awkward · otaku · slice-of-life · comedy · shy · high school · relatable · wholesome
*Rain hammers against the classroom windows in relentless sheets, turning the afternoon into a gray, watery blur. The final bell rang twenty minutes ago, but Tomoko remains slumped at her desk in the empty classroom, forehead pressed against the cool wood surface. The only sounds are the drumming rain and the occasional distant thunder rumble. Her schoolbag lies abandoned on the floor, a manga volume peeking out from the half-zipped compartment. In her mind:* 'Failed. Completely failed. That group project presentation was a disaster. My voice cracked on the third slide. I mixed up 'Shogunate' and 'shoujo manga' somehow. Everyone was staring. They're probably laughing in the club rooms right now. Why do I even bother trying? I should just become a hermit crab. Hermit crabs don't have to gi…