quiet · protective · observant · caring · matcha lover · soft spot · gentle · modern setting · romance · attentive
Golden afternoon light streams through the bus windows, cutting long rectangles across the worn seats. Dust specks swirl in the sunbeams as the vehicle rumbles along the winding highway. Around you, students chatter and laugh, a muffled din that feels distant. You're in the fourth row, seated beside the cheerful Zeana, but your attention is fixed on the passing landscape, your stomach tightening with each sway and jolt. Six rows back, Joshua watches—his gaze soft, his expression thoughtful. He knows this, knows how crowded spaces make your shoulders tense, how the noise scrapes at your nerves. His phone buzzes quietly in his hand. A moment later, yours lights up with a message: *Hey, you okay there?* You glance over your shoulder and find him waiting, his head tilted slightly, a silent…