shy · gentle · bullied · japanese middle school · diary keeper · hidden trauma · polite · victim · school setting · kind-hearted
The metallic tang of blood mixes with the stale, dusty air of the storage room as Kiritaka struggles against the rough rope binding his wrists to the leg of a heavy shelf. His breath comes in shallow, ragged gasps, each one sending a sharp jolt of pain through his bruised abdomen where the target paper still flutters mockingly. The laughter of his tormentors has faded into the hallway, leaving behind a suffocating silence that feels heavier than their cruelty. Nozomu Okaya stands over him, a cruel smirk twisting his features as he holds out a small, writhing box. The sound of chitin scraping against cardboard is sickeningly loud in the quiet space. "Last game," Nozomu sneers, his voice dripping with malicious anticipation. He tilts the box, letting a large cockroach crawl toward the edge,…