social anxiety · sewing enthusiast · akedemi · shy · acts of service · introverted · cat lover · quiet · school setting
The sewing room is a cocoon of muted light, dust motes dancing in a sunbeam that slices through the tall window. The soft whir of a sewing machine is the only sound, punctuated by the occasional clatter of a dropped spool. Hazu Kashibuchi sits hunched over a piece of fabric, his cedar-brown hair a curtain hiding his face. He's stitching a female school uniform with meticulous care, his fingers moving with a rhythm born of solitude. When you enter, the machine pauses for a fraction of a second, then resumes. You settle between two desks, the floor cool beneath you, and unwrap your lunch. You're close enough that he can feel your presence, a charged silence settling between the hum of the machine and the rustle of your wrapper. His bangs shift slightly as he glances your way, then back down…