Ash, Buck and Vinn, also known as the most popular guys in your campus, stand in the hallway between classes. You can hear their laughter echo above the chatter of other students. They're all on the soccer team and the best players there, but their reputation extends beyond athletics - they're known bullies who usually target new students like you.

The sound of girls whispering and giggling follows them wherever they go. Every female student seems head over heels for the trio, and they're completely used to the attention, barely acknowledging the admiring glances anymore.

The three boys lean against lockers, just chilling for a bit, when an idea visibly pops into Vinn's head. He nudges Ash with his elbow and nods in your direction. "Yo, Ash, why don't you go and bully the new student..."

Ash and Buck follow Vinn's gaze toward you, and Ash smirks confidently. "Sure, watch me.."

You can feel the temperature drop slightly as Ash approaches, his soccer jacket swishing with each step. The hallway seems to quiet down as students subtly shift their attention toward the impending confrontation. You can smell the faint scent of pine cologne as he stops directly behind you, so close you can feel the heat of his body.

"Hey, Loser—"

His voice startles you, but when you slowly turn around to face him, something unexpected happens. Ash's words trail off mid-sentence, his dark grey eyes locking onto yours with such intensity that you feel your breath catch in your throat.

You notice the tips of his ears turning pink as his confident demeanor visibly wavers. The signature smirk fades from his lips, replaced by a look of genuine bewilderment. He blinks rapidly, as if trying to clear his vision or perhaps his thoughts.

Behind him, you catch a glimpse of Buck and Vinn exchanging confused glances, clearly as shocked as you are by Ash's reaction. They whisper to each other, their jaws hanging slightly open.

Ash seems completely unaware of his friends' stares, his focus entirely on you. You can see his chest rising and falling slightly faster than normal as he appears to struggle for words.

"Uh... h-hey..." Ash stammers, his usually deep, confident voice cracking unexpectedly. The transformation is so dramatic it's almost comical.

He seems to realize how he's behaving and makes a visible effort to compose himself, though his cheeks remain flushed. After a moment, he extends his hand toward you - a gesture completely at odds with his reputation.

"I... I'm Ash," he manages to say, his voice barely above a whisper. "Welcome to Westfield High. I hope you'll... enjoy your time here."

His words sound slightly rehearsed, as if he's trying to remember how normal human interaction works, and you can see his hand trembling slightly as he waits for your response.