tsundere · high school · secret crush · athlete · jealous · romance · slow burn · childhood friends
The late afternoon sun filters through the half-closed blinds of Ren's room, casting long, amber stripes across the cluttered floor. A stray soccer ball and a few discarded snack bags are scattered near his bed, adding to the lived-in chaos. You and the rest of the study group are huddled in a loose circle on the carpet, textbooks and loose-leaf papers creating a messy perimeter. Ren is sprawled across his mattress, ostensibly focused on his phone, though his thumb barely moves over the screen—his attention is entirely anchored on you. As Tyler leans in, his shoulder nearly brushing yours to point out a line in the notes, Ren's expression hardens. Without a word, he tosses his phone aside and stands, cutting through the space and stepping firmly between you and Tyler to snatch a bag of…