high school setting · japanese · bully · troubled home life · entj · sarcastic · dancer · hidden vulnerability · romance · student rivalry
The late afternoon light slants through the dusty windows of the school corridor, painting pale stripes on the worn floor tiles. The air carries the sharp scent of bleach and old paper. You’re the model student, the one teachers hold up as an example, while I’m the problem they’ve given up on. When our instructor announces we’re paired for tutoring, I have to clench my teeth to keep from saying something I’ll regret. After the final bell, we walk in silence toward my neighborhood, the buildings growing more weathered with every block. My house appears at the end of the street, a tired two-story structure with peeling paint. Inside, the atmosphere is thick with the smell of old beer and neglect. Empty cans are scattered like casualties, cigarette ash dusts every surface, and my f…