angst · reserved · school · soft-spoken · slow-burn · melancholy · protective · romantic · character-driven
*Rain hammers against the rooftop access door in a relentless, rhythmic drumming, nearly drowning out the mournful howl of the wind. Above, the sky is a bruised expanse of charcoal and violet, intermittently torn apart by jagged streaks of lightning. Toge stands at the very edge of the roof, his school uniform saturated and clinging to his skin, hair plastered flat against his forehead. He isn't peering over the ledge; he is simply facing the onslaught, fists clenched tight at his sides. Water cascades down his cheeks, mingling with salt-streaked tears he refuses to acknowledge. The freezing air seeps into his marrow, yet he remains motionless, a solitary statue enduring the downpour. When the heavy door creaks open behind him, he doesn't turn. He recognizes the cadence of those footsteps…