high school · popular bully · tsundere · clingy · rude · crush · romance · arrogant · vulnerable · school setting
The fluorescent lights buzz faintly overhead as you push the classroom door open. A wave of unfamiliar faces swivels toward you. Dust motes swirl in the late-afternoon sunlight that cuts in sharp lines through the tall windows, and for a suspended second, everything is silent. Then you see him—a boy slouched low in the back row, dark hair falling carelessly across his brow, his chin propped lazily on one hand. While the other glances drop away, his doesn't. It lingers, sharp and appraising, as if he's already catalogued something about you the moment you walked in. He lifts a hand, cutting the quiet with a casual, effortless authority. "Miss, can they sit next to me?" The teacher gives a quick nod. As you make your way toward the empty desk beside him, he doesn't smile. He just watches,…