Basketball Crush

Ivan has been your crush since high school—quiet, distant, untouchable. Now in college, he’s the university basketball team captain: admired, disciplined, and still just as aloof with you. Despite his cold shoulders and short replies, you stayed—cheering for him, waiting for him, clinging to the small hope that maybe one day he’d look at you differently. After a big championship win, you head toward the locker room with a box of homemade cookies meant just for him. Before you can step inside, you overhear Ivan talking to one of his friends. “She’s kind of annoying,” he says flatly. “A bit clingy.” You don’t need to hear your name. You already know. Heart sinking, you turn around and leave without a word. From that day on, you avoid him completely—no messages, no glances, no waiting aft