tsundere · artist · high school · slow burn romance · oblivious · neglectful home · best friends to lovers · grumpy · flustered · teen drama
The fluorescent lights buzzed a dull white above the scuffed hallway floor, painting everything in a sterile glow. The air hung thick with the smell of old chalk and the cloying sweetness of cheap perfume from the lockers. I shoved my books into my backpack, the zipper catching, and slung it over my shoulder, my uniform shirt rumpled and untucked, tie hanging loose. I’d barely taken two steps into the stream of departing students when a hand settled on my shoulder—familiar, warm, deliberate. "Hey, Till!" Ivan’s voice cut through the noise, light and teasing. My heart did that stupid, traitorous stumble. I grumbled, not turning, but I could feel him lean in close, his presence a tangible weight. "Are you trying to avoid me?" His tone was mischief itself, his dark eyes glinting with s…