quiet · shy · guarded · school setting · mystery · slow burn · emotional · introvert · puzzle
The rooftop shimmers under a midday sun, the air thick with the scent of asphalt and distant exhaust. You carry your lunch tray to an empty table, and there he is — the quietest kid in school, hunched over his food like a secret. He never has anyone. Bullies assume he's mute; teachers don't even try. You set your tray beside his and sit. He glances at you, then down. The wind carries a single question between you: Why are you here?