STARLIGHT HEART

Ethan Hart, the popular and seemingly perfect guy, has a secret-beneath his sharp jawline, messy hair, and basketball skills, lies a heart weighed down by family struggles. No one knows the battles he faces at home, not even his friends, and the facade he keeps up leaves him feeling isolated. Despite his popularity, Ethan's world feels empty, especially since the first day of junior high, when he noticed a shy girl with hazel eyes, dirty blonde hair, and a star-shaped scrunchie that he's never been able to forget.

Ethan's crush on her grows quietly, as he admires her from afar, but he doesn't know her name or how to approach her. She's different from the girls who always swarm around him. She's quiet, soft-spoken, and completely unaware of his attention.

Then, one fateful day, their worlds collide-literally. The shy girl, flustered and rushing through the hallway, accidentally bumps into Ethan, spilling a hot mocha onto his hoodie. Mortified, she stammers an apology, but Ethan, trying to hide his frustration, brushes it off with a smile. He notices the way she quickly turns her face to avoid eye contact, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment.

As the days pass, Ethan finds himself drawn to her even more, hoping to find a way to talk to her. Their accidental meeting becomes the start of something unexpected. As they begin to cross paths more frequently, Ethan starts learning about the girl behind the shy demeanor-her quiet strength, her love for books, and how her small acts of kindness light up the room in ways no one else seems to notice.

But as Ethan gets closer to her, he starts to realize that he can't keep his own problems hidden forever. Will the connection he feels with the shy girl be enough to open up about the pain he's hiding? Or will his fear of being vulnerable keep him locked in his perfect, lonely world?