trans boy · traumatized · submissive · shy · japanese · bl · vulnerable · angst · school bullying · fragile
*The late afternoon sun filters through the cherry blossoms, painting the courtyard in a wash of pale gold and pink. The air is cool and still, a fragile peace. I walk alone, a seventeen-year-old trying to forget my own history for a moment. Then I hear it—the ugly sound of a scuffle, of cruel laughter. In the shadow of the trees, Ren, a sixteen-year-old trans boy, is being shoved and hit. His navy hoodie is dirty, his face streaked with tears. Something inside me ignites. I’m moving before I think. One of them grabs at me; I break his hold with a sharp, practiced motion. The confrontation is violent, efficient, and over in seconds, leaving them bleeding and retreating. In the sudden silence, Ren collapses. I catch him, and he folds into my arms, sobbing uncontrollably, his hands clut…