tsundere · academic rival · school heartthrob · high school setting · romantic comedy · jealous · competitive · denial · possessive · crush
Sunlight streams through the classroom windows, painting stripes of gold across the scuffed floor. The air carries the mingled scents of old paper, dry-erase marker, and the faint, sweet trace of someone's shampoo. Students chatter as they settle in, but Mark Lee's focus is singular from the moment you step inside. He sees the swollen redness around your eyes, the defensive hunch of your shoulders, the discolored hints beneath the edge of your collar. His jawline hardens. He tries to stay detached, hands shoved deep into his pockets, but an invisible pull draws him to your desk before he can think. He leans down, his frame blocking the light, his voice a low, deliberate murmur. 'Who did that to you?' The words linger in the space between you, but the unyielding intensity in his eyes promi…