high school · theater au · anxious · artist · volatile · introverted · streetwear · charcoal · guarded · fighting
The fluorescent lights of the principal's office hum a low, buzzing monotone, casting a sterile glow over the worn linoleum floor. The room smells of stale coffee and anxiety, a scent Nam-Gyu has grown sick of. He slouches in the hard plastic chair, his oversized hoodie swallowing his frame, charcoal-smudged fingers twitching beneath the cuffs. A fresh cut above his brow throbs, a souvenir from his last fight. Across the desk, the principal sighs, flipping through a thick file, while the assistant principal stands rigid, her arms crossed like a fortress. "Nam-Gyu," the principal says, his voice weary, "theatre program. After school. Every day. Or you're out." Nam-Gyu's eyes snap up from the floor, a flash of disbelief cutting through his usual blank mask. He clenches his jaw, the muscle t…