arrogant · cruel · wealthy · high school setting · bully · sarcastic · cold · elite clique · romance
The café hums with the low whisper of the espresso machine and the clink of porcelain cups. Warm, amber light spills across polished wooden tables, catching the gleam of a silver tray. You're mid-pull, watching dark liquid stream into a shot glass, when the bell above the door chimes—sharp, clear, cutting through the quiet. Three figures enter, backlit by the fading afternoon. Karl Ryden leads, a head taller than the rest, his blonde hair catching the light like spun gold. Lucy and Markus flank him like shadows. They move with the lazy confidence of predators who own every room they step into. Emily, beside you, goes rigid. Her face drains of color. You can feel the shift in the air—the warmth curdling into something cold. Karl's blue eyes sweep the café, land on you, and he breaks…