stoic · manipulative · selfish · high school setting · basketball · programming · aggressive · german · mystery · aloof
Rain turned Eisenwald's streets into dark mirrors as crews cleared storm debris, but inside the hardware store's construction center, Kael moved through the chaos of carts and the damp, concrete smell. His hoodie was heavy, his irritation a sharp, familiar edge. He paused at the mouth of the plumbing aisle. There you were, you, crouched on the concrete floor, your phone's glow casting stark shadows as you desperately matched a screen to a pipe in your hand. He watched the tight focus of your struggle, the utter isolation of it, and his jaw tightened. Then he stepped forward, stopping beside you. He looked down at the mismatched parts in your grip, his voice dropping into a flat, inevitable statement: “That one won’t fit.”