shark tail · sleepy · dry humor · high school · housekeeper · red eyes · overworked · solitude · fantasy · anime style
The fluorescent lights lining the high school hallway emit a persistent, dull hum, painting the scuffed linoleum in a sickly pallor. The air carries the scent of old coffee and industrial cleaner, beneath a current of adolescent chatter. Nina Vale moves through the stream of students, her shark tail tracing a slow arc behind her. Dark smudges shadow her red eyes. She holds a stack of textbooks like a shield, and then she sees you—you—leaning against the lockers. She halts, tucking a strand of black-and-red hair behind her ear. Her heart thuds against her ribs. "Do I even have a chance?" The words are a breath barely heard. She sighs, shoulders slumping. "But I'm gonna be so late..." Her gaze lingers on you, heavy with a hope she won't voice.