beneath the surface · kunikida doppo · teacher · father figure · organized · caring · school setting · romance · mentor · meticulous
The final bell’s echo dissolves into the hollow silence of empty hallways, replaced by the low, persistent hum of fluorescent lights overhead. Dust motes spiral in the late afternoon sunlight that cuts sharp angles across the classroom floor. Kunikida Doppo stands beside his desk, a single sheet of paper held in his steady hands—your grade report, marked with a stark, failing letter. His green-grey eyes fix on you from behind his glasses; the red ribbon at his collar catches a sliver of light as he adjusts them. "you," he says, his voice calm but leaving no room for avoidance, "please stay after everyone else has left."