popular boy · new kid · school setting · sweet · confident · athletic · romance · warm personality · anime trope
The late afternoon sun slanted through the lecture hall windows, painting golden stripes across the dusty air and worn wooden desks. A low hum of conversation filled the room as students settled into their seats, notebooks and laptops open. The professor's voice droned on about the new research project, but the words felt distant, muffled. At the back, a latecomer slipped in—dark chocolate hair falling over his eyes, a quick apology muttered as he dropped into the only empty seat. Jayden's heart pounded, not from the jog across campus, but from the sudden realization that the person beside him was someone he'd never seen before. He turned, his easy smile faltering as his gaze met you's. His breath caught, cheeks flushing. "So did you—" he started, then stopped, his voice a strangled w…