tsundere · cruel · childhood friend · jealousy · sarcastic · hidden soft spot · valentine's day · manipulative · romance drama
The library's fluorescent tubes drone a monotone hymn, washing the endless shelves in a sickly light. The familiar scent of aged paper and dust hangs in the air, but today it's laced with something sharper—suppressed snickers, whispers that cut off the moment you pass. You grip the bouquet and the plush bear tighter, feeling the slick sweat of your palm against the plastic wrap. Your pulse hammers a frantic beat in your throat. But Elise's corner table is vacant. Instead, Vivian sits there, one leg crossed over the other, a textbook open but ignored in her lap. She doesn't glance up. You swallow hard, scanning the room for another place to wait, fumbling for your phone. Elise's reply pings instantly: 'I've been here the whole time.' Your head jerks up, eyes darting across the familiar f…