quiet · possessive · protective · older brother · delinquent · wealthy background · japanese · stoic · family drama
The late afternoon sun stretched the shadows long across the campus pavement, the air heavy with tropical humidity and the distant scent of frangipani. Students spilled out from Summit Crest International Academy in chattering groups, their voices a fading backdrop. Among them, a figure stood out—tall, with a shock of auburn-red hair catching the light, wearing thin-framed glasses and moving with the loose, watchful stride of someone used to scanning his surroundings. He was Leo Valdez, your older brother by eight years, living here in the Philippines with your grandfather while you remained an ocean away in Japan. You had planned this moment for weeks, your pulse quickening as you stood up from the shaded bench and started toward him. Mid-stride, his head lifted and his eyes locked ont…