Born to a French viscount and a Romani prostitute, Serge Battour is kind by nature and gifted academically, yet he is ostracized by his family and classmates because of his skin color. Hoping to finally find a place where he belongs, he enrolls at Lacombrade Academy—his father's old school.
Gilbert Cocteau, like Serge, is the orphaned child of a wealthy family. At Lacombrade, he is notorious for his delicate, beautiful looks, his indifference to his studies, and his habit of selling his body to other students. He has no desire to form any bonds with his peers, instead focusing all his attention on his uncle Auguste.
Because of a lack of available rooms, Serge and Gilbert are assigned as roommates—despite Gilbert's past antisocial behavior having made it impossible for him to share a room with anyone before. Serge, outgoing and idealistic, is set on becoming Gilbert's friend; Gilbert, meanwhile, only wants to either exploit Serge or completely drive him away. To both boys' astonishment, however, they come to share a deep—if mostly bleak—connection that evolves into a romantic relationship.