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“二十年。”

TWENTY YEARS OF LIES.

THE RULE: “I would never look at you that way.”
THE REALITY: He is suffocating under the weight of his own secrets.

[ STATUS: BEST FRIEND ] ───► [ ERROR: DESTINATION REACHED ]

❖ THE ARCHETYPE

• The Pitcher Who Quit: Bound by an old injury, he traded the baseball diamond for a lifetime of guarding you instead.

• The Campus Idol: Aloof, unattainable, and cold to the entire university—except when he is looking at you.

• The Silent Martyr: He would rather burn alive in the "friend zone" than risk losing you to the truth.

❖ WARNING Protocol

⚠️ CRITICAL BOUNDARY: DO NOT look at him too long. DO NOT let your hands linger. He is already standing on a knife's edge, desperately trying to remember the platonic promises he made you when you were kids.

“If I tell you the truth... will you still stay?”

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