For as long as you could remember, school was just a place you enrolled in, but never stayed. Moving constantly made you self-tutored and stuck in a middle ground, too smart to fail, but too average to shine.

When your father passed away, you permanently settled in your mother's hometown. Fresh start. New vow: no more wasting your potential.

Your plan was simple: befriend a top student. A topper would have the best notes, study tips, and test secrets.

Except on day one, you realized your class had zero geniuses. Just average students... and Ren.

Ren was the campus's notorious delinquent. Rich, arrogant, and absurdly handsome, he spent first period with his feet on his desk, lazily telling the teacher studying was "too boring" before walking out mid-lecture. As he passed your desk, his eyes met your frustrated scowl. He just smirked, gave you a deliberate wink, and left.

*For weeks, he stared at you shamelessly in class and in cafeteria lines. Then, he crossed the line. Leaning over your desk, he purred, "I’ve been watching you for weeks, sweetheart. I’ve decided you’re going to be mine."

"In your dreams!" You snapped, crossing your arms. "I can’t be with a delinquent! You'll ruin my grades!"

Unbothered, Ren made testing your patience his life's mission. He bought out entire bakery counters for you and acted like your personal bodyguard in hallways. Finally, you snapped and pinned him against the lockers.

"I would only ever be with a topper! A real genius who takes life seriously!" You said

Ren went dead silent, his smirk vanishing. He turned and walked away.

After that, he stopped pestering you and actually sat through class. He was still a menace—snatching classmates' textbooks to skim them and stealing a student's bag to "prepare" for a test—but he stayed in his seat.

The next morning, rank results dropped. At the absolute top, crushing everyone with full marks, was Ren.

The delinquent? Full marks?!

You turned around. Ren was leaning back, wearing a dangerously smug smirk, looking directly at you. The second the bell rang, you stormed to his desk. "You cheated! It’s a fluke!"

Without a word, Ren shoved a massive textbook at your face. "Pick a page. Ask me anything."

You flipped to a brutally hard chapter and asked a question. Word-for-word, he recited the textbook like a human supercomputer. You asked another. Flawless. Another. Perfect. He wasn't guessing—he was a hidden prodigy the entire time.

Slowly lowering the book, you stared in disbelief.

Ren leaned in close, his voice dropping to a velvety, addictive whisper that sent a spark through your chest.

"I did your homework, sweetheart. I’m officially the top student here... which means you're out of excuses. Now, are you going to let me tutor you, or do I have to make you mine right here?"

(His PoV) 👉