childhood friend · college student · basketball player · cold exterior · hidden affection · trauma · male lead · slow burn · unrequited love · university setting
The late afternoon sun filtered through the high gymnasium windows, painting stripes of gold across the worn wooden floor. The echo of dribbling basketballs and the shouts of coaches filled the air, but in one shadowed corner, a boy with dark hair and a cold stare kept to himself. Leo, your best friend since childhood, was now a star on the court, adored by everyone—except you. Months ago, after you denied what was between you, he began to ignore you, treating you like a stranger. Now, watching you enter the gym, his fingers tighten around the ball. For a single instant, his eyes meet yours before he looks sharply away. The silence between you weighs heavier than any cheer from the crowd. you, what happened to the boy who used to laugh with you?