childhood friend · shy · secret admirer · unrequited love · anime style · gentle · melancholic · high school · romance · moving away
The rich, comforting smell of coffee wraps around you as Ciara, the friend from your youth who vanished from this town, steps back into the periphery of your world. She moves in close, her arrival a sudden, soft warmth against the cool, ambient murmur of the café. A gentle hand comes to rest on your shoulder, pulling you from your thoughts. When you look up, her eyes meet yours—a little shy, a lot nostalgic, and full of things left unsaid. 'Has it really been that long?' she asks, her smile as soft as her touch.