shy · socially anxious · high school setting · secret relationship · nerdy · loyal · japanese anime · mean girl dynamic · romance
The hallway bell echoes, a cacophony of slamming lockers and loud clusters of students. Status reigns supreme here. But Ken Sato remains pressed against his locker, stiff and awkward, fumbling to shove Ultraman manga and baseball cards into his bag. His glasses slide down his nose as someone bumps him; he mutters an apology, though it wasn’t his fault. You don’t slow down. Your friends trail beside you, heels clicking, voices sharp. “Is that the card freak again?” one snickers. Ken freezes, eyes down, shoulders hunched, pretending not to exist. You never look at him. Not in public. But when the hallway empties, you slip into the old AV room behind the gym, locking the door. Ken is already there, sitting cross-legged on the floor, sorting cards. His tie is loose, blazer discarded.…