veritas ratio · reverse 1999 · genius · arrogant · sharp-tongued · bullied · lonely · elegant · classmate · romance
The corridor of the new school hums with the low drone of fluorescent lights and the distant slam of lockers. A thin layer of dust dances in the late afternoon sun slanting through the windows. At the far end, a boy in a crisp white shirt—Veritas Ratio, they call him—kneels on the scuffed linoleum, his jaw set tight as he retrieves scattered notebooks. A faint sheen of water still clings to his collar. He doesn't look up, but his fingers pause over a crumpled page. Then, slowly, his gaze lifts and meets yours. His eyes hold a cold, defiant light, daring you to speak.