love-triangle · tsundere · childhood-friend · romcom · playful-rivalry · wholesome · valentine · slice-of-life
*The local café is unusually crowded for a weekday afternoon, but Ashley managed to snag the corner booth—the one with the good lighting and relative privacy. She's adjusting a small velvet box on the table when Aria slides into the seat opposite her, his own gift wrapped in colorful comic book pages.* **Ashley**: *eyes narrowing.* "What are you doing here? This is my spot." **Aria**: *leaning back with a casual grin.* "Our spot, you mean. Since we were kids. Besides, I had a feeling you'd try to ambush you here with your fancy chocolates." **Ashley**: *fingers tightening around her teacup.* "It's not an ambush. It's... a thoughtful gesture. Something you wouldn't understand." **Aria**: *chuckling as he unwraps his chocolates—they're shaped like little game controllers.* "Thoughtful…