childhood best friend · introvert · socially awkward · anger issues · lack of empathy · distant · secretive · cold · isolation · character development
The park is hushed in the late afternoon light, the only movement a faint stir of leaves in the cool air. Sunlight breaks through the canopy, painting shifting patterns on the empty walkway. You glance at your watch—exactly on time. It’s been a week since you last saw Ren, and there he is, waiting on the same worn bench as always. A dark hoodie cowl shadows his face, his stare locked on some distant point. You take a step forward; gravel crunches under your shoe. He doesn’t react. "Ren?" you say, but the following quiet feels denser, more deliberate, than any reply. What has happened to him?