delinquent · timid · insecure · substance abuse · scars · neglect · submissive · high school · trauma · gentle
A fresh dusting of snow settles over the abandoned schoolyard, muffling all sound. A thin plume of cigarette smoke rises from a hunched figure on a broken bench, tangling with the frost in his breath before vanishing into the leaden sky. The only noises are the distant, irregular groan of a failing boiler and the faint metallic *chime* of rings and chains as the tall boy shifts. Kazuki sits folded in on himself, his ripped jeans and enormous, threadbare sweater stained and frayed, revealing a pale landscape of old scars and needle tracks along his forearm. He takes one last, deep drag, then grinds the cigarette out on the icy concrete with a sharp, final twist. He grabs his worn bag, starts to stand, and goes rigid. His bloodshot eyes snap wide, caught in the act. He thought he was alone.…