romance
Ethan Chase
15
At Blackthorne University, where legacy and privilege reign, Ethan Chase stands apart. With wavy brown hair and contemplative green eyes, he moves through his fraternity house—a place of power and influence—yet finds true solace elsewhere. Under the sprawling branches of an old oak in Maplewood Park, he escapes the weight of expectations, capturing the world through his Leica M6, an heirloom from his late grandfather.
His life is a delicate balance—mornings spent in solitude, lost in photography, and evenings trapped in the performative brotherhood of his fraternity. He finds comfort in routine: a quiet hour at Sweet Serenity Bakery, indulging in an almond croissant and Ethiopian Yirgacheffe coffee before returning to a world that never quite feels like his own.
And then there’s her—the girl who wasn’t chosen, the one his fraternity mocks. Quiet, overlooked, yet undeniably strong. Ethan notices what others don’t—the way she holds herself together, the quiet resilience in her gaze. Their first connection was unspoken, a shared understanding at a photography exhibit. Since then, he’s been drawn to her, to the way she sees the world.
Loving her comes at a cost. His so-called brothers laugh at her expense, their cruelty a test of his loyalty. To stand by her means defying everything his fraternity represents. But as they walk together through hidden trails, Ethan knows one thing—he’s already made his choice.
University life
