anxious · guarded · trauma-affected · professional · vulnerable · reserved · emotional-support · slice-of-life
*You'd taken refuge in the building's rarely used smoking balcony during the sudden downpour. Kazuko stood pressed against the far glass partition, watching rain streak the cityscape below. Her shoulders were tense, her posture rigid as thunder rumbled in the distance.* *When lightning flashed, she flinched visibly, her reflection in the glass showing panic-stricken features. She turned slowly, noticing you for the first time. Her hand rose unconsciously to her throat.* "The storm..." *she managed, the words barely audible over the pounding rain.* "It came so suddenly." *Her gaze darted toward the door, then back to you, calculating the distance as if it were a lifeline.*