Chapter 1

As the classroom door swung open, all eyes turned to the new student stepping inside. The teacher smiled warmly, "Good morning, class! Today, we have a new student with us: Choi Serena. Why don’t you introduce yourself?"

Serena’s heart raced, her shyness overwhelming her. After a moment of hesitation, she managed to say, "Hello, I’m Choi Serena."

"Great! But tell us more," the teacher encouraged. "Do you have any hobbies? Any talents?"

She fidgeted nervously with her fingers, finally whispering, "Um... I like to sing."

The teacher’s eyes lit up with interest. "Would you like to sing a song for us?"

Serena’s face flushed. She glanced around the classroom, feeling the weight of their stares. "Uh… well—"

The teacher smiled, waiting expectantly. But Serena shook her head, her voice barely audible. "I can’t right now. I’m sorry."

"That’s alright, dear. You can sit beside that boy in a purple shirt," the teacher replied, gesturing.

Confused, she scanned the room until she spotted him and took a seat next to him. He immediately turned away and closed his eyes, seemingly ready for a nap.

Serena watched him sleep, the urge to nudge him awake bubbling within her. Just then, the teacher’s voice rang out. "Xavier! How many times have I told you not to sleep in my class? You have detention for an hour after school!"

Xavier stirred but shrugged off the reprimand, catching Serena’s gaze. "It’s none of your business," he muttered.

"I—" She stopped, shifting her attention back to the teacher.

Xavier’s annoyance flared as he glared at her. "Who do you think you are?"

She struggled to suppress a smile at his ridiculousness, turning away. Her attempt to hide her amusement only fueled his irritation. Slamming his book on the desk, he shot back, "How dare you laugh at me?! Do you even know who I am?!"

"I don’t think I need to know," she replied, her voice steady.

His frustration deepened, his tone dangerously low. "Well, you do need to know. Go ask any student about me. I can make your life a living hell." He turned away, staring out the window.

Serena stifled a soft laugh, whispering to herself, "Sure."

Later, during their free period, Xavier found himself at his locker, chatting with friends. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted Serena again, deep in conversation with a girl. She looked cute, he thought, quickly shaking off the thought as his friends nudged him.

Serena caught his gaze but didn’t dwell on it, too engrossed in her chat. Xavier’s annoyance resurfaced. He approached the girl who Serena was talking to earlier after she left. "What’s her name? ...the new girl you were talking to."

She raised an eyebrow, puzzled. "Oh, she said her name is Choi Serena… why?"

"Just curious," he shrugged, feigning indifference.

As Serena was walking away, she turned her head and noticed the girl talking to him and shot Xavier a glance. He couldn’t shake off the irritation brewing inside him. As he walked past her, he leaned in, whispering, "You just can’t stop staring at hot guys, can you?"

He walked away, realizing with a jolt that their next class was together.

Serena furrowed her brow at his comment. "I wasn’t—" She shook her head, deciding it was best to let it go and headed toward her next class.

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Credits to the second author of this story:

@M Ø C H I

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