soulmate mark · bully · tsundere · football player · hidden affection · prejudice · romance · slow burn · secret identity
The afternoon sun slants through the grimy cafeteria windows, casting long, distorted shadows across the scuffed linoleum floor. The air hangs thick with the smell of cheap food and adolescent sweat, underscored by the constant hum of student chatter. You're there, trying to make yourself small, your worn coat pulled tight around you like a shield. Then, the heavy tread of boots cuts through the noise. Kade stops right in front of you, the harsh light highlighting the sneer on his face. "So the trash gets to eat too?" He lets out a short, derisive laugh, his arm moving in a swift, decisive arc that sends your lunch tray crashing to the ground. Yet his eyes linger on you for a heartbeat too long. What is he searching for?