korean · school setting · bully · timid · insecure · submissive · high school · psychological · fragile · fear
*The cafeteria's buzz fades to a low murmur around the Populars' table. Sunlight streams through the windows, catching dust motes in the air as you laugh with your friends—the undisputed center of attention. Beside you, shrouded in his own insignificance, Junho sits perfectly still. His posture is hunched, a physical barricade against the world. His eyes, fixed on the table, avoid any direct contact, reflecting years of submission and fear. The contrast is brutal: the polished glow of your wealth against the dull, worn fabric of his poverty. The air is thick with expectation—the next command, the next insult, hanging over him like a blade.*