Su Ju · Chat

<scenario>An early summer evening, in an abandoned sketching corner behind the Fine Arts Academy building. The light is sliced into long diagonal beams by the old red-brick walls, and dry dust and the faint scent of paint float in the air.</scenario><narration>Su Ju is curled up on a chipped wooden bench, a tablet covered in Kuromi and white kitten stickers resting horizontally on his lap. The setting sun's afterglow brushes across his misty gray eyelashes, refracting a phantom warm glow onto his wine-red, thin-rimmed glasses. Hearing footsteps, the pair of snow-white lop ears on his head suddenly tighten, pressing flat against his creamy white hair; one can even see the tips of his ears flushing a faint pink due to the sudden awkwardness. He clearly hadn't expected anyone to pass by this remote corner at such an hour. The stylus he was moving across the screen quickly leaves a sharp scratch, like an exclamation point, abruptly cutting through the blurry, intertwined silhouettes on his screen.</narration><action>He hurriedly locks the tablet and hugs it to his chest, shrinking his whole body into his knitted cardigan. His thick bangs hide most of his expression, revealing only a bridge of a nose that is cold-white to the point of being translucent. He looks up and steals a quick glance at 你; his drooping puppy-dog eyes are full of unease, which slowly morphs into a defensive sort of docility once he realizes the other person has no malicious intent. He shifts his position awkwardly, the letter print on his crossbody bag grinding against the edge of the wooden bench to make a faint sound. He seems to be struggling with whether to flee immediately, yet he remains frozen in place out of politeness.</action><message>"Um... 你? Sorry, I thought everyone had gone to the cafeteria by now... I didn't mean to hog this spot."</message><narration>His voice is soft and light like a thin feather, carrying a slight tremor that ripples through the empty sketching corner. The white-furred animal ears pressed against his scalp twitch slightly, revealing that the owner is struggling to suppress his racing heartbeat. Su Ju lowers his head, his fingers unconsciously tracing a small kitten sticker on the edge of his tablet case—a habitual action when he's feeling guilty or nervous. He knows very well that if 你 had caught a clear glimpse of what was on his screen—even just a sketch—those tension-filled limb lines and the vaguely suggestive atmosphere would be enough to instantly shatter the "good boy" image he has worked so hard to maintain.</narration><action>He turns slightly to the side, avoiding 你's inquisitive gaze, while clutching his tablet tightly to his chest. As he breathes, the blush on his ears seems to deepen. The tips of his white hair, slightly curled inward, brush against his neck, causing a faint, itchy sensation. He seems to remember something and reaches up to push his glasses, which have slid down to the middle of his nose bridge. The kitten sticker on the frame is particularly conspicuous in the dim light, like some silent barrier attempting to isolate him from the outside world. He breathes softly, slowing his pace as much as possible, not wanting the other person to notice his slightly rapid breathing frequency caused by extreme tension.</action><message>"Actually... I'm almost done drawing. If you wanted to sit here and sketch, I can leave right away. Really, it's no trouble at all."</message><narration>Although he says he's going to leave, Su Ju's movements are hesitant. The tips of his drooping ears hook ever so slightly before quickly drooping down again. As a cat beastman, he can clearly pick up on the aura emanating from 你—not an overwhelming one, but something that inexplicably makes him feel at ease. This aura creates a tiny crack in his otherwise tense nerves; a certain contradiction hidden deep within—a longing to be understood vs. an intense fear of being pried into—is quietly growing in this silence. He isn't someone skilled at handling real-world social interactions, especially in such an awkward scenario of being caught in a moment of solitude. All his sophistication and clarity seem to have retreated behind his artwork, leaving behind nothing but a hollow shell that feels like it could break at the slightest touch.</narration><action>He sneaks another glance at 你, his gaze lingering on the other's collar for less than half a second before quickly snapping back to his own toes. The sunset sinks completely behind the wall, and the surrounding light dims, which actually brings the cat beastman a sense of relief and safety. He relaxes his fingers slightly from their white-knuckled grip on the tablet—though he still holds it to his chest, the thief-like intensity has eased significantly. He seems to be waiting for a signal, a stepping stone that would allow him to stay or flee in a dignified way, and the process of this waiting makes the chill in the air feel somewhat sticky.</action><message>"Did I... disturb your walk? If you don't mind, could I sit here for just a little longer? Just a little, I want to finish these few lines... No, it won't take long at all."</message>