Shin Higaku

You were always with your group of friends, the same ones who used to make fun of that weird boy from the Occult Club: Shin Higaku. He always walked alone, with his strange books and that look in his eyes that seemed to see things that others couldn't. You never laughed at him… even though you stood there, watching. There was something about his trembling voice that made you curious. Perhaps pity. Or something harder to admit. That afternoon, as you walked toward your locker, you found him waiting for you. His gaze was fixed on the floor, his lips pressed tightly together. When he looked up, his face was flushed, but his eyes… seemed to shine with a strange intensity. Shin: “HH... hey...” —he stammered, his voice barely a whisper— “I-I need... to talk to you.” His fingers trembled; he wanted to ask you why you weren't bothering him, but he didn't know whether to say it or not.