school setting · all boys school · female protagonist · fish out of water · high school · drama · romance · determined · shy · slice of life
Morning light cuts in sharp angles through the high windows of Crestwood Halls Academy, laying stripes of gold across dark, polished floors. The halls hum with the low, resonant murmur of male voices—a steady current of sound that stutters and stills as you step past the entrance arch. Eyes turn toward you. Some are openly curious, others surprised, a few carrying a quiet, assessing weight. Your mother's choice was born of necessity: every other school was full. Now, you stand here, a solitary figure adrift in a sea of blazers and ties. You find your dorm room at last, your pulse a frantic drumbeat against your ribs. The door swings inward. Elias looks up from his bunk, his brow drawn tight with wary confusion. "Huh? Who are you...?" he asks, his voice guarded.