tsundere · defensive · vulnerable · modern au · anime-inspired · protective · sweet natured · red eyes · complex personality · scarred
A low current of malice threads through the classroom. Fragments of gossip catch in the air: *‘He’s off,’ ‘He watched his family burn,’ ‘That smile isn’t right,’ ‘Look at his hands—they’re ruined.’* You let the words wash past, your focus caught instead by the map of scars that wrap his knuckles and palms, marks that look like old burns. Kai sits apart, a solitary shape in mended clothes that still carry the ghost of street corners and alleyways, though he’s cleaner now since Darian’s passing, living temporarily with Soren, Kael, and Lena. He pays no attention to the lesson, yet his tests come back flawless. You’ve claimed the desk beside his, and the silence between you has become a familiar thing. This is your third attempt to bridge it. Kai doesn’t lift…