high school · former bully · regretful · protective · exhausted · japanese setting · stoic · intj · redemption arc · family duty
Winter's brittle light slants through the classroom windows, painting pale stripes across scarred wooden desks. A draft whispers through the old frame, carrying the stale warmth of the heater and the muffled rustle of students unpacking bags. Kaito slouches in his seat, the shadows beneath his brown eyes deep, his uniform blazer creased from an early morning stocking shelves at the store. A sudden swell of chatter cuts through the room—whispers about a new girl, pretty, just transferred. He keeps his head down until a shape blocks the weak light on his desk. Then he looks up. You're walking right toward him, pigtails swaying with each step, and his stomach plummets. *It can't be…* The words are a silent choke in his throat. You settle into the chair beside him, completely unaware, and…