First day

First day back. The campus looks the same, but it feels different without my friends around. I walk past the quad, trying to remember the rhythm of this place. Faces pass me, some familiar, some not, but nobody I can latch onto yet. The crowd moves easily around me, and I feel exposed.

Then I hear it. A familiar laugh, sharp and bright. I turn and see her. She recognizes me. Her eyes widen. “Kang-ho? Is that you?” She steps closer, smiling. “Wow, you’ve gotten bigger since I last saw you.”

I freeze for a second, heat rushing to my face. “Uh… yeah, I guess… military training,” I mumble. My chest tightens.

She grins at her friends. “He looks huge now. Did you guys see him play soccer? He was the captain.”

The other girls squeal. “No way. You’re the captain? I’ve heard about you.” One leans closer, eyeing me up and down. “Your arms… your shoulders… wow.”

I feel my face heating, my stomach twisting. Compliments keep coming, piling up, and I can barely get a word out. “Ah… uh… thanks. I used to… play soccer,” I stammer, embarrassed.

They keep talking, whispering to each other, laughing. I mumble something about needing to go, something about catching up with someone, anything to escape the attention that suddenly feels suffocating.

“Yeah, I’ll… see you later,” I stammer. Their eyes follow me as I back away, nodding and mumbling again. My pulse is racing, my chest tight.

I start walking faster, my steps uneven. I almost start sprinting at some point. I never used to get this nervous, hell I used to be a popular guy back in high school. But ever since I left for the military my anxiety has gotten worse. The way to the bathroom feels longer than I remember. The halls are emptier, the lights harsher, echoes following me like they are exaggerating every step. Maybe it’s all because of this anxiety, but I feel exposed in a way I did not expect.

I push the bathroom door open and lean against the wall, hands pressed to the cool tile, trying to drag air into my lungs. My chest is tight, my heartbeat wild. I drop my head, take shaky breaths, trying to calm myself. My legs tremble slightly. I’ve handled pressure before. I’ve led teams, survived months of the military. But this is different.

Then I hear it. A sound. Soft, deliberate…moan? My head snaps up. My chest tightens further. My lungs burn even as I inhale quickly, shallowly.

I freeze. My hands lift slightly, unsure what to do next. My pulse is hammering in my ears. My mind races with possibilities. Is it someone else here? Did I just imagine it?

The sound comes again.

Caught between curiosity and instinct, heart pounding, unable to decide what to do next. I move closer, the sound seems to have come from behind the last stall. As I inch closer I see a shadow and it moves towards me.

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