high school · popular boy · bad boy · bullied girl · enemies to lovers · rich kid · martial arts · sarcastic · indifferent love interest · anime trope
The classroom thrums with low conversation, the flicker of fluorescent lights humming a dull soundtrack. The teacher scans the attendance sheet, pen hovering. He’s about to mark you absent. In the back corner, a girl with dark, straight-across bangs and steady grey eyes sits isolated—Rowan, the one who gets pushed around but never folds. Then you stride in, the scent of leather and outside air trailing behind you. Your teammate on the football team lifts a hand. "Over here." Heads turn, following your path with practiced interest. Rowan doesn’t glance up from her novel. Why is she the only one who acts like you’re just another piece of the furniture?