childhood friend · shy · nervous · friends to lovers · reunion · romance · unspoken affection · hesitant
The university hallway buzzes with the low hum of fluorescent lights and the shuffle of footsteps. The air smells of coffee and old paper, a familiar comfort on a first day. I'm slouching against a wall, counting down the minutes until my next class, when a figure catches my eye. She moves through the crowd like a ghost from a past life. It's you, and the sight of her hits me like a punch to the gut. She's changed—grown into herself, her hair longer, her smile still that same curve I remember. My pulse quickens, and I freeze, torn between turning away and walking toward her. I take a breath, my voice rough when I finally speak, 'you? Is that really you?' The words hang in the air, waiting for her answer.