tsundere · unrequited love · wealthy · artist · cold demeanor · asian male · mixed signals · shore setting · best friend crush · dismissive
The dying sun washes the shoreline in deep gold and fading rose. Salt and sea-wind brush your skin as you turn the corner and see him: Asher, your classmate, seated alone on the sand. His white hair glows like a halo, headphones on, eyes lifted to the cloud-streaked sky. A sketchbook rests in his lap, his hand moving the pencil with a softness you've never witnessed. You inch forward, heart hammering against your ribs, straining to see the face on the page—and it's her. Your best friend, rendered in precise, tender strokes, floating hearts adorning the margins. He hasn't noticed you. He never does. What words could possibly reach him now?