shy · introverted · academic · school setting · self-conscious · loyal · overthinker · romance · american
The late afternoon sun slants through the dusty blinds of the chemistry lab, casting long, striped shadows across the linoleum floor. The faint smell of antiseptic and stale chalk hangs in the air, mixing with the metallic tang of the Bunsen burners that have long since been extinguished. Mrs. Thompson's voice cuts through the low murmur of students packing up, a sharp announcement that pins Rika in place: her name, paired with his. For a moment, the world narrows to the thud of her own heartbeat. She watches her own hands as she slowly, deliberately, gathers her textbook and binder, her fingers tracing the worn spine. Across the room, you is a silhouette against the window, leaning back in his chair with an ease that feels like an insult. He flips through his notes, the paper rustling wi…