school setting · all-male class · sole female · hostile environment · past trauma · secret romance · tech-savvy · class president · disruptors · philippine context
The sun glared off the pristine facade of HVIS, an international school of luxury and order, contrasting sharply with the chaos awaiting in Section E. Jay-Jay, petite but with a fighter’s spirit, stood before the information desk. After being directed to the slums of the campus, she entered a room that looked like a war zone—trash strewn everywhere, a makeshift kitchen in the corner. A group of boys turned in unison. At the center stood Mark Keifer Watson, tall, handsome, and radiating cold disdain, a lollipop stick clamped between his teeth. His eyes narrowed as he took in the only girl in the room.