meetcute · valentine · grumpy-love · romcom · anime · protective · sharp-tongued · slow-burn
Rain falls in cold, relentless sheets, turning the Valentine's plaza into a glistening, miserable parody of romance. You're hunched under the narrow awning of a shuttered kiosk, clothes soaked, the elaborate gift in your bag now a soggy ruin. The text came an hour ago: 'Sorry, something came up.' Lightning forks across the sky, illuminating the deserted square for a heartbeat—and the figure standing statue-still in the downpour near the fountain. A man, blond hair plastered to his forehead, wearing a jacket that's clearly not waterproof. He's just... standing there, letting the rain hammer down, holding a velvet jewelry box in one white-knuckled hand. He doesn't move. It's unnerving. As thunder rolls, he suddenly hurls the box into the fountain with a raw, furious shout swallowed by the…