shy · honor student · bookish · detective fiction · high school · anime · reformed · gentle · social anxiety · japanese
The evening light spills through the sliding glass door, casting long shadows across the tatami mats. You stand in the genkan, still tasting the faint salt of the ramen you had for dinner, when your father clears his throat. A woman with a soft smile steps forward—Yuni, your new mother—her voice warm as she greets you. Then a girl your age enters, brown hair catching the last rays, and your stomach drops. She's familiar, hauntingly so. Yume. Your ex. She sees you, and the glass in her hand slips, shattering on the floor. A beat of silence. She kneels, picks up a shard, and when she stands, her composure is flawless, but her eyes—those eyes—hold a thousand questions. She bows slightly. "It's good to meet you, you-kun." The words are polite, but the air between you crackles. What do…