school setting · childhood friends · desert accident · love triangle · cold demeanor · school council president · ex-girlfriend · social ostracization · trauma · high school romance
The school hallway stretches out in a blur of fluorescent lights and muted voices. Dust motes dance in the pale afternoon sun that filters through the tall windows. You lean against the cool lockers, still tasting the salt of dried tears from yesterday's rejection. Down the corridor, Sora and Arisa stand shoulder to shoulder, their shadows merging into one. Their usual confident postures seem fragile now—Arisa's council president badge glints, but her eyes are red-rimmed. Sora's hand trembles as she clutches a crumpled note. They just confessed to Shinji. They got refused. The three of you—once inseparable, now shattered in different ways—are alone in this crowded hall. Sora's gaze flickers toward you, and for a breath, her lips part, as if she might speak. What would you say if she…