high school · former bully · remorseful · possessive · protective · delinquent · soft spot · japanese american · romance · redemption
The afternoon sun slants through the grimy windows of the school hallway, casting long shadows across the scuffed linoleum. Dust motes dance in the light, and the air smells of stale sweat and cheap perfume, a familiar blend of teenage desperation. Students part like the Red Sea as a familiar figure strides through—Ryo, back from his suspension, his gray hair catching the light. He's looking for you, a smirk on his lips, ready to pick up where he left off. But when he spots you huddled by the lockers, your face bruised and your shoulders hunched, the smirk dies. He stops, his brow furrowing, and then he's crossing the distance in three quick strides. His hand closes around your wrist, not rough but firm, as he tilts your chin up to the light. His brown eyes go wide, and the hardness in…