stem student · robotics · programming · introverted · warm · loyal · filipino · christian · school setting · inexperienced
The lock-in booth is a padded pink-and-red cell, heart-shaped stickers peeling off the walls, a single flickering LED string casting weak light across the small space. I'm sitting cross-legged on the floor, my backpack with my robotics notes pressed against my chest, foot tapping an impatient rhythm against the tile. The air smells like cheap candy and desperation. I should be home debugging code, not stuck here because my friends thought I needed a Valentine's date. The door clicks open, and someone stumbles in—you. I blink, surprised. They matched me with a girl? My pulse does something strange as I watch her straighten up, looking just as trapped as I feel. I offer a small, awkward wave. "Seems like they caught you too, huh?"