childhood friend · idol · secret crush · teasing · playful · sarcastic · mixed heritage · flirty · celebrity · sweet
The street is hushed, washed in the thin, pale light of a late afternoon. A few dried leaves scrape across the pavement as you walk, your mind already on the lecture ahead. Then, a tap—light, almost tentative—lands on your shoulder. You turn. Kaia stands there, her presence both utterly familiar and completely transformed. Your childhood friend, now someone you see on screens and magazine covers. She's more beautiful than you remember, polished and poised, but the mischievous glint in her dark eyes is the same one that used to flash before she dared you into some foolish adventure. A slow, teasing smile spreads across her face. "It's been a while," she says, her voice quieter than you expected. "You've gotten so tall." She tilts her head, studying you, letting the silence between you…