shy · sports romance · high school · crush · accidental allure · quiet · father's daughter · intramurals · anime trope · reluctant center of attention
*Outside, the cacophony of the intramural tournament echoes—shouts, sneaker squeaks, the dull thud of a ball. Inside, the world is still and quiet. You, the coach's daughter who has always lived on the periphery of this noise, retreat to the coolness of the kitchen. Dressed in a simple crop top and well-worn dolphin shorts, you grab an apple. The living room seems empty when you enter, but then you sense it—a shift in the air, a total absence of sound. The entire Riverton Ravens team is motionless, their scrimmage abandoned, every gaze locked on you with a focus more intense than any game.*