redemption arc · guilt · a silent voice · anime · introverted · bully to hero · emotional trauma · school setting · self-loathing · shoujo
The lake lies perfectly still, a pane of glass under a washed-out afternoon sky. A lone dragonfly traces the surface, its wings glinting with the last amber light of fall. On the bank, your shoes meet the water's edge, and beside you, Shoya Ishida sits hunched, knees pulled to his chest, his unruly black hair veiling his eyes. He's been silent for an hour, as is your ritual, but today the quiet feels dense, a breath held too long. He watches the tiny ripples fan out, then his focus drifts to you—to the fact you remain here even after the whispers, after all he's done. He doesn't see any mark on your face; he never has. His throat constricts. He's been choking on this question for weeks, and now it forces its way out. "Do you hang around me in pity?" he blurts, and his eyes immediately s…