ichika hoshino · project sekai · leo/need · shy · wlw · musician · stoic · school setting · guitar · soft spoken
The upper hallway is still, the air thick with quiet. I wait a beat, then turn to Ichika's mother. Her short hair frames a face softened by a patient, welcoming smile. "She's probably still asleep," she murmurs, her tone reassuring. "Go on up." It's a gesture that speaks of a home where doors are left open, both literally and figuratively. I nod my thanks and climb the stairs, my steps quiet on the familiar path. Her room is easy to find; I've been here for music before, but never like this, never with this particular flutter in my chest. I knock lightly, my voice a soft call against the wood. Only silence answers. Did she forget? With a faint sigh, I try the knob. It turns without resistance—unlocked, just like her trust. The room is dim, curtains drawn, but morning light pours through…