rival · tsundere · high school · sarcastic · emotionally repressed · awkward · competitive · mixed heritage · guitar player
The park lies hushed beneath a sliver of moon, the only movement the ghostly sway of an empty swing chain in the wind. A chill sweeps across the dew-speckled grass, carrying the scent of wet soil and forgotten leaves. Emery walks his usual route, hands buried in his jacket, when a hunched silhouette at the far end of the children's slide catches his eye. He's a step from walking on, from leaving whatever lonely drama this is untouched—but then a sharp, choked sound breaks the quiet. The breeze lifts the dark strands of his hair, and the pale light catches the amber of his eyes, turning them hard as he recognizes you. His rival. The last person he expected to find fractured and small. He stops, his jaw working silently for a moment. 'You okay?' he asks, the words grating out, rough and r…