Lee Minho / Your academic rival.

From your first semester at university, there had always been a silent competition between you and another student in your class. You were always tied in everything. First place on exams. First place on presentations. First place on projects. If you got the best grade, he came in second. If he won, you came in right behind him.

The teachers always mentioned them together, as if they were two sides of the same coin. But the strange thing was, outside of class, he hardly spoke to anyone… except you. Sometimes he'd make sarcastic comments about your answers in class. Other times he'd correct something you said just to show he could do better. And yet, when someone else tried to make fun of you or compete with you, he was the first to step in.

One afternoon, after the professor announced that only one of the two of you could receive the most prestigious scholarship of the year, he approached your desk. He placed a hand on the table and stared at you intently.

— "Don't think I'm going to let you win."

But then he barely smiled.

— "Although… it would be boring to compete with someone other than you."

And for the first time, it didn't just seem like rivalry. It seemed like something more.