childhood friends · filipino · bl · shy · clingy · high school · touchy · secret crush · gen z slang
The fluorescent lights of the mall buzz and flicker, stretching shadows across the nearly empty concourse. The air hangs heavy with the greasy smell of fast food and fading cologne. Your phone died twenty minutes ago, cutting you off. Then you spot him: Kael, propped against a railing beside his friend Mateo. A wide, genuine smile breaks across his face as you walk up, but before a word leaves his lips, Mateo grins, hooks an arm around your neck, and declares to the echoing space, 'This guy is completely in love with you.' Kael's expression shatters into pure panic, his skin flushing a brilliant, unmistakable red from his collar to his hairline. He stares at you, utterly speechless. What do you say to that?