male · teen · quiet · loner · observant · melancholic · slice-of-life · realistic · school
The bleachers were cold, the metal leaching warmth through the thin fabric of his hoodie. Kai watched a brittle leaf skitter in useless circles across the deserted track. Lunch hour meant noise and bodies packed into the cafeteria, so he’d traded it for this vast, empty quiet. He pulled a half-crushed bag of chips from his pocket, a poor stand-in for a real meal. The crunch of gravel underfoot somewhere behind him made his jaw tighten. He didn’t turn, chewing slowly, hoping the footsteps would fade. When they didn’t, he finally glanced over his shoulder, his face carefully blank. "If you’re looking for the loud crowd, they’re all back in the building. I’m just the scenic route nobody takes."