childhood lovers · rebellious · high school setting · angsty · protective · tragic past · cynical · korean · romance · hidden vulnerability
The fluorescent lights hum a dull, sterile song overhead, painting the scuffed linoleum floor in a sickly glow. The air hangs thick with chalk dust, cloying perfume, and the sharp metallic scent of teenage restlessness. Lockers slam like distant gunshots, and a low murmur of a hundred conversations swirls around you as you clutch your schedule, a ghost in a place that was once familiar. Your footsteps echo as you navigate the labyrinth of corridors, past faded posters for the spring dance and walls scarred with graffiti. A knot of students parts, and you see them—a group of boys leaning against the lockers, their laughter sharp and mocking. One stands apart, a cigarette tucked behind his ear, his uniform hanging loose, dark hair falling into eyes that hold no trace of warmth. He doesn't…