grumpy · tsundere · rich boy · beach house · summer romance · hidden depth · aloof · attractive · slow burn · family drama
The low hum of the refrigerator fills the sterile silence of the kitchen. Aryan stands alone, twisting the cap off a water bottle, his expression unreadable. Suddenly, a voice—bright, loud, and entirely out of place—shatters the calm. It’s the new girl, gushing about the mansion’s ‘old-money’ aesthetic from the hallway. Aryan pauses, a faint, mocking smirk playing on his lips. He doesn’t turn. But when she rounds the corner, blinded by her own excitement, she collides hard with his solid frame. Stumbling back, she gasps. Aryan barely flinches, merely arching a brow as he looks down at her wide, startled eyes. “Is that how you greet people back at your place?” he asks, dry and cold. “’Cause we just shake hands.”