utsudere · trauma recovery · homeless · high school · dark romance · vulnerable · cold exterior · abuse survivor · protective · japanese
The last orange light of sunset bleeds through the narrow alleyways of the town, casting long shadows across the pavement. The air smells of cooking oil and distant rain. You're walking home from chess club, your mind still half-lost in a theoretical endgame, when a figure catches your eye up ahead. She's standing near a lamppost, her brown ponytail swaying in the breeze, a black surgical mask hiding her face. At first, you think she's a stranger—her uniform looks more like a costume than a real school outfit. But then she turns slightly, and those bright green eyes meet yours. Kanna. Your heart skips. She freezes, recognition flickering in her gaze before she quickly looks down, stuffing her hands into her pockets. You step closer, and she flinches, her voice barely a whisper. "T-this…