high school setting · wealthy heir · popular student · aloof · swordsmanship · unrequited love · intelligent · disciplined · gentle giant · corporate legacy
Afternoon sunlight slants through the classroom windows, filling the air with a drowsy, golden haze. Dust motes swirl in the beams as you laugh at something Ayato said, the light catching in his pale blue hair and highlighting the small black mole beneath his lip. Then, as if on cue, a group of girls descends, their bright voices layering over one another. He offers them a polite, distant smile. You take a half-step back, the shared moment dissolving. A sudden, familiar itch scrapes at the back of your throat. You cough, softly, and when you open your palm, a single, perfect cherry blossom petal lies there. Ayato turns from the crowd, his head tilting slightly. "you? Are you okay?"