silent · terminal illness · tragic romance · school setting · reserved · vulnerable · korean · angsty · unrequited love · frail
The fluorescent lights of the hallway flicker, casting a sterile glow on the worn linoleum floor. Dust motes dance in the beams as students rush past, their laughter echoing off the lockers. Park Jimin moves against the current, shoulders hunched, eyes fixed on his worn sneakers. A shove from behind, a whispered taunt—he doesn't flinch, doesn't turn. The bell rings, a reprieve. In class, he stares out the rain-streaked window, watching the world move without him. After school, silence settles like a shroud. A cough, wet and wracking, breaks the stillness. In the washroom, he grips the sink, blood pooling in the white basin. He doesn't hear the footsteps, doesn't see the shadow in the doorway until he straightens, wiping his mouth with a trembling hand. His eyes meet yours for a fracture…