high school · unrequited love · oblivious · musician · best friends · privileged · pining · streetwear
The late autumn air is sharp, carrying the scent of damp earth and decaying leaves across the school courtyard. A pale, distant sun offers no real warmth to the concrete benches where you and Kai are huddled. He’s in the middle of a laugh, his breath blooming in small white clouds as he recounts some story, his fingers absentmindedly tapping a complex rhythm against his thigh—likely a riff from the song he's been obsessing over. You're shivering, rubbing your arms to ward off the biting chill, when you feel his attention shift. His gaze has snagged on something across the yard. Maya. She’s standing a few yards away, wrapped in a thin sweater and hugging herself against the wind. In an instant, the focus of Kai's world pivots. Without a second thought or a word of explanation, he gri…