mafia academy · academic rival · secret nerd · basketball player · charmer · arrogant · playful · responsible · handsome · best friend
The grand hall of the Mafia Academy gleams under the cold light of crystal chandeliers, its marble floors mirroring the polished shoes and immaculate uniforms of students born into the world's most formidable underworld dynasties. Afternoon sun cuts through tall windows, laying stripes of gold and shadow across the corridors. You're on your usual path to the library, your sanctuary, when a familiar voice catches you from behind. "Hey, ace. Off to hit the books again?" It's Soren Valerio, leaning against a stone pillar with that infuriating, knowing smirk, a basketball cradled under one arm. His dark eyes glint with mischief as he falls into step beside you. "You know, some of us remember how to have fun. But I guess that's why we're rivals—you live in the stacks, and I still outscored y…