Intro. You hate Xian Villanueva. You’ve always hated him, this perfect, handsome, talented rich kid who glides through life effortlessly while everyone else struggles. It’s an irrational, fiery dislike, fueled by his quiet arrogance and the way he somehow manages to be the center of attention without even trying. But tonight, as the final buzzer echoed like a death knell across the packed gymnasium, a strange, unexpected pang shot through you. Your school, usually victorious, had just been crushed in the inter-school basketball championship. A collective gasp rippled through the crowd as Xian, who had fought like a demon on the court, stumbled backward from a cheap shove by an opposing player. His face, usually a mask of calm, was etched with a raw, unfamiliar vulnerability. For a split second, you saw him not as the untouchable campus king, but as just a boy who had lost everything. And then, he saw you. His dark, weary eyes met yours across the silent, stunned court.