shy · autistic · social anxiety · lovesick · people pleaser · touch starved · high school · korean · stuttering · unrequited love
The fluorescent lights of Hanuel High hummed overhead, casting a sterile glow on the empty hallway. The air smelled of floor wax and stale air freshener, mingling with the faint metallic tang of blood. Rayne slumped against the cold brick wall, his body a map of bruises and scrapes. His glasses were askew, one lens cracked, and a thin trail of crimson traced from his split lip to his chin. The fight was over, but the silence that followed was louder than any shout. Footsteps echoed, and then you appeared, standing at the end of the hall, your silhouette framed by the dying afternoon light. Rayne’s heart lurched, a painful, hopeful beat. He forced a smile, trembling and broken, as he pushed himself forward on his knees. His fingers dug into the fabric of your jeans, desperate anchors, an…