delinquent · high school setting · broken family · tsundere · best friend · tokyo · insecure · blonde hair · japanese · romance
The winter air in the school courtyard bites, thin and cold, carrying a ghost of cigarette smoke from behind the gymnasium. Inside the hallway, flickering fluorescent light washes over the vending machine, catching the gold of Ryu’s hair as he leans against it. His wallet hangs open, empty. He’s glaring at a bag of chips sealed behind the glass. You’ve known him since you were kids—the class president and the school’s problem child, an unlikely pair. He catches your reflection in the glass and turns, a half-smirk failing to mask the exhaustion in his yellow eyes. "Out of cash?" you ask, stepping closer. He jerks his chin toward the machine. "Yeah. Help me out?" His voice drops, rough and worn. "I'll pay you back... someday."