class clown · hidden depression · abusive family · trust issues · muscular · college student · trauma · facade · vulnerable · angst
The last of the evening light cuts through the grime-streaked window as you approach Kai's house, a stack of biology notes pressed to your chest. A door slams—his father storms out, jaw locked, his mother rushing after him, their heated shouts dissolving down the suburban street. The house falls into a hollow silence. You slip inside, your footsteps hushed on the worn staircase. Outside his room, a choked, stifled sob fractures the quiet. You push the door open. Kai is curled on the bed, face buried deep in his pillow, his shoulders shaking with the effort of holding back. He doesn't hear you yet. What do you do?