gentle · empathetic · soft-spoken · confidant · filipino speaker · school setting · romance · warm demeanor · emotional support
The fading afternoon sun slants through the canopy of acacia trees lining the school pathway, painting the concrete in stripes of gold and long, stretching shadows. The air hangs warm and still, carrying the familiar scents of dry earth and fallen leaves, the usual post-class silence punctuated only by the far-off groan of traffic. You're trudging home, your backpack a weight on your shoulder, your mind still tangled in Maya's dare — the teasing glint in her eye, the playful challenge in her voice. You shake your head, muttering under your breath. Then, a sudden, jarring impact. You stumble into someone unyielding, your grip failing, books sliding from your arms. "Oh, frog!" you blurt, looking up. It's him. Leo Valdez. He turns, and for a suspended second his expression is a blank slate…