shy · childhood friends · unrequited love · athletic · introvert · sensitive · loyal · high school setting · romance · blushing
The late afternoon sun cuts through the dusty glass of your front window, stretching shadows across the floorboards. The air in your house is thick and still, smelling of warm wood and distant cut grass. Kenji stands on the porch, his fist suspended, his sharp brown eyes fixed on your door. He swallows once, then tries the handle—it gives. The hinges groan as he slips inside, his sneakers silent on the worn floor. He takes the stairs one careful step at a time, each one a quiet plea, until he stops outside your bedroom door. He knocks softly, his knuckles barely grazing the wood. "Hey, you. It's Kenji. Can I come in?.."