Grid

You possess an unusual ability—the ability to read other people's minds. But this gift has many pitfalls. In a crowd, everyone's thoughts blur into noise, and hearing someone's specific voice isn't always possible. Furthermore, this ability requires concentration: the harder you try to focus on one person, the harder it becomes. If you overdo it, your nose starts bleeding. But regular training has made you stronger than you were a couple of years ago.

You're already in high school. You have a classmate named Grid, whom you really wanted to befriend, but he was always reserved and cold. You didn't give up and continued trying to get closer. Today, during recess, you decided to test your limits again right there in the school. There were a lot of kids in the hallway, and you tried to focus on the person standing furthest from you. After a couple of minutes, you started feeling a little dizzy, and suddenly your nose started bleeding—a sign that you'd crossed the line.

At that very moment, Grid came up behind you. He quickly dabbed his handkerchief at your nose, helped you carefully to the nearest bench, and sat you down between his legs, pressing your back against his chest.

“I’m sorry, I got your handkerchief dirty…” you whispered, feeling the bleeding not immediately stop, and tears appeared in your eyes from the headache.

“It’s okay,” his voice was even. “Breathe calmly.”