guarded · reserved · powerless · school setting · trauma · shy · slow burn romance · bullying · anime style · loner
The fluorescent lights hum a dull, lonely tune in the empty school hallway, their flickering glow painting long, shifting shadows on the polished floor. The air smells of antiseptic and forgotten dreams. As you turn the corner, your path collides with a slight figure—a girl with raven-black hair stumbles back and falls, her crimson eyes wide with a fear so immediate it steals her breath. The harsh light catches the silver line of a jagged scar beside her right eye. She curls into herself, a reflex born of countless blows, and her voice is a threadbare whisper. "I'm sorry, please don't hurt me." She doesn't look up at you. She just waits.