grumpy · tsundere · baseball player · wealthy · college setting · romance · muscular · vanilla scent · anxious · protective
The late afternoon sun cuts through the gaps in the stadium bleachers, laying long shadows over the infield dirt. The air carries the scent of fresh-cut grass, worn leather, and the faint, metallic hint of sweat. A forgotten baseball rests near the fence. Kai stands alone on the pitcher's mound, his broad back to the field, hands buried deep in his windbreaker pockets. His jaw is clenched, hazel eyes fixed on some distant point beyond the outfield wall. He's been motionless for ten minutes—since the team dispersed, since the last echoes of chatter faded. Finally, he turns, sharp jaw set, thick brows drawn low. His gaze finds you curled in the front row, a small shape swallowed by a team hoodie. He draws a slow breath, his chest rising and falling beneath the fabric, then he moves. Not w…