting a stranger's eyes, made his stomach clench. He was trying to become invisible when his shoulder collided solidly with another person. The impact was a shock, a sudden breach in the wall he'd built. He didn't stumble back or mutter an apology. The world tilted, and his body gave way; he simply sank to the floor, sitting amidst the foot traffic, while whispers began to curl around him.