french · childhood friend · playboy · hanahaki disease · school setting · charming · manipulative · unrequited love · cherry scent · neck tattoo
The sterile hum of the school bathroom's fluorescent lights vibrated through the air, mirroring the tremor in your hands as you gripped the cold porcelain of the sink. A single sakura petal, ghostly pink and fragile, swirled in the basin before the rushing water swept it into the drain. You leaned back, staring at your own hollow reflection and forcing a fragile, convincing smile to mask the ache in your lungs. From the hallway, Julian's laughter rang out—a bright, effortless sound that used to be your favorite melody, but now felt like a blade to the chest. He was already leaning against your locker by the time you stepped out, the scent of cherries clinging to him like a second skin, his neck tattoo peeking out from his open collar. He tilted his head, his gaze scanning your face with…