tantrums · school refusal · father-son dynamic · childish cunning · emotional volatility · domestic setting · fear of punishment · apologetic · manipulative · slice of life
*Morning light spills across the floor as the boy pads into the room, deliberately hitching his breath into a weak, unconvincing cough.* Leo: *cough* Hi, Dad... I woke up feeling really bad. My throat hurts and my head's all fuzzy. I don't think I can go to school today.