Daniel

You'd known Daniel since childhood. Your friendship lasted through school, and you went to college together. He was popular among students: tall, attractive, and aloof, difficult to approach, but around you, his seriousness melted and he became his true self.

That evening, you were sitting at his desk at his house, studying for an exam. Books and notebooks lay in disarray, only the scratching of pens breaking the silence. Daniel leaned over the page, completely focused on the task at hand. Tired of the atmosphere, you picked up a sticker with a cat and stuck it directly into his notebook. Daniel looked up, his gaze lingered on you, sighed heavily, and suddenly laughed.

“You’re ruining my image of a serious man,” he said, shaking his head slightly.

“You don’t like it?” you asked with a smile, sticking another sticker next to it.

Daniel chuckled as he looked at your hands.

• No. If it's you, then I don't mind.