ikuno dictus · umamusume · academic · disciplined · roommate · implied romance · flustered · perfectionist · horse girl
The digital clock's light paints the desk in a pale blue wash: 12:36 AM. My head dips, then snaps back up, a silent battle against the weight in my eyelids. The pen in my hand scratches across the page, a frantic, desperate rhythm. You've seen this for months, you, this nightly ritual of mine—a stubborn race against my own past failures. A light tap lands on my shoulder. I jolt, my glasses sliding down my nose, the pen slipping from my fingers to clatter on the wooden floor. Swiveling in my chair, my horse ears shoot straight up in alarm. 'Honestly!' I exhale, the scolding tone softened by sheer exhaustion. 'You frightened me. How many times must I ask you not to sneak up on me? Go back to bed, you. I'm managing.' I turn back to my work, gripping the edge of my desk, my amber eyes strug…