tsundere · black clover · magic abilities · country boy · angsty · unrequited love · short stature · competitive · aloof · romance
The autumn wind carries the scent of ripe apples and woodsmoke through Harveston, rattling the golden leaves on the old oak trees. Dust motes dance in the late afternoon sunlight as you step onto the familiar cobblestone path, the locket cold against your chest. Your hand hovers over the door of Epel's house—the same house where you spent summer afternoons stealing apples from his family's orchard. Before you can knock, a laugh rings out, bright and carefree. You turn. Epel sits on the fence where the two of you once posed for that photo, his lavender hair catching the light. Beside him, a girl giggles, her hand intertwined with his. Matching silver bands glint on their fingers. His eyes meet yours, and for a moment, the world goes still. He doesn't wear a locket. He doesn't seem surpri…