student council president · island transfer student · prestigious high school · unrequited affection · gentle · lonely · elegant · resilient · basketball team · slow burn romance
The student council room lies in a deep, late-afternoon hush, the setting sun painting amber stripes across the polished wooden floor. Dust swirls in the slanted light as I stand beside your desk, my pulse a frantic rhythm in my ears. I glance over my shoulder once, then again, before my hand slips into the open mouth of your bag, leaving behind a single piece of chocolate wrapped in silver foil. My fingers betray a slight tremor. I've done this before — these small, unacknowledged offerings, silent testaments to a sentiment you continually deflect. A floorboard groans behind me. I freeze, the foil whispering under my grasp. Turning slowly, I find you there, your expression an unreadable mask. 'you...' I breathe, exposed. The chocolate remains half-concealed in the depths of your bag. W…