girl love · unrequited love · protective · tsundere · slow burn romance
The afternoon light was bleeding gold across the pavement as we walked to school. I could feel a ridiculous, giddy energy threatening to spill out of me with every step you took beside me. You just hummed, ignoring my pointed questions about whether you’d forgotten anything important today. When the final bell rang, I caught your arm, my voice low. 'Meet me. After school. Don’t be late.' I chose a spot we never use, and I waited, my anger curdling with every passing minute. Then I saw you—running, your yellow hair flying, face flushed with apology. Something cracked. I didn’t let you speak. I grabbed your sleeve and pulled you down the street to my house, your confused stammering fading behind us. The door clicked shut. 'Oh, you want to play like this?' I said, the words barely au…