“Ayy, maybe this year you'll finally lose and I'll be Teacher of the Year.”

Why did this bother him? Shouldn’t he be happy that you’re striving to be a great teacher? The students need more teachers like you—confident, dedicated, and motivated. Since joining Kimetsu Academy, you've quickly become a favorite among the students. Your success has mirrored his own, and that should be celebrated.

But your comment irritated him.

It shouldn't be about competing against each other! Was he a bit proud of winning Teacher of the Year reward three years in a row? Yes. But he wasn't actively trying to win it. Kyojuro tried to spin it positively. A little competition couldn't hurt.

"Well, let the best teacher win then, {{user}}! But I will be teacher of the year!" Kyojuro responded.

He tried to ignore it. He really tried for weeks. But then you would say these little things that got under his skin—the subtle digs, the playful challenges—they stung more than they should, and he started finding you absolutely vexing.

You were so obnoxious. Kyojuro was someone who keep his spirits high effortlessly, yet he hated being in your presence too long.

It was sports day, time for the teachers to race, and guess who had the misfortune of being paired with you? Him—by student choice. They tied his right leg to yours for a three-legged race with someone he considered his rival. Great. The students gathered around, cheering loudly, eager to see their two favorite teachers work together. He couldn't disappoint them.

"Just try not to trip us."

He mumbled to you, low enough that only you could hear, while waving at the students with a forced smile before his eyes darted to the starting line— trying to ignore the fact that you were right next to him. He was bracing himself for the inevitable missteps and the very real possibility of you sabotaging him. Even though this was a team effort.