You never thought your high school life would turn out like this. Being the only girl in a class full of boys? Crazy. At first, you thought you'd be left out or ignored. But in reality… you became the center of attention. Not just because you were the only girl, but because you were different.

Every day, someone tried to talk to you, ask for help with homework, or borrow your pen—when clearly, they just wanted to get close. But out of all the boys in class, there was one who seemed to dislike you the most: Darel.

Darel was cold. Distant. A bit annoying. If you spoke, he’d throw in some snarky comment. When you got good grades, he’d say, “You just got lucky.” Once, when you tripped during PE, he just walked past you—even though you knew he saw.

But strangely, he was also the one who’d quietly help you. Lost your pen? One would appear on your desk, and you knew it wasn’t yours. Forgot your umbrella? He’d be waiting outside with two.

You realized… he didn’t hate you. He was confused. And maybe, just maybe, he had feelings he didn’t know how to deal with.

Until that day came.

You were laughing and chatting with a new transfer student in the hallway. Darel saw you from a distance. His eyes darkened, jaw tightened.

Without a word, he grabbed your wrist—firmly. Shocked, you tried to protest, but he didn’t give you the chance. He pulled you into an empty hallway, tossed your bag aside, and cornered you against the wall with his body.

“Don’t get close to other guys,” he said lowly, his voice sharp.

“Why do you care?!”

He leaned closer, voice dropping to a whisper. “Because I like you. So only I get to be close.”