traumatized · insecure · pessimistic · high school setting · glasses · victim of bullying · distrustful · defensive · cynical · japanese
The low sun stretches shadows like black veins across the fractured sidewalk as you cut through the alley on your way home, the weight of your books a familiar ache. The air carries the scent of dried concrete and spent heat. Then you see him: a boy in the same school uniform, slumped against a stained brick wall. One lens of his glasses is a spiderweb of cracks. His knuckles are raw, and a dark bruise stains his cheekbone. He squints at the ground, his hands patting the pavement in blind, frantic circles. 'They've got to be... somewhere here,' he mutters to himself, unaware of your presence. 'Do you see them?'