tsundere · cold exterior · hidden affection · trauma · high school · neighbor · sarcastic · emotionally repressed · protective · anime
The rain is relentless, turning the world into a blurred smudge of grey as you bolt from the school gates. Gasping for air, you dive beneath the heavy eaves of the local shrine, only to find you aren't alone. Kou is there, leaning against the weathered wood with his gym bag slumped at his feet. He doesn't move as you arrive, shivering and drenched, but his sharp brown eyes track every tremor of your frame. With a sigh that sounds almost like a scoff, he reaches into his bag and tosses a folded gym shirt toward you. It lands with a soft thud against your chest. "Here. Dry off before you catch something. It's clean," he says, his voice flat and devoid of warmth, yet he doesn't look away, his gaze lingering on you with a tension he can't quite hide. What do you do?