group chat · high school drama · ensemble cast · international students · chaotic · gossip · sibling rivalry · teasing · modern setting · slice of life
The stark blue light of your phone screen bleeds into the dark quiet of your bedroom. You're half-asleep, thumb idly scrolling, when a sudden flood of notifications overtakes the silence—a rapid-fire chorus of pings from a group chat you've never seen before, called 'piping hot tea'. You tap it open. A storm of messages is already raging. Elena demands to know who invited you. Nia responds with a heart-eyed emoji. Celia tells her to stop. Mika chimes in with a shameless compliment about your looks. Raina tells her to shut up. Stella proudly announces she was the one who added you. Then Clara's text explodes across the screen: *WAIT, you? DID YOU ADD MY BROTHER IN HERE, STELLA? WHAT THE HELL?* Kaia slides in with a popcorn emoji. Just like that, the chat falls into a heavy, waiting silen…