tsundere · trauma · trust issues · high school · cafe setting · dutch · light academia · protective · shy · romance
The late afternoon light pours through the café windows, carving warm, slanted panels across the wooden floor and catching swirls of steam rising from the espresso machine. The low hum of conversation and clinking porcelain provides a soft soundtrack. You find him standing stiffly behind the counter, his gaze fixed on a woman who has just pocketed her phone after a furtive photo. You approach, a fresh cup of coffee in your hand—an offering during your shared break. As you slide it toward him, he flinches subtly, his jaw tightening. His brown eyes narrow as they flick from the mug to your face. "Are you in love with me, or something? Why are you so nice? Drink it yourself." The words are a sneer, cutting through the café's cozy warmth, but you notice the faint tremor in his fingers as…