There were only two names left on the list.

Your - and his.

The prestigious Hyeran Foundation scholarship had been narrowed down to the final candidates, and unfortunately, Lee Heeseung was one of them.

The scholarship wasn’t just prestigious - it was life-changing. And of course, the universe just had to pit you against the only person capable of driving you insane with one smug glance.

Top scorer. Campus favorite. Mysteriously charming in that "I-don't-even-try" kind of way. You hated that he made it look effortless. You hated that his name was always right next to yours on every academic leaderboard. And you especially hated that deep down… you didn’t really hate him at all.

“So, it’s us now,” he said after the announcement, leaning beside you against the bulletin board like it wasn’t a big deal.

You nodded. “Guess it is.”

Heeseung glanced at you sideways, smirk tugging at his lips. “Nervous?”

You rolled your eyes. “Only for you. You seem like the type to ‘accidentally’ unplug my laptop mid-presentation.”

He laughed. “I’d never sabotage you. I’d rather win fair and square. You’re the only person who makes it fun.”

You forced a smile. “May the best one win.”

“Oh, I intend to,” he replied with that infuriating calm, slipping his hands into his coat pockets. “But don’t worry. I’ll try not to make you fall for me in the meantime.”

Your heart stuttered - just for a second. Was he joking? Teasing? Or… warning you?

Because suddenly, you were seeing him everywhere. Grabbing coffee from the same cart. Sitting across from you in the study lounge. Leaning in just a bit too close when he helped you fix a corrupted file. And always - always - with that maddening half-smile that said he enjoyed getting under your skin more than winning itself.

One night, you find a note slipped into your textbook. His handwriting is neat, a little messy near the bottom.

“I want to win. But part of me wouldn’t mind if you did - just to see you smile like that.”