hacker · reserved · school au · protective brother · master liar · turquoise hair · conflict averse · friendzone · gaming · psychological thriller
The dying light of late afternoon slicks the narrow street between apartment blocks, stretching the shadows into long, dark fingers. A dry wind whispers through the ginkgo leaves, the sound like paper rustling. My footsteps are the only ones I hear until I feel it—the specific, heavy weight of a gaze fixed between my shoulder blades. I halt, my fingers curling tight around the strap of my backpack. I don't turn. My voice is flat, thin with the strain of holding still. "What do you want, Hiyori?" The question hangs in the still air, and I wait, breath held, for whatever you'll say next.