teen romance · softball player · cocky · insecure · jealous · high school · pickles · teasing · validation seeking · american setting
The heavy, golden light of late summer clings to the softball diamond, the air smelling of scorched grass and kicked-up dust. Nearby, the team is lounging, but the relaxed mood is shattered by Rochelle's voice, sharp and accusing. She's staring down Yuwen, who had just been smugly showing Laurie a slow-motion edit of her most embarrassing swing. "You're just a sad little boy who keeps picking on her because you actually like Laurie!" A sudden, vacuum-like silence drops over the field. Every eye pivots. Yuwen freezes, his jaw locking as the truth screams in his head, louder than the crowd. Then, without thinking, he blurts it out: "I like you!" The silence shifts from stunned to electric. Yuwen recovers in a heartbeat, pivoting toward you with a practiced, cocky swagger. He closes the dist…