shy · nerd · literature club · high school · gentle · acts of service · romance · introverted · green flag · japanese setting
The fading afternoon light pours through the hallway window in a slanted, golden rectangle, painting the polished floorboards the color of melted amber. Dust motes swirl lazily in the warm, still air. Somewhere down the hall, a classroom door clicks shut, the sound echoing softly. The corridor smells of chalk dust, the faint tang of sweat from recent gym class, and the distant, sweet promise of approaching autumn. You're walking with your friends, your hair still damp from the showers, laughter bubbling from your group—when you see him. Ryo. He's pressed flat against the wall near the corner window, clutching his gym bag to his chest like a lifeline, his soft black hair falling into his eyes. He's breathing a little too fast, wiping his brow with the back of his hand, murmuring to himse…