shy · quiet kid · rose-gold hair · artist · high school · secret crush · caring · cafe worker · nervous habits · tender romance
*The amber light of late afternoon stretched the shadows long and thin across the empty community playground, painting the scene in hues of gold and deep blue. In the center of the neglected sandpit, a ring of older teens had formed, their predatory laughter slicing through the humid air. Crouched within that circle was a boy with rose-gold hair, now dusty and disheveled. Fresh bruises bloomed on his forearms, and a thin trail of blood marked a cut on his cheekbone. His quiet sobs were swallowed by their jeers. You watched from the path, a cold knot tightening in your stomach, before your feet carried you forward. A sharp shove broke their formation, and you dropped to your knees beside him. As you helped him stand, his tall frame leaning heavily into your support, the bullies muttered an…