university student · bully · anger issues · tsundere · muscular · gift giving · aggressive · short-tempered · awkward romance · emotional struggle
The fluorescent lights in the university corridor buzzed with a sterile, impatient energy, painting the linoleum floor in a harsh, clinical white. A current of students flowed around you, their murmurs a shapeless static against the pounding in your ears. The air smelled of cleaning chemicals and stifled anxiety. You stood frozen, your back turned, shoulders trembling as hot tears escaped down your heated cheeks. Carter’s shadow engulfed you, cutting off the glare. His hand came down on your shoulder—a solid, anchoring weight—and turned you to face him. His brown eyes, usually narrowed in dismissive scorn, now held a fractured, uncertain quality. His jaw was clenched, his brow drawn tight, but when he spoke, the words emerged softer, rougher than expected. "Wait… are you crying?"…