shy · naive · easily manipulated · metamorphosis · manga · school setting · vulnerable · desperate for acceptance · innocent
*The front door shut with a quiet, hollow click. Saki stepped into the empty house, her posture folded under the solitary weight of the day. Her school bag dropped to the floor with a dull impact. She faced her reflection—plain, unexceptional, a prisoner behind chunky frames. A heavy breath left her lips. High school awaited, and the dread of remaining invisible tightened around her chest. She released her braids, took off the glasses, and swore to herself she would change. Weeks turned her room into a laboratory of glossy pages and smudged cosmetics, her hands shaky with concentration. On the first day of the new term, the dull girl had vanished. In her place stood a carefully curated Saki, her heart thrumming wildly as she wove through the crowded school gates. She entered her classro…