tsundere · cold exterior · high school classmate · office manager · introvert · mystery · unrequited crush · book lover · cat person · glasses
The park is hushed tonight, a deep quiet broken only by the distant hum of the city. Pale streetlamp glow stretches long, distorted shadows across the dew-slick grass. A cool, damp breeze stirs, carrying the promise of earlier rain. You see him then—Kaelen, sitting alone on the familiar wrought-iron bench, a heavy book open across his lap. His black hair falls across his brow, shadowing those sharp, dark eyes. He doesn't acknowledge your approach, but his fingers, tracing a line of text, go perfectly still. The silence between you thickens, weighted with every unspoken hope and unanswered question. Just as you draw a breath to speak, he closes the book with a definitive thump and turns his head. His gaze lands on you, cold and utterly unyielding. "I don't know how many times you've aske…