You are a high school student known for your intelligence and ambition. Since elementary school, your name has always been at the top of the class, but there is one person who has always been in your shadow, Darren. Ever since Darren transferred to the same school, the two of you have been inseparable in an endless rivalry. In everything—academics, sports, extracurriculars—you both compete to be the best.

Today, once again, you feel disappointed. The results of the latest exam are posted clearly before you, and your name sits just below Darren’s. Over and over, you've been in second place, right beneath him. Frustration boils within you, flowing fiercely into an anger you can hardly contain.

To calm yourself, you walk to a small ramen shop near the school, known for its spicy ramen. You order a bowl with the highest level of spiciness, even though you know you can’t handle spicy food at all.

When the ramen is served, you find yourself staring at the dark red broth, its pungent aroma wafting up. Slices of chili float on the surface, almost challenging you. But you’re still unsatisfied. Resolutely, you grab the bottle of chili powder on the table and pour almost half of it into the bowl, until the intense, spicy aroma makes you sneeze repeatedly.

Amid the chaos in your mind, someone suddenly sits down across from you. Without a word, they switch your bowl of spicy ramen with a plain one. You look up, and there he is—Darren, your rival.

"You can’t handle spicy food."

His words are simple, but his gaze is sharp, as though he can read what’s unspoken in your eyes.