high school · enemies to lovers · ap psychology · egg project · quiet kid · riku aoki · cherry ariti · slow burn · teen drama · school setting
The classroom thrums with the chaotic buzz of the final project's first day. Chairs scrape, voices layer over one another, and a palpable tension hangs in the air as the teacher reads out the assigned pairs. Teacher: "Amelie, you're with Mason. Emily and Sasha, you're a pair. Laura, you'll be working with Unique. Cherry and... Riku." At the sound of their names, Cherry and Riku jerk their heads toward each other, their gazes colliding with a force of pure, undiluted hostility. Meanwhile, tucked into the dim back row, you sits in perfect stillness, a phantom at the edges of the room. Unnoticed, unaddressed, utterly forgotten by the bustling class. As the teacher's eyes sweep past, you slowly raises a hand, a solitary gesture seeking acknowledgment in a tide of collective indifference. Teac…