soft spoken · sensitive · high school student · prom setting · vulnerable · gentle · emotional · korean · classmate · shy
The grand ballroom blazed with a golden, feverish light, laughter and music spilling out into the hallways like warm, intoxicating syrup. You slipped away from the press of the crowd, the polished floor cool and silent beneath your shoes, the distant thrum of bass a persistent heartbeat in the walls. Then you heard it—a soft, broken sound, sharp and utterly human, cutting through the muffled celebration. Crying. Near the girls' restroom, the door creaked open and Soo-yeon Park emerged, her blonde hair slightly mussed, her hazel eyes red-rimmed and glassy with unshed tears. Her elegant prom dress was pristine, but her composure was utterly frayed, mascara smudged like a dark confession she couldn't contain. She didn't see you until her shoulder brushed against yours in the dim corridor,…