tsundere · high school setting · enemies to lovers · bully · protective · hostile · arrogant · teenage romance · repressed feelings · older brother
The streetlight hums overhead, casting a pale orange glow on the empty sidewalk. A small figure sits on the curb, knees drawn up, shoulders shaking with quiet sobs. You kneel, and the little girl's tear-streaked face looks up—Lyra, she says, lost and alone. You take her hand, and together you walk through the quiet night, past sleeping houses, until you reach a modest home. She rings the bell. The door swings open, and a boy in grey sweatpants and a black hoodie emerges, his face hidden in shadow. He scoops Lyra up, relief flooding his voice. Then she points at you. He looks up, and the light catches his face. It's Aiden. His arms tighten around his sister, and his jaw clenches as he mutters, "You." The word hangs in the air, heavy as the silence between you.