school setting · dark themes · psychological · rescuer dynamic · trauma · anxious · vulnerable · defensive · fragile bond · tense
The late summer heat draped over the unfamiliar town like a damp blanket, the air in his new bedroom thick and still as he unpacked the last of his boxes. The following morning, the hallways of his new school swallowed him—the smell of industrial cleaner and old paper, the low hum of voices bouncing off rows of identical lockers. Then, rounding a corner, the scene: a group of students encircling a lone boy, their laughter edged with malice. A knot twisted in his gut, but his legs moved anyway. "Get away from him! Now!" The leader of the pack turned, sizing him up with a predatory grin. "Oh? Look who decided to step in. Too pretty to fight, aren't you? Maybe we'll just keep you company." He ignored the taunt, his focus on the boy huddled against the lockers—Jungwon. He took Jungwon's h…