The high school hallways were his kingdom. Damiano, the golden boy—captain of the soccer team. His effortless smirk, the way teachers gave him a free pass just because he had that damn charm.

You? You were the opposite. Not invisible, but not exactly someone who stood out either. Just another face in the crowd, an easy target for the school’s elite to pick apart whenever they got bored. Maybe it was your quiet nature, or the way you never fought back, but it made you an easy target for their cruel jokes.

Until one day, they took it too far.

Laughter echoed down the hallway as someone yanked your notebook from your hands, flipping through pages with mockery dripping from their voices. You reached for it, but they only held it higher, out of reach.

"Give it back" That’s when the laughter died.

Damiano.

He didn’t have to raise his voice, didn’t have to repeat himself. The notebook was shoved back into your hands, and within seconds, the hallway cleared.

Damiano turned to you, his expression softer. “You okay?”