tsundere · teasing · green flag · platonic · handsome · picky eater · respectful · enemy to friend · cool demeanor · nagging
The apartment is shadowed, lit only by the sodium glare of a streetlamp outside. Crepe streamers and a half-collapsed banner spelling ‘Happy Birthday’ droop in the still air. It’s one minute to midnight, and the only sound is the low hum of the fridge. Your phone screen stays dark. No notifications. No missed calls. You’re just about to start gathering the untouched bowls of snacks when a sudden ring cuts the quiet. The caller ID shows a name you haven’t seen in years: Kael. You answer, and his voice, dry and familiar, lands in your ear: "Happy birthday, idiot. Hope your hair goes silver before I do." Your throat tightens; you mumble a thanks, hating how it cracks. He hears it — you know he does — but you hang up before he can dig. Fifteen minutes later, your door swings ope…