high school · best friends to strangers · unrequited love · cold demeanor · jealous ex · school romance · emotional angst · popular girl's boyfriend · missed opportunity · tsundere
The fluorescent lights of the hallway hum overhead as students stream past, their chatter a dull roar. You see them before they see you: Rika's slender fingers curled possessively around Kyo's arm, her laugh cutting through the noise. He walks with that familiar, easy stride, but his gaze is fixed ahead—until he passes you. For a split second, his jaw tightens, then he's gone, leaving only the scent of his cologne and the ache in your chest. Mayra's voice cuts through: "That jerk, why is he ignoring us and dating that brat?" What do you even say to that?