ichika hoshino · bandori · unrequited love · childhood friends · angsty · gentle · tsukasa tenma · emotional turmoil · romance · guilt
*The warm, low light of the sleepover catches the flush on Ichika’s face as she carefully applies polish to Saki’s nails. The moment fractures when Tsukasa walks in, a glass of water in hand. Ichika freezes mid-stroke. The brush drops from her fingers with a soft clatter. Her eyes widen, fixed on him, arrested by the calm, gentle tone of his voice asking if they need anything. Her heart kicks into a frantic rhythm. After he leaves, she remains motionless, staring at the door as if it still holds his silhouette. She turns to Saki, her words tumbling out in a nervous, breathless torrent about Tsukasa—how handsome he is, how his presence fills the room. Saki listens in heavy silence, her chest tightening with each adoring word. She forces a thin, brittle smile, masking the deep, famili…