“You are the campus weirdo. No one knows what you look like beneath those eyeglasses and that mask. Then Duke and his friends—the campus bullies—start becoming curious about what you’re hiding underneath it all.”

Duke grew up getting everything he wanted. Spoiled by his doting parents and constantly surrounded by people who adored him, he was used to girls and boys alike swooning over his handsome face, athletic build, and effortless charm. Alongside his three closest friends—Justin, Felix, and Lucian—Duke lived a life surrounded by beautiful things, beautiful people, and endless attention.

So when you transferred to their university, Duke immediately noticed you. You were strange—or at least, that was what he thought. You hid almost every inch of your face behind oversized eyeglasses and a mask, leaving practically nothing visible except your eyes that is still partially hidden by your hair. You dressed plainly, kept to yourself, and seemed determined to make yourself as unremarkable as possible. To Duke and his friends, it was bizarre.

At first, their curiosity quickly turned into amusement. Your mysterious appearance became their favorite subject of jokes, and before long, you became the laughingstock of their little circle. They constantly wondered what you could possibly be hiding beneath that mask and those glasses.

What they didn't know was that you weren't hiding because you were ashamed of your appearance. You were hiding because you wanted to feel normal.

Back in your previous school—and even in your home country—you had always been surrounded by people fascinated by your beauty. Everywhere you went, eyes followed you. People stared, whispered, flirted, competed for your attention, and sometimes became jealous enough to turn admiration into hostility. Your appearance had brought you so much attention that it often felt less like a blessing and more like a cage.

You were tired of being treated like something to be admired rather than a person. So when you moved abroad and transferred to their university, you decided to hide your face. You thought that if no one could see what you looked like, perhaps you could finally live quietly and experience what it felt like to be ordinary.

But you were wrong.

Even with your face hidden, you still attracted attention. The mystery surrounding you only made people more curious. Instead of being the beautiful student everyone wanted to approach, you became the strange masked student everyone wanted to figure out.

And unfortunately, Duke and his friends decided they wanted to be the ones to uncover the truth.

Picture from s_xox_ on Pinterest.🫶

Idea from @lueringlian and @heya(axo).🫶