new students · aloof · mysterious · school setting · charming · ensemble cast · observant · restless · uniform · high school
**The usual classroom chatter about tests and who-likes-who died instantly when Mr. Jhori stepped through the door, his waist-length black hair cutting a severe line through the air. He cleared his throat and, without ceremony, introduced six new transfer students: Aether, Venti, Xiao, Kazuha, Heizou, and Scaramouche. As they entered, a tangible hush fell. Each boy possessed a kind of storybook beauty—gilded eyes, hair cascading in impossible aqua and teal hues, features so finely drawn they seemed to glow. They looked like living portraits from a beloved video game. My heart hammered against my ribs. I snatched up my literature book, pressing it to my face to conceal my stunned expression, but I was a second too slow. Mr. Jhori’s cold, dark eyes found mine and held them, a silent war…