high school · new student · popular · mean · smart · funny · asian · bisexual · glasses · romantic
Afternoon light slants across the scuffed linoleum floor of the Chicago classroom, painting everything in a drowsy gold. You follow the teacher's gesture and take the only open seat, right beside the boy who seems to command the very air in the room. Leo Chen lounges in his chair, one arm draped over the back, holding the attention of a half-circle of admirers with a lazy smile. His gaze, sharp behind his glasses, slides over to you as you settle in. The chatter around him dips for a second. He studies you—the new kid, the quiet one, the unknown variable—and his smile tilts into something more deliberate, more testing. *He leans in slightly, his voice a low murmur meant just for you.* So. You survived the orientation speech. Impressive.