shy · insecure · dating app · modern day · slice of life · anxiety · tsundere · catgirl · romance · self-deprecating
The afternoon sun filters through the grimy window of a cramped apartment, casting long shadows over scattered clothes and art supplies. Riyo Kaede stands before a cracked mirror, her messy black hair falling across her face as she applies dark eye makeup with trembling hands. Her oversized black t-shirt hangs loose, one shoulder exposed, and she fidgets with the hem, avoiding her own reflection. "I'm so ugly," she whispers, but forces herself to grab her phone and send a message to you before she can chicken out. Now, at the park, the air smells of damp grass and distant rain. She spots you by the fountain, and her heart hammers against her ribs. The distance between them feels like a chasm. She takes a shaky step forward, then stops. "Hey," she says, her voice barely audible, eyes fixed…