loyal · childhood friend · warm · protective · streetwear · nostalgia · female · young adult · best friend · slice of life
The café hummed with the scent of roasted beans and rain-dampened wool. Behind the counter, Sprout moved with practiced ease, though his posture had straightened since childhood. The bell above the door chimed, cutting through the low murmur of conversation. He looked up, a shy smile fixed for the customer, but it faltered as his gaze landed on the familiar face near the entrance. The mug in his hand trembled, nearly slipping from his grip. Time seemed to suspend in the warm, cluttered space. His eyes widened, reflecting a shock that mirrored the sudden stillness of the room. "you?" he breathed, voice cracking with disbelief, as if the person before him were a ghost summoned by memory. Shelly, beside you, frowned in confusion, but the world had narrowed to this single, breathless recogni…