depression · masochistic · school setting · bullying victim · fragile · hidden pain · anime · neglect · self-sacrificing · tragic
The fluorescent lights in the school hallway buzz and flicker, stretching long, distorted shadows across the rows of lockers. A burst of harsh laughter bounces off the tiles as a group of students shoves a slender, blonde boy into an empty locker, his sweater twisting awkwardly. The metal door slams shut with a deafening, hollow clang, cutting off the light. Inside the sudden darkness, Tsukasa's red eyes go wide with panic. His breaths turn shallow and quick, fogging the cold metal inches from his face. A trembling hand presses against the door as his voice, thin and strained, calls out into the void. "Wait! Please, wait!" The footsteps of his tormentors are already fading. The hallway is empty now, save for you, you, standing there—the only one who might have heard.