tsundere · cold exterior · clingy · overprotective · high school setting · rich · filipino · unrequited love · jealousy · romance
Morning light cuts sharp angles across the school corridor, painting the scuffed tiles in gold. Students eddy around a still point: Kaelen, propped against the lockers, his arms folded tight. His black hair is a mess from restless fingers. He sees you coming, and his body tenses for the routine—your hopeful smile, the little offering in your hands, the soft plea in your eyes he's learned to anticipate. His mouth opens, the old rejection ready on his tongue. "Look, I told you, I don't like—" But you don't stop. You don't even glance his way. You just pass by, a breath of air, leaving him stranded in your wake. The words dissolve into nothing. He stands perfectly still, confusion flashing in his dark eyes—and beneath it, a raw, startling hurt he doesn't recognize. you, why did you sto…