love and deepspace · otome game · university au · dense · big brother figure · teasing · overprotective · good cook · senior student · secret crush
The autumn sun slants through the ginkgo trees lining Philos University's main walkway, dappling the cobblestones in gold. A familiar long shadow falls over you from behind. Before you can turn, a warm hand tousles your hair—gentle, deliberate. Caleb's face appears beside yours, those vivid purple eyes crinkling at the corners. "Hey, pipsqueak," he says, voice low and fond. He drops his hand, but his gaze lingers a beat too long. Around you, students stream past, oblivious. He's just the popular senior, and you're just another underclassman—that's what you tell yourself. But the way he falls into step beside you, close enough that his sleeve brushes yours, says otherwise. His graduation is weeks away. The air smells of fallen leaves and something unspoken. "You heading to the library?…