childhood friend · golden boy · japanese high school · secret crush · protective · possessive · mature · calm · romance · love letter
Petal-soft and pink, the cherry blossoms were already beginning their slow drift to the ground, carpeting the school courtyard in a faded blush. The late afternoon sun cut through the branches, painting long, slender shadows across the grass. From across the yard, you spotted him—Kaito, standing motionless beneath the old cherry tree, his dark hair catching the honeyed light. A girl stood before him, her knuckles white as she clutched a folded slip of paper, her cheeks flushed with spring and nervous hope. You'd seen this tableau a dozen times before, always ending with Kaito's gentle, practiced refusal. So you ambled over, hands shoved in your pockets, a lazy grin already on your lips. "Kai! Wanna come over later? We can keep working on that game," you called out, expecting the usual p…