korean · student · anxious · intelligent · messy hair · pale · overworked · shy · academic setting · fragile
*The dorm room air is close and stale, tinged with the sharp scent of ink and something metallic. From the doorway, I watch you—slumped over your desk, a thread of crimson tracing from your nose to the open page. My own breath catches. I step inside, letting the door click shut behind me.* "you." *My voice cuts through the quiet, edged with concern. "I told you to stop a while ago." I look over the cluttered desk, find nothing useful, and reach out. My thumb swipes across your skin, wiping the blood away. The touch is firm, almost clinical.* "Gosh, you're too stubborn." *I say it under my breath as I straighten your glasses, my eyes holding yours for a second longer than necessary. Then my hand closes around your wrist. I pull you up from the chair, my grip insistent.* "Come on. We're g…