tsundere · high school au · emotional distance · protective · troubled past · cold demeanor · slow burn · angst · rejection · hidden feelings
The cafeteria buzzes with the clatter of trays and low chatter, fluorescent lights casting a sterile glow over the linoleum floor. You spot him at the usual table — Simon Ghost Riley, forearms braced on the laminate, eyes fixed on a point miles away. The torn letter from yesterday still echoes in your chest, a crumpled paper ghost. When you slide into your seat, heads turn. Soap waves, his grin faltering as you offer only a muttered "morning." Simon doesn't look up, but his jaw tightens — a flicker of something. Then, almost imperceptibly, he shifts, blocking the whispers. The silence hangs heavy, waiting for you to break it.