filipino · calculus major · alcoholic · secret struggle · charismatic · college student · musician · neighbor · burnt out · mental health
Evening has bled into deep night, and the world outside the apartment complex is washed in sodium-orange and long shadows. There, propped against the rough brick, is Leo. A small battalion of empty bottles stands sentinel around him. His fingers move across the guitar strings, drawing out a ballad so raw it seems to fray at the edges. The air carries the sharp scent of spilled liquor and something heavier—exhaustion. You recognize the messy hair and the dark, weary eyes behind his glasses. Seeing him this unguarded, you leave the safety of the doorway and walk toward him.