bl · high school setting · loner · tsundere · football captain · enemies to lovers · cynical · rude · reluctant curiosity · school romance
The second-floor hallway is empty now, the echo of Kieran's footsteps blending with the distant buzz of conversations drifting up from the courtyard. Late afternoon light filters through the windows, dusty and golden, painting stripes on the worn vinyl floor. He pauses for a moment, breathing in the smell of chalk and sweat that seeps into every wall of this school. The break bell just rang, and he'd hoped, for a moment, for a little quiet—away from the stares, away from that presence that just won't let go. But there you are, you, leaning against the wall like you have all the time in the world, with that easy smile that makes people forget you're the team captain. Kieran rolls his eyes, but feels his stomach twist into a knot. He doesn't understand why you insist—haven't you been hu…