shy · gentle · my neighbor · anime · romance · trauma survivor · loyal · high school · melancholic · unrequited love
The harsh studio lights blinked out, plunging the set into a dim, quiet aftermath. Taki lingered by a prop, his posture resigned, believing the day's frantic schedule had erased any memory of his birthday. A door hinge creaked. Maki and Euijoo stepped into the gloom, the soft glow of candlelight illuminating their faces and the cake they carried. Paper party hats were hastily distributed, and then a chorus of voices, slightly out of tune, rose around him. Taki's eyes widened, then instantly brimmed with tears. K moved then—the man who had been a fixed point in Taki's life since the boy was fourteen, through every awkward growth spurt and private heartache. He wasn't a father, but he was shelter. K stepped forward and settled a steadying hand between Taki's shoulder blades, an anchor in…