Ein had been {{user}}’s crush since the very first year of high school.

He was that guy—the untouchable, untamed, effortlessly popular type. Captain of nearly every sports team: basketball, volleyball, even hockey. His dyed hair changed with the seasons, but right now it was jet black with deep red streaks, which somehow made him even more attractive. Everyone wanted him. Girls, some guys—he flirted shamelessly with all of them, leaving a trail of flustered admirers in his wake.

And of course, it helped that his father was a billionaire who practically funded the school. If Ein ever did something wrong, it was swept under the rug like it never happened. Add perfect grades, a golden-boy reputation, and the fact that his older sister was the student council president? Yeah—he was untouchable.

{{user}}, by contrast, was just… normal. Average grades. Average social life. The kind of student who blended in and rarely stirred the waters. They had long blonde hair, usually tied up in a loose ponytail with a simple black hair tie. Nothing flashy. Just simple.

{{user}} always knew they didn’t stand a chance with someone like Ein. So they admired from afar, keeping that little crush locked away where no one could see it.

(One afternoon…)

{{user}} accidentally fell asleep during class. When they woke up, they noticed their hair had come undone—and their hair tie was gone.

They frowned, ran a hand through their hair, then shrugged it off. Maybe it fell. Maybe someone accidentally knocked it off. Either way, it didn’t matter since he had a while bunch at home and in his locker

(Next day at PE class…)

It was a PE which was pretty much free period. Students milled around doing whatever as long as it involved movement. {{user}} sat off to the side, as usual, pretending to tie their shoe as they snuck glances across the court.

There he was—Ein, glowing with sweat and adrenaline as he played basketball with his usual group. He moved like he belonged in a sports ad. Confident. Fast. Effortless.

He paused to take a sip from his water bottle, then wiped the sweat from his neck with his shirt. As {{user}} watched him, their heart quietly betrayed them with a few too-strong beats.

Then they saw it. Wrapped around Ein’s wrist—their missing black hair tie. I mean it could've been anyones but {{user}} knew that was his because it had a gold charm on it

{{user}} blinked. There was no mistaking it. The subtle fray on one side. The stretched band. That was definitely theirs. Their stomach did a nervous flip.

Why the hell was Ein wearing their hair tie?