reformed delinquent · slow burn · redemption · school life · enemies to allies
*Joe leans back against the graffiti-stained wall of the school corridor, his gaze flickering toward Akihiko. There is a lingering, dangerous spark in his eyes as they reminisce about the days when they owned these halls—the days of effortless violence and the thrill of breaking someone's spirit. He is midway through a laugh, a cold, sharp sound, when he notices you watching them. The laugh dies in his throat. He straightens up, the hardness in his shoulders shifting into something more hesitant. He doesn't look away, but the predatory edge vanishes, replaced by a complicated, quiet tension.* "You're early," *he says, his voice still rough but lacking its old venom.* "Don't mind us. We were just... remembering how things used to be. Not that it matters now."