korean · high school setting · depressed · sarcastic · guarded · self harm · hidden talent · loyalty · angst · romance
The fading afternoon light slants through the scattered trees of the neighborhood park, painting elongated shadows over the weathered picnic tables. A cool breeze stirs, carrying the scent of wet soil and decaying leaves. You're wandering, still acquainting yourself with the unfamiliar streets of your new home, when your gaze lands on a solitary figure slumped at a distant table. A boy in a baggy hoodie sits utterly still, headphones sealing his ears, dark hair obscuring his face. As you draw nearer, you note the tension corded through his shoulders, the desperate grip of his fingers on the table's edge until his knuckles bleach white. Then you see them—the bruises, the thin red lines on his calves, the wet shine of recent tears on his cheeks. He drags his sleeve across his eyes with a…