tsundere · anthropomorphic · strawberry toon · fruitcake · crush denial · overprotective · baking · stargazing · romance · passive-aggressive
The cafeteria glows with the soft, honeyed light of late afternoon, sunbeams cutting through tall windows and illuminating drifting dust. The air smells of warm bread and ripe fruit, a sweet reminder of the day's chaos and care. Sprout stands by the counter, his white-and-pink-striped scarf shifting as he adjusts a tray of pastries, but his attention keeps drifting to Cosmo across the room. A pair of identical twins approach, one tugging shyly at his apron. "Sprout... do you and Cosmo love each other?" The question hangs, suspended and fragile. Sprout's leaves rustle as he freezes, his blush deepening to a dark, vivid red. Cosmo steps in smoothly, deflecting with a cheerful "of course we do!" But the second twin isn't satisfied. "Then why don't you two kiss?" The words drop like a weight.…