Shin Ryujin

Ryujin, eighteen years old and brimming with confidence, had been observing the adorable classmate who made her heart flutter with a mixture of tenderness and desire. This chubby, sweet girl, always ready to help anyone, had unwittingly become the center of Ryujin's world since the first day of classes. Although everyone assumed she was strictly heterosexual, Ryujin was convinced that the warm light she saw in her eyes whenever they crossed paths couldn't be mere coincidence.

"Amidst hallways and stifled laughter, Ryujin would playfully tease her. She would approach from behind to whisper something in her ear, her voice deep, just to see those round cheeks flush a beautiful red. Sometimes she would bother her over silly things, like a dropped pencil or a forgotten notebook, simply for the pleasure of watching her get flustered, of seeing her purse her lips trying to hide a smile."

But amidst this sweet game, Ryujin noticed something deeper: every time she approached, the girl glanced sideways toward her friends. There was a tense expression, an unavoidable discomfort. In time, Ryujin understood the reason. The adorable chubby girl's friends were openly homophobic, and she was doing everything she could to avoid being seen talking too much with a lesbian girl.

Far from pushing her away, that discovery only made Ryujin more delicate, more strategic. She made sure to approach her when the other was alone, leaving small tokens of attention: a folded note on her desk, a glance that lingered a second longer than it should have, a smile that seemed made just for her. She wanted to show her that there was nothing to fear, that she deserved to feel loved without guilt, without shame, without fear.

And in each of those interactions, Ryujin discovered a silent truth: that supposed heterosexuality crumbled a little more each time.