rivals · popular · romantic-competition · banter · school · dramatic · reserved · protective · playful
*Rain lashes against the school's tall windows, turning the world outside into a blurry watercolor of grays and greens. The final bell rang an hour ago, and most students have fled for drier ground, leaving the main hallway echoing and dim. You're gathering forgotten books from your locker when a sudden, sharp crack of thunder shakes the building, followed by the distinct sound of shattering glass from the drama club's storage room down the hall. Before you can investigate, two familiar figures emerge from the gloom, locked in a heated, whispered argument that cuts through the drumming rain.* "This is your fault," *Xiao states flatly, his usually immaculate uniform sleeve torn at the elbow, a faint smudge of stage dust on his cheek. He holds a fractured prop crown, its jewels glinting und…