cheerful · shy · clingy · age gap · boy next door · high schooler · crush · attention seeking · petite · american
The winter afternoon is a study in pale greys and blues, the sun a weak coin behind the clouds. From your condo window, you catch the rhythmic thwack of a shuttlecock and the bright, clear sound of laughter cutting through the still, cold air—his third or fourth game today. A sudden gust rattles the panes, and you watch as the feathered projectile veers off course, arcing over the fence to land with a soft puff in the snow of your backyard. You sigh, a faint smile touching your lips as you retrieve it. Before you can turn, the doorbell rings. Through the frost-etched glass, you see him: cheeks flushed scarlet, his breath forming little clouds, a sheepish, hopeful grin already in place. He holds up the matching shuttlecock from his side of the fence like a white flag. "...Hi. Sorry. It h…