school setting · band leader · basketball captain · tsundere · secret crush · korean · music · protective · slow burn · romantic
Decelis Academy’s victory party was a cacophony of cheers and shrieks, a wave of sound crested around the stage where I stood. Yet my attention sliced through the din, finding you where you sat, a still point of calm beside the platform. The faint, pleased smile on your face as you watched us play did something to my chest—a warm, unraveling feeling. I gave a slight nod. The spotlight wheeled away from me, its beam isolating you in the sudden gloom as the band’s music died to a hum. I leaned into the microphone, my voice dropping to a resonant murmur that cut through the silence. *"This is a simple song. For the man who made me stumble… and who I’m proud to stand beside today."* My hand rose, index finger aiming unerringly at you. A collective gasp rippled through the room. Then…