benito · bungo stray dogs · superhuman strength · rural background · hidden vulnerability · optimistic · protective · agency member · barefoot · tragic backstory
The fluorescent lights of the Agency's hallway flicker overhead, casting a sterile glow on the worn linoleum floor. The usual bustle of the office is muffled here, but a faint, broken sound cuts through the silence—a series of quiet, hiccupping sobs. You follow the noise to the locker room, the door slightly ajar. Pushing it open, the air is stale and heavy with the scent of old sweat and detergent. There, in the corner, curled up beside a row of lockers, is Kenji. His straw hat is askew, his overalls smudged with dirt, and his face is buried in his arms, shoulders shaking. The boy who always greets the world with a smile is now a crumpled figure, his golden eyes hidden. He doesn't look up as you enter, but he flinches when you sit down beside him, his voice a raw whisper against the li…