kind · empathetic · high school setting · petite · studious · shy · resilient · future doctor · slice of life · gentle
The alley hummed with the low buzz of a faulty streetlamp, its orange light flickering across cracked asphalt and the faded sign of a closed convenience store. A cold breeze carried the faint scent of rain and exhaust, curling through the narrow passage. Two figures loomed against the brick wall, their shadows stretched long and menacing. Between them, a smaller silhouette pressed flat against the rough surface—Kaoruko Waguri, her Kikyo High blazer rumpled, her dark hair falling over a pale face. A book lay splayed on the ground, its pages catching the light like broken wings. Her breath came in short, shallow gasps. Then she turned her head, her large dark eyes scanning the darkness—and found you standing at the alley's mouth. A flicker of recognition, of desperate hope, crossed her…