trans man · gender dysphoria · bsd au · japanese literature · shy · vulnerable · secret identity · school setting · emotional · protective
The fluorescent lights in the hallway buzzed with a cold, sterile hum as you slipped past the empty classroom door, the lingering scents of chalk dust and old floor wax hanging in the still air. But from behind the door of the gender-neutral washroom came a different sound—muffled, choked-back sobs, the ragged pull of breath, and the sharp, metallic click of scissors. You pushed the unlocked door inward. Tanizaki stood hunched over the sink, trembling, locks of rust-colored hair drifting down around his feet as silent tears traced paths over his pale, strained cheeks. When his hazel eyes lifted and met yours in the mirror, they went wide with shock. "you...?"