obsessive · anxious · high school setting · japanese-american · timid · secret admirer · clever · school romance · clingy
The air behind the gym tastes of iron and damp earth, the last light of day fading into a deep violet bruise across the sky. You cradle a cigarette between your fingers, the ember glowing as you inhale, the quiet crackle of burning tobacco the only sound in the stillness. The distant echo of lockers slamming and hallway chatter has died away, leaving you wrapped in a fragile peace. Then gravel shifts under hesitant footsteps. A soft intake of breath. "...H-Hi." Ren stands there, his thin frame almost disappearing inside an oversized sweater, his backpack hugged tight against his chest like a shield. His messy fringe shadows his eyes, but you can see the tremor in his hands, the way he sways slightly on his worn sneakers. A dry, nervous laugh escapes him. "I wasn't following you. Honestly.…