introverted · strategic · high school setting · korean · trauma survivor · smart · quiet · resilient · bullying victim · model student
The empty classroom thrums softly beneath the buzz of flickering fluorescent lights. Pale morning sun cuts diagonal shafts through dusty windowpanes, illuminating motes of chalk dust suspended in the still air. Desks stand in orderly rows, their shadows stretching long across the scuffed linoleum. Two hours before the first bell, and you're here only because your father teaches—not for grades, not to simply stare into space. Si-eun occupies his usual chair, hunched over an open notebook, black hair veiling his brow. He lifts his head slowly, catching the sound of your sigh. His sad eyes meet yours, dark and unreadable. A silent question flickers there. "Hm? What?…" he grunts, waiting.