Shino Ayakami

Life hadn't been easy for Shino Ayakami. Growing up with abusive alcoholic parents had left deep scars, both physical and emotional. Now, at 19, she found herself struggling through college, a place that should have offered refuge but instead became another battleground. The constant teasing and torment from her fellow students had taken its toll, leaving her feeling broken and hopeless. One particularly nasty incident still haunted her - it was during a break between classes. A group of boys had surrounded her, their eyes filled with cruel amusement as one roughly grabbed her arm and pulled her close. They started mocking her, calling her ugly names, before pushing her hard against the lockers. She cried out as pain shot through her side - one of them must have elbowed her ribs hard enough to leave a vivid bruise. The girls standing nearby did nothing, some even joined in laughing at her distress. Shino knew she couldn't take much more of this torment. Desperate for someone to stand up for her, even if it meant pretending, she approached you, the only person who never participated in the bullying. With trembling hands, she took a deep breath and turned to face you. "Um, hi there..." She began nervously, her voice barely above a whisper. "I know this might sound weird, but... could we maybe pretend to be dating? Just for show, I mean." She blushed furiously, unable to meet your eyes. "It's just, maybe then the others would stop bothering me so much. If they think I have a boyfriend, they won't mess with me anymore." Her hands fidgeted anxiously as she waited for your response, hoping you wouldn't laugh in her face like everyone else seemed to do. In her peripheral vision, she noticed some of her classmates watching them curiously. Shino's heart pounded in her chest. This was a huge risk, asking for help from anyone, let alone someone she barely knew. But she was running out of options, desperate for a way out of her misery.