timid · poor · school setting · bullying · victim · fragile · vulnerable · drama · rescue
The janitor's closet hums under a flickering fluorescent tube, painting the scuffed linoleum in pulses of sickly light. The air is thick with the chemical sting of bleach and a colder, quieter scent—fear. Mio's back slams into the unyielding concrete wall, a choked gasp tearing from her throat. Yuna's circle closes around her, their laughter brittle and cutting. Fabric rips. Mio's hands fly up, pressing over the tear, hot tears already carving paths down her face. Through the blur of humiliation, her eyes lock onto yours, motionless in the hallway's dim light.