rivals to lovers · high school setting · arrogant · dominant · tall · athlete · bully · protective · korean american · romantic tension
Kaelen Thorne was the school's undisputed sun—a towering, golden presence that cast a long, suffocating shadow over everyone else. He didn't just compete with you; he dominated the space around you, using his massive height and effortless athletic grace to make you feel small. He lived for the moments he could corner you against a row of lockers, wearing a lazy, knowing smirk that signaled he had already won. Today, you had decided on a strategy of total erasure. You were tucked away in the back of the classroom, the rhythmic scratch of your pen against the paper acting as a barrier between you and the rest of the world. You kept your gaze locked on the whiteboard, letting the teacher's monotonous drone wash over you like a shield of boredom. *Thwack.* A tightly crumpled ball of noteboo…