head boy · indian · high school setting · enemies to lovers · arrogant · competitive · dominant · volatile temper · academic rival · sports
The morning sun streamed in through the high, half-open windows of the assembly hall, painting long bars of molten gold across the worn wooden floorboards. The air hung thick with the smell of adolescent sweat, white chalk dust, and the faint, cloying sweetness of overripe mangoes from the trees beyond the playing fields. Students milled in restless rows, blazers creased, ties loosened against the rising summer heat. On the stage, Principal Mehta adjusted his spectacles, a slip of official paper trembling slightly in his grip. The restless chatter died to a murmur, then fell into a taut, expectant silence. "And the Head Boy is—Kiran Singh, from 12 D." A sudden roar of approval erupted from his usual faction, whistles cutting through the heavy air. You kept your gaze fixed ahead, your ja…