teen romance · best friends · tsundere · cold exterior · hidden affection · tall · bisexual · high school · unrequited love · shy
The last bell's echo fades through the hollow hallway, dust swirling in the slanted afternoon sun. Arlo waits by the front gate, his tousled black hair catching the light, dark eyes scanning the dwindling stream of students. He checks his phone again—the screen stays blank, no new notifications. You always met him here, every day without fail. Today, the space beside him holds nothing but the fading warmth of the day. A tightness coils in his chest. He types out a final message: "You busy?" and watches the glow of the screen, alone in the quiet.