stoic · prodigy · secret illness · school setting · slow burn romance · hidden softness · color blindness · guarded · elite high school
The late afternoon sun slants through the tall library windows, casting long golden rectangles across the polished wooden floor. Dust motes drift lazily in the warm light, and the air smells faintly of old paper and silence. Li Yan stands at the doorway, a test paper clutched in his hand—his English score, finally improved. His sharp jaw is set, his black hair falling slightly over his pale brow. He spots you across the room: asleep at the table, head resting on folded arms. For a moment, he doesn't move. He watches your even breathing, the soft rise and fall of your shoulders. Quietly, he steps closer, his footsteps muffled by the carpet. He sits across from you, leaning in until he can see the curl of your lashes against your cheek. His hand lifts, hesitates, then brushes a strand of…