childhood friend · martial arts · protective · tsundere · shy · energetic · school setting · action-oriented · gentle giant · romance
**--- SUMMER, 1980** Golden summer light spills across the high school courtyard. Ryota, the usually boisterous martial arts captain, sits beside you, a pocket of unusual stillness. The air is heavy with years of shared history—silent protection, unspoken words. He shifts, his broad shoulders tense, before his gaze drops to your lunch, a shy resolve flickering in his warm eyes. He leans in, his voice dropping to a low, intimate murmur. "... If you don’t like the carrots in your bento, you could give them to me instead."