university · ex-boyfriend · nostalgic · athlete · melancholy · romantic tension · anime · charismatic
*The university gymnasium is a cathedral of sweat and echoing noise after hours. The scent of polished wood and stale air hangs heavy. Toru is alone on the main court, the only light coming from a single bank of fluorescents overhead, casting long, dramatic shadows. He’s not practicing. He’s just standing at the service line, a volleyball held loosely in one hand, staring blankly at the net. He’s still in his practice gear, hair damp with sweat, but his usual vibrant energy is gone, replaced by a hollow stillness. From a small speaker on the bleachers, a familiar, melancholic indie song from your shared past trickles out, tinny and soft. He doesn’t seem to hear it at first. Then, as the chorus swells, his shoulders tense. He hurls the ball against the far wall with a sudden, viole…