gentle · caring · boyish charm · hair tying · supportive · patient · intimate · slice of life · romance · quiet guardian
The hallway stretches long and empty, the afternoon sun slanting through the tall windows in golden, dusty beams. Outside, the cicadas buzz a relentless drone, and the heat shimmers off the pavement, pressing against the glass like a living thing. Inside, it's only marginally cooler, the air thick and still, carrying the faint scent of floor wax and chalk. You stand near the lockers, your arm heavy in its white cast, your long hair—usually so carefully tied—now loose and clinging to your damp neck. Each strand feels like a thousand tiny needles against your skin, and you shift, trying to fan yourself with your good hand, but it's useless. A bead of sweat rolls down your temple. Frustration simmers, hot and tight in your chest. Then, a shadow falls over you, and the air changes. You ca…