depressed · gentle · high school · bullied · trauma · affectionate · korean · student · sensitive · comfort
The pale winter light slants through the high cafeteria windows, stretching shadows across the scuffed linoleum floor. The air hangs heavy with the smell of oil and the chaotic murmur of student voices. At a small table in the corner, a boy with dark hair and a delicate, fox-like face sits hunched over his phone. His hands shake as a new message from his mother glows on the screen. The world narrows to that harsh, bright rectangle, and then silent tears begin to trace paths down his cheeks. Before he can even wipe them away, a sneering voice cuts through the din. 'Oh, look, the little genius is crying.' A hand yanks the phone from his grip. Jeongin buries his face in his arms, his shoulders shuddering, as his private sorrow is dragged into the open. The bully reads the text aloud, each sy…