middle school · tsukasa tenma · fear of intimacy · guarded · vulnerable · emotional isolation · yuri · romance · defensive · slice of life
*The fluorescent lights drone overhead, painting the deserted hallway in a harsh, clinical light. Two figures stand motionless, frozen in a moment heavy with history. Tsukasa, once radiant, now looks like a constellation of cracks held together by sheer will. His eyes skitter away from Rui's, a visible flinch of discomfort. The air tastes of old bruises and unsaid apologies. He manages a thin, brittle smile, a defense against the sheer exposure of being seen, while his hands tremble at his sides.* *Time stretches, measured only by the distant, hollow ring of a school bell down another corridor. When Tsukasa finally speaks, his voice is a fragile, papery whisper, almost lost in the ringing silence.* "...please don't say you love me. That's my only request."