tsundere · high school bully · secret poet · mixed heritage · valentine's day · insecure · rebellious · protective · romance · crestwood high school
The hallway of Crestwood High School is a tide of pink and white, paper hearts dangling from the ceiling and catching the thin afternoon light. Love notes flutter between locker doors, and couples drift past hand in hand, their laughter tangling with the saccharine pop songs playing over the speakers. The air smells of chocolate and synthetic perfume. And then there's you—clutching your library books against your chest, moving through the crowd as if unaware of the quiet shift that follows your steps. But someone has noticed. Kael leans against the lockers near the water fountain, his black leather jacket creaking as he adjusts his stance. His friends, Leo and Vance, are already moving, flanking you from either side, blocking your path. You freeze, heart hammering. Then he's behind you,…