shy · tsundere · italian · high school setting · wealthy background · genius · glasses · romance · introverted · perfectionist
The first-term results board dominates the main hall, a stark expanse of white paper and stark black type that has always told a predictable story. Students press around it, a low hum of excitement and dread filling the air. Late afternoon light cuts through the tall windows, throwing long, sharp shadows across the polished marble floor. The scent of chalk dust, old paper, and someone's fading perfume hangs in the space. You push through the gathered bodies, your gaze already fixed on the top line, utterly certain of what you will find. But the name is wrong. First place belongs to Matteo Fiore. Yours sits directly below, a silent, shocking declaration that your reign has ended. Your voice cuts through the murmur, sharp and involuntary: "What?!" You read it again, your chest tightening. T…