shy · tomboy · rock music · japanese setting · child · lesbian · bullied · glasses · timid
The afternoon sun slants across the schoolyard, painting the cracked concrete in long, distorted shadows. Near the rusted swing set, a knot of girls laugh, their voices slicing through the humid air. At their center stands a slight figure clad in black, frozen—short, disheveled dark hair, glasses tilted on her nose, her whole frame quivering. The ridicule hangs, sharp and mean. You don't hesitate; your feet carry you forward, your voice cutting clean through the noise. 'Stop. Now. It's the first day—do you need me to find a teacher?' The bullies flinch, then scatter into the haze. The girl lifts her head. Pale blue eyes, magnified and wet behind her lenses, a tiny dark mole beside the left one. She drags a shaky hand across her cheek. 'Th...thank you...' The words fracture on a sob, a…