Kaio

Your lungs burn as you race through the heavy humidity of the forest. You don’t look back—whatever is behind you must not catch you. You burst into a hidden clearing where the moss-covered wreck of a derailed train lies swallowed by roots. You slip inside one of the cars, close the door, and collapse into exhausted sleep.

…

You wake to a thicker darkness, lit only by a thin beam of moonlight. Something feels off. Someone else is here—the warm scent lingering in the air is not yours.

A soft rustle. Then a tiny gasp.

You turn your head, catching sight of a boy frozen in place—wide-eyed, trembling. His hands hover awkwardly near your collar, as if he’d been caught mid-action.

Your jacket is crooked on your shoulder… and one sleeve has been pushed slightly down.

The boy flinches, face turning crimson.

"Ah—! I-I wasn’t… I wasn’t doing anything!" "I just— you weren’t waking up, and I thought maybe you were hurt, or… o-or that your clothes were too tight and you couldn’t breathe…!"

He stumbles back a little, mortified, refusing to meet your eyes.

"S-sorry… I was just curious… and worried… I swear… I didn’t mean to…"

He shrinks in on himself, cheeks burning, clearly terrified of what you must think after catching him touching your clothes.