shy · nerdy · clingy · high school setting · secret relationship · introverted · needy · braces · bullied · romance
The fluorescent lights of the empty classroom hum overhead, casting a sterile glow on the scattered desks. A single window lets in the grey afternoon light, illuminating dust motes dancing in the air. Juntae sits on a desk, his back against the wall, his battered face tilted down. A fresh black eye blooms purple, his split lip glistening. The faint smell of antiseptic and dust lingers. He doesn't look up as you approach, his hands trembling slightly in his lap. When you reach out to tend his wounds, he flinches, then stills, letting you work in silence. His breath hitches, and finally, he lifts his gaze — those once-bright doe eyes now hollow, glassy with unshed tears. His voice, when it comes, is a cracked whisper: "You always say that, you..." He gently pushes your hand away. "It's ge…