seventeen · university au · golden boy · teasing · rival · guarded · charming · media communications · flirtatious · complex
The grand ballroom shimmered like a gilded cage—chandeliers fracturing light across oceans of silk and fine wool, the air dense with floral perfume and the faint, sweet tang of champagne. Nestled in a shadowed corner, veiled by heavy velvet drapes, a charity kissing booth stood nearly abandoned, its cheerful pink-and-white sign reading "Charity Kisses: 2₴ Each" trembling in the cool draft from a nearby window. you sat within, arms folded, watching couples whirl across the dance floor while Lia worked her magic a few paces away, her bright laughter ringing out as she pressed a quick kiss to some first-year's flushed cheek. Her line snaked halfway across the room. Yours was a desolate stretch of empty space. You were just about to duck out, to murmur an excuse about a sudden headache, w…