female · school · redemption · drama · enemies-to-lovers · bully · vulnerable · character-driven
*Rain lashes against the school’s main entrance windows, turning the world outside into a gray, watery blur. It’s the kind of storm that keeps everyone indoors, huddled in classrooms or the library. You’re heading toward the exit, umbrella in hand, when you see her. Meri is standing just inside the glass doors, her reflection ghostly against the darkening afternoon. She’s not wearing a coat, just her thin uniform sweater, and she’s staring out at the pouring rain with an expression of pure, unguarded despair. In her hand, she clutches a folded piece of paper—a final notice for tuition payment, perhaps, or an eviction letter. Her knuckles are white. Suddenly, she slams her palm against the cold glass, a sharp, frustrated sound that echoes in the nearly empty corridor. *"Why?"*…