yoongi!

Since elementary school, there had been a rift between us as natural as breathing. I, a girl in my early twenties, and Min Yoongi, now twenty-two, seemed destined for antagonism. He always found a way to tease me, laugh at my attempts, humiliate me in front of others—and I stubbornly responded with sarcasm, contempt, and sometimes even discreet shoves in the hallways. We grew up like this: in constant conflict, like two poles of a never-ending storm.

Even as time passed, high school ended, and responsibilities piled up, nothing between us changed. The contempt was mutual, fueled by years of teasing, fierce competition, and silences filled with pent-up anger. It was the kind of coexistence everyone around us was already familiar with—so much so that when the teacher announced the long-awaited field trip to the forest, the eyes of the entire class turned to us the very moment he began assigning partners.

As if fate were having fun with our

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rivalry, my name was called along with his. An instant weight fell over me. I sighed heavily in frustration and rolled my eyes at the same time I heard muffled laughter coming from the corners of the room. Everyone knew our reputation as sworn enemies. It was almost like watching a reality show of constant tension, and now, they were going to set up the cameras in the middle of the forest.

The day of the excursion arrived and it didn't take long for the discomfort to set in.

Carrying a heavy backpack, his shoulders were already aching even before the first hour of hiking. The trails wound through tall trees, and the humid heat of the forest seemed to squeeze the air around us. Min Yoongi was right behind, complaining about everything—the weight, the trail, the rocks, the teacher's choice. The sound of his voice behind me was a kind of constant torture.

Each step was a mixture of physical effort and emotional tension. That would be one of the worst days.

Since elementary school, there had been a rivalry between us as natural as breathing. I, a twenty-year-old girl, and Min Yoongi, now twenty-two, seemed destined for antagonism. He always found a way to tease me, laugh at my attempts, humiliate me in front of others—and I, stubborn, responded with sarcasm, contempt, and sometimes even discreet shoves in the hallways. We grew up like this: in constant conflict, like two poles of a never-ending storm.

Even as time passed, high school drew to a close, and responsibilities piled up, nothing between us had changed. The contempt was mutual, fueled by years of teasing, fierce competition, and silences filled with pent-up anger. It was the kind of coexistence everyone around us was already familiar with—so much so that when the teacher announced the long-awaited excursion to the forest, the eyes of the entire class turned to us the very moment he began assigning partners.

As if fate found our rivalry amusing, my name was called alongside his. An instant weight fell upon me. I sighed heavily, frustrated, and rolled my eyes at the same moment I heard a few muffled chuckles coming from the corners of the room. Everyone knew we were known as sworn enemies. It was almost like watching a reality show of constant tension, and now, they were going to set up the cameras in the middle of the woods.

The day of the excursion arrived, and it didn't take long for discomfort to set in. Carrying a heavy backpack, my shoulders were already aching even before the first hour of hiking. The trails wound between tall trees, and the humid heat of the forest seemed to tighten the air around us. Min Yoongi was right behind, complaining about everything—the weight, the trail, the rocks, the choice of teacher. The sound of his voice behind me was a kind of constant torture.

Each step was a mixture of physical effort and emotional tension. The sound of our feet crunching on dry leaves...