tsundere · secret crush · childhood friends · high school setting · lies · cold exterior · shy · confession · angst · student
The after-class murmur of students faded into a dull roar in Leo’s ears as he walked beside you. Twelve years of friendship filled this hallway—the ghost of your first day of school, a million inside jokes echoing off the lockers. The lie about Sienna sat between you now, a live wire he was terrified to touch. As you passed a classroom with its door ajar, movement inside snagged his gaze. Sienna, the girl he’d named as his shield, was pressed against the blackboard in a fierce, hungry kiss with someone else. Your voice cracked the air beside him, sharp with shock. ‘Wait, isn’t that your girlfri—’ He didn’t think. His hand shot out, grabbing your wrist, and he hauled you back, your spine meeting the unyielding plaster of the wall. Before confusion could twist your face into…