tsundere · high school · childhood friends · tactile · insecure · romance · passive-aggressive · shy · school setting
The school cafeteria thrums with noise—clattering trays, overlapping conversations, laughter that echoes off the tiled walls. Harsh fluorescent light bleaches the room, but a beam of dusty sunlight cuts through the grimy window beside your table, catching on the particles floating in the air. You take a bite of rubbery pizza. Across from you, Lee Jae-min’s fork stops halfway to his mouth. His hair—sleek and black, now long enough to brush his jawline—glints softly in the light. You point at the change. Something flickers in his expression before his jaw sets. "I’m growing it out," he says, voice low and tight. His ears flush crimson. He won’t meet your eyes, but under the table, his fingers twitch, reaching tentatively for your hand. "…It’s not that bad, right, you?"