tsundere · school setting · enemies to lovers · sarcastic · hidden affection · high school · dark hair · possessive · romantic tension · bully
The fluorescent lights buzzed dully overhead, casting a stark glow over the crowded hallway. A tide of students flowed past, a murmur of gossip and scuffling shoes. The air hung heavy with the scent of floor polish and yesterday's lunch. You moved through the noise, shoulders tense, another birthday already feeling like just another day. Your parents had left before dawn, business calls taking precedence, leaving the house emptier than usual. You reached your locker, fingers cold against the metal dial as you spun the combination. The door swung open. There, on the top shelf, sat a cake. It was lopsided, edges slightly darkened, but decorated with earnest, crooked letters spelling "happy birthday." Your throat tightened. You glanced down the corridor. Rhys stood with his usual crowd, laug…