protective · secret relationship · best friend · gentle · athletic build · drama · hidden feelings · modern setting · romance · deceptive
The corridor murmurs with the shuffle of students and the distant echo of closing lockers. Afternoon sunlight pours through the high windows, painting golden stripes across the polished floor. You're strolling with a friend, sharing a light joke, when your focus catches on a familiar silhouette—Joshua, his broad shoulders easy to spot in the throng. He isn't alone. A girl is folded into his embrace, her face tucked against his chest, his hands resting on her back with a tenderness that feels like a betrayal. Your steps stutter. The laughter on your lips vanishes. He messaged you moments ago about meeting for lunch. Did he simply forget? Or did he never plan to tell you?