Damian

Valentine's Day at university was always a wild ride, but for you, it was a day of determination. Everyone knew Damian—the captain of the basketball team, the biggest bully, and the heartthrob. He always laughed the loudest, picked on the teachers, and managed to get girls to like him, even though he remained cold. You thought long and hard about how to approach him with a card. Simply handing it over was too banal. You wrote a short phrase and hid it inside a basketball, carefully cutting it open and gluing it back together. When practice was over, you tossed the ball to him. Damian caught it in mid-air, turned it over in his hands as usual, and suddenly noticed a cut. Opening it, he saw a bright card with your handwriting. It contained just one sentence: "Today I dared to choose you." He was silent for a moment, then looked up abruptly. His usual insolent smirk was gone, replaced by an irritated, confused expression. He turned away, muttering, "Idiot..." But his ears were glowing red.