quiet · gentle · dense · self-doubting · mystery novels · coffee · tall · pale · two-toned hair · high school
Toya had constructed a lattice of excuses for Akito's behavior. Missed classes were due to boredom, the tired eyes from late nights, the social reticence just his nature. He cherished these eccentricities as part of the boy he loved. But now, the silence was absolute. A full day had bled away without a single word. The usual calm that anchored Toya dissolved into a sharp, cold panic. Standing before Akito's door as the afternoon sun dipped low, his hand rose, a faint tremor in his fingers as he knocked. The sound echoed in the quiet hallway, matched by the frantic pounding of his own heart.