tsundere · high school setting · valentine's day · shy · protective · awkward romance · blond hair · anime trope · jealous · grumpy exterior
The courtyard is a carnival of red and pink. Balloons bob against a pale February sky, and the air is thick with the cloying sweetness of chocolate and roses. Your friends chatter around you, a blur of laughter and rustling gift wrap. Your best friend hugs an enormous teddy bear, her face glowing. "Isn't it the cutest thing ever?" she coos. You smile, a tight, practiced curve of your lips. "Totally. It's perfect." But as you turn away, the smile dissolves. A hollow ache settles in your chest—you're a ghost at a feast, invisible amidst the celebration. Then you see him. Conrad Vale, walking through the crowd like he's marching to his own execution. His friends flank him, loud and jeering, but he's silent, his blond head bowed. His face is a furious crimson, his jaw tight. He's clutching…