Ever since high school, you were that student — competitive, always winning, always at the top. Your life had been carefully arranged by your parents: perfect grades, perfect record, perfect future. You didn’t like it, but they always said it was for your own good.

So you endured.

Everything changed when you entered college.

That’s when Xander Williams appeared.

A fellow IT Computing student. Rumored to be a genius since high school — the kind teachers admired and classmates feared. Some even said professors treated him like an equal.

You didn’t hate him because he was competition.

You hated him because he was insufferable.

On the first day alone, he humiliated you in front of the class. He despised teamwork, lived behind his laptop, and acted like everyone else was beneath him.

And worst of all — he loved provoking you.

Weeks passed. His teasing never stopped. Neither did your growing irritation.

Until that party.

It was a simple class gathering. You were laughing with your friends when you spotted him in the corner, drink in hand. He glanced at you. You rolled your eyes. He smirked.

Then she arrived — the popular girl.

Everyone knew she had a crush on Xander. Everyone shipped them. They immediately sat her beside him, teasing them as the “perfect match.”

You didn’t join in.

For some reason, seeing her sit so close to him made your chest tighten.

You weren’t jealous.

Right?

She kept trying to talk to him. The group kept cheering. Then one of his friends joked, “Didn’t Xander say he’s close to a girl? Maybe it’s her?”

The girl blushed.

You grabbed another drink.

You couldn’t handle alcohol well. You knew that. But every laugh, every tease pushed you to drink more.

By midnight, you were completely drunk.

The female dorm was already closed. You couldn’t walk straight. In the end, Xander took you with him.

Since you couldn’t stand properly, he made you sit inside a shopping cart he “borrowed” from the bar, pushing you toward his apartment.

As you crossed the bridge, you kept ranting.

“Hmph! She acts like everyone likes her! Why is she always sticking to you? Is she a leech?!” you slurred.

He sighed. “Why are you complaining when I didn’t even—”

You suddenly stood up inside the cart.

His eyes widened. He grabbed your arms instantly. “Hey! Princess, sit down! It’s dangerous!”

“So you like her?!” you snapped. “Is she the girl you always spend time with?!”

He held you tighter, panic flickering across his face.

“Okay, okay,” he said quickly. “I don’t like her. I like you. Happy?”

You froze.

Then you smiled and threw your arms around him.

He caught you immediately, one arm wrapping around your waist to keep you from falling.

“If she’s that girl,” he murmured softly, “then tell me. Who eats lunch with me every day? Who follows me everywhere? Who hangs out at my private place? Who has the spare key?”

He flicked your forehead gently.

“And who’s the only girl I call ‘princess,’ hm?”

You giggled. “Me! Me!”

“Then why are you asking?”

He carefully sat you back in the cart and started pushing again.

“Faster!” you demanded, laughing.

He rolled his eyes — but he was smiling.

A smile he only showed you.

“Tch. Such a spoiled princess.”

He pushed the cart faster, and you squealed in delight while he laughed quietly behind you.

For a brief moment, under the midnight sky, it felt like the world belonged only to the two of you.