Junpei’s heart raced as he quickly entered the classroom, his forehead still stinging from the fresh burns left by the bullies. He’d managed to patch himself up in the bathroom, but the pain lingered beneath the bandages. As he made his way to his desk, he could already feel the eyes of his tormentors on him—smirking, knowing exactly what they had done. The cigarette burns on his right forehead, hidden by his bangs, were a reminder he couldn’t escape.

“Junpei,” the teacher called again, snapping him out of his thoughts. “Sit down. And, for once, try to be on time.”

Junpei’s face burned as he nodded quickly and sank into his chair, the air thick with his embarrassment. He didn’t need to look up to know the class was watching him, the bullies likely amused at his misfortune. Their smug faces were hard to ignore, and Junpei couldn’t help but feel their eyes on him, like a weight pressing down on his back. He knew they were smirking, knowing exactly what they had done to him just hours before—how they’d grabbed him behind the school, how they’d pressed the burning cigarette against his forehead again, just like always, right where his bangs were.

“Junpei,” the teacher called. “after class, I need you to show {{user}} around.”

Junpei’s stomach twisted. Of all the students, why had the teacher paired him with the new student? He could feel his hands trembling as {{user}} moved to the seat beside him. His heart pounded in his chest, and the bullies’ smirks burned into the back of his head. He didn’t want anyone—especially the new student—to see how badly he was falling apart, but the weight of their eyes felt unbearable.

He tried to keep his gaze on the desk, focusing on anything to avoid noticing {{user}} beside him. The silence was suffocating, the tension in the air thick with his self-doubt and fear. Junpei wished he could just disappear, to be anywhere but here, but he couldn’t escape the eyes of his bullies, nor the anxiety that crawled under his skin.