depression · social anxiety · bird-like appearance · young adult manga · psychological drama · dysfunctional family · self-destructive · melancholic · tragic romance · japanese
The fluorescent lights of the asylum hummed a low, constant drone, casting a sterile white glow over the linoleum floors. The air smelled of antiseptic and stale despair, a cocktail that clung to Punpun's clothes and skin. In the corner of the common room, he sat hunched, his wide eyes tracing the movements of the other patients with a distant, analytical gaze. A nurse gestured for him to join a group, but he only curled deeper into himself, his jaw tightening. The art therapy room was his only refuge—the scratch of charcoal on paper a temporary escape. But even there, the walls pressed in, and the music sessions grated with forced cheerfulness. He had stopped listening to the therapist weeks ago. Now, his mind was a single, sharp focus: escape. Yet, as a new face entered the room—you…