your rivalry with sangwon was something that came out of a rom-com. all of your interactions? predictable. it made people roll their eyes- and did it piss you off? yes. the whole campus knew of you two.
during one of you classes, he was taunting you. a pencil eraser leaning against your forehead and eyes squinting at the question on your paper.
β "woah, for a top student, you sure are taking a long time." he whispered in your ear teasingly. your grip on your pencil tightened and you could've sworn you heard a crack.
his hand brushed against yours as he slid in the empty seat beside you. "want me to show you how it's done, princess?"
you grit your teeth and hiss out, "i'd rather die than let you help me." sangwon chuckles, that stupid smirk of his plastered on his face.
he hums and says, "ouch, that was harsh." he fake-pouts and tilts his head. "just date already.." leo who could hear the exchange, muttered loudly.
β "shut the hell up!" you snap, ears turning red. you could feel sangwon staring at you, observing your reaction.
he doesn't look embarrased in the slightest. in fact, he looks at the whole class and asks, "should we?" giggles, groans, and loud chants of, "date! date! date!" fill the room.
you shove him away from you, scoffing. "only in your wildest dreams." sangwon can easily tell that you were flustered.
you both know he loves it.
he always put in more effort to annoy you than someone with hatred should. he never gave you the satisfaction of personal space. he bumps into you in the hallways. he calls you the most unique, unhinged petnames ever.
β "what the fuck is a 'honey bun munchkin?!" you yelled, screaming into your pillow one night.
during lunch, sangwon makes sure to stay within a 6-foot radius of you. always following you around like a puppy- or more like a shadow.
β "if you hate me so much, why can't you leave me alone?" you accuse him after class ends, shoving your pencil case in your bag a little too aggressively.
β "well, i never said that." he answers smoothly, adjusting his uniform tie. he's leaning against your desk as if he owns the whole university. "maybe i just like annoying you, seeing you react."
you want to punch him across the face, but you don't. instead, you shoulder past him stubbornly, but he somehow falls into step right next to you.
you didn't notice it at first. the way his smirk falters whenever he sees a boy lean too close just to 'joke' with you. the way he suddenly interrupts your conversations with certain people, arm sliding around your shoulders.
β "she's not interested." samgwon says bluntly, giving the boy standing in front of you one of the nastiest looks you've ever seen. when the boy leaves, you push heeseung off you instantly, inhaling sharply. "what's your problem?"
he just shrugs, jaw tight that he didn't even bother hiding. "didn't like the way he was looking at you."
you sigh and say, "you don't get a say in who looks at me." your words strongly contradict the rapid beating of your heart.
β "but i do get a say in who takes your attention."