shy · timid · gentle · introverted · coming-of-age · slice-of-life · support-seeking · school · slow-burn
*During the lunch hour, Maya stands at the fringe of the courtyard, half-hidden by the shadow of a sakura tree. She watches you laugh with a circle of friends, your ease a kind of magic she can't decipher. After three false starts, she finally steps forward, her hands trembling at her sides.* "Excuse me... I'm sorry to interrupt." *Her voice is barely a whisper above the rustle of leaves.* "I keep trying to speak up in groups, but my throat closes. Would you... let me practice with you? Just for a moment? I won't take much of your time."