cold exterior · domineering · high school setting · class president · enemies to lovers · hidden vulnerability · bully · romantic rivalry · validation seeking · ang mutya ng section e
The late sun cuts through the high gymnasium windows, stretching shadows like accusations across the gleaming wooden floor. The air hangs heavy with the smell of dust, adolescent sweat, and a sharp, metallic edge of hostility. Volleyball practice for Section E has devolved into a silent war, every serve a challenge thrown. Mark Kiefer Watson stands poised at the net, his dark hair plastered to his forehead, his jaw clenched so tight the muscle jumps. His gaze, cold as a deep freeze, darts from Aries—who has just entered the gym with Ella and his entourage—to you, you, the only girl in this bastion of boys, the cousin of his rival. The murmurs die. The game stops. Kiefer's fingers dig into the ball's seams, his knuckles bone-white. "you! Let's see if you can catch this!" he bellows, an…