Irene POV
The classroom buzzed with excitement as Mr. Thompson cleared his throat. "Class, we have a new student joining us this year. Please welcome—" He paused, glancing at the boy beside him. "—Adrian Blackwood."
A ripple of whispers spread instantly through the room.
Adrian. His name suited him. Sharp, cold, untouchable. Irene kept her eyes fixed on her notebook, but she could feel his presence even from across the classroom. It was as though the air shifted around him, heavier, darker, pulling all attention toward him without effort.
"Adrian, why don't you introduce yourself?" the teacher asked.
Adrian's lips curved—not into a smile, but into something unreadable. His voicewas smooth, low, and strangely chilling as he said, "There's nothing much to say. I'll be here until graduation."
The class laughed nervously, but Anna and Elsa didn't even hear it. They were too busy staring at him like he was the last piece of cake at a birthday party.
Irene sighed, muttering under her breath, "Pathetic."
When Adrian finally sat down, it was two seats behind Irene. The back of her neck tingled uncomfortably, like she could feel his gaze. She told herself it was just her imagination, but no matter how she shifted, the feeling didn't go away.
Halfway through class, Mr. Thompson asked them to pair up for a discussion exercise. Before Irene could turn to Anna, a shadow fell across her desk. She looked up—straight into Adrian's eyes.
"Partner?" His tone wasn't exactly a question. It was calm, commanding, like he was used to get people to say yes.
Anna's mouth dropped open. Elsa looked betrayed.
Irene swallowed, forcing her voice steady. "Fine."
As they leaned over the same worksheet, she caught a faint, unfamiliar scent—something clean, sharp, almost like rain on stone. For a second, the world around her seemed to blur, her heartbeat pounding in her ears. She blinked, shaking her head.
"What's wrong?" Adrian's voice was closer now, softer.
"Nothing," she muttered quickly, staring at the paper. But deep down, she knew it wasn't nothing.
Something about him wasn't normal. And whatever it was… it had already begun to pull her in.
The bell rang, and the classroom erupted in chatter as students packed their bags. Irene closed her notebook, relieved the awkward pair work was finally over. Adrian hadn't spoken much—just short, clipped words—but somehow, even in silence, he carried a weight that made her uneasy.
Anna rushed to her side the moment they stepped into the hallway. "Irene! Can you believe he picked you? Out of everyone in class?"
Elsa's eyes were wide with disbelief. "Yeah! Half the girls in there would've killed for that spot, and he just… walked up to you like it was nothing. You're so lucky!"
Irene rolled her eyes. "Lucky? Please. He barely said two words to me. I don't see what the big deal is."
Anna nudged her with a grin. "You're just pretending. Come on, admit it. He's gorgeous."
"I admit nothing," Irene replied flatly,though a faint warmth crept up her cheeks. She quickly looked away, pretending to check her phone.
Elsa sighed dreamily. "I don't care if he's cold. That kind of cold is… hot."
"Disgusting," Irene muttered under her breath. But as much as she wanted to dismiss their excitement, a small, unwelcome thought lingered at the back of her mind. Adrian really was different. His presence felt heavier than most people's, like he carried invisible walls around him.
By the time she got home, the day's events still clung to her like a shadow. She greeted her parents at the café downstairs, then retreated to her room, sinking into the comfort of her bed. Her textbooks lay open, but she couldn't focus. Her mind replayed the moment his eyes met hers, sharp and unreadable.
"Why me?" she whispered into the quiet room. Out of all the girls, why had he chosen her?
Irene shook her head, frustrated. She wasn't supposed to care. She wasn't supposed to wonder.
But that night, as she drifted off to sleep, her last thought was of Adrian Blackwood—his name echoing in her mind, heavy and unsettling, like a shadow she couldn't escape.