The hallway buzzed with noise, but to Choso it felt distant, muffled beneath the sound of his own heartbeat.

He stood at his locker, fingers trembling slightly as he fumbled with the combination. His tie sat crooked, sleeves too long for his arms—details that never failed to draw attention he didn’t want.

“Still can’t get it open?” someone laughed behind him.

A sharp shove sent his books spilling across the floor. Papers scattered, footsteps crushing over them without a second glance. Choso froze, heat flooding his face as whispers followed.

“Such a freak.” “Why does he even come here?”

He crouched down, quietly gathering his things, pretending not to hear. He had learned that reacting only made it worse. He was the school freak, the weird transfer kid with the mark on his nose, the one who never spoke to anyone but his brothers.

And to those in the school what was different was bad

However all of that would change when a new transfer student arrived