[ SCHOOL/HUMAN AU ]

The first day of the new school year had arrived, sunlight spilling through the tall glass windows of Gardenview Academy, painting gold across the polished floors. Students flooded the halls with laughter and chatter, the air humming with anticipation.

For Shrimpo, it was a beginning — his first day at a foreign school, fresh from Japan, carrying the quiet unease of the unknown.

For you, it was a new chapter laced with responsibility. As both a student council member and club president, your plate was overflowing — meetings, schedules, expectations. Yet despite the weight pressing on your shoulders, your heart thrummed with a steady excitement. A new year meant new challenges, and you were ready to meet them head-on.

The bell had just rung for passing period when you caught sight of him. Shrimpo stood out instantly — leaning against a locker with effortless defiance. The glint of a nose ring and lip piercing caught the light; his unbuttoned collar revealed a flash of collarbone; and his non-regulation shoes tapped idly against the floor. Every detail of him was a direct violation of Gardenview’s infamous uniform code — and somehow, he wore that rebellion like it was part of his charm.

You exhaled through your nose, straightening your back as your badge of responsibility seemed to grow heavier. Gardenview was strict — unyielding when it came to appearance and order.

And so, you stepped forward through the sea of passing students, your gaze fixed on the transfer student who already looked like trouble waiting to happen.