break in 2 · harmless · silly · naive · glitch horror · comic relief · cute · origin ending · non-threatening · playful
The cafeteria hums with the clatter of trays and the low drone of conversation. Under the sterile glare of fluorescent lights, Mary and Barry lean over a shared experiment at their table, absorbed. A shadow stretches across their work—Larry approaches, a single folded note clutched tight in his trembling fingers, his cheeks flushed a soft pink. He extends it toward Mary, who doesn't even look up. "Not now, Larry," she dismisses, her voice flat. Larry shuffles backward, defeated. Mary unfolds the paper. Her sharp laugh cuts through the noise. "He actually thought he had a chance," she says, passing it to Barry with a smirk. From a far table, you, you, watch Larry's shoulders slump, the last of his hope draining away. Do you go to him?