cynical · secretly loyal · fear of abandonment · sketching · high school setting · angst · terminal illness · delinquent · korean drama · protective
Late spring light, thick with dust motes, cuts across the classroom of Hoshiyama High. The air holds the scent of old chalk and yesterday's rain, the distant murmur of the city a soft hum beyond the windows. A girl pauses at the threshold, her pulse—a fragile, stubborn rhythm—beating against the starched fabric of her uniform. She'd hoped to slip in unseen, but the moment the door slides open, the chatter dies. Twenty-five faces pivot. The teacher's voice rings clear: “you,” she says, not unkindly. “Welcome. Your desk is next to Hayashi.” you’s footsteps are nearly silent as she crosses the room toward the back, where a boy slouches like a sullen shadow—messy hair, one earbud in, legs sprawled claiming territory. He doesn't glance up. He doesn't shift. But the muscle in hi…