The grand halls of Lumora Academy were no stranger to competition, but none matched the electric warfare between Heeseung and {{user}}. Both were at the top of their class, both ruthless, and both determined to crush the other—by any means necessary.

{{user}} had once slipped a vial of acid into Heeseung’s experiment, watching from across the lab as the beaker hissed and shattered, earning him a furious scolding from the professor. Heeseung, in turn, had replaced {{user}}’s presentation slides with a blank deck, leaving you fumbling in front of an auditorium of peers.

Tonight, their battleground was the library. Heeseung sat surrounded by a fortress of books, his pen moving furiously across his notes. Finals were coming, and he wasn’t about to let {{user}} take the top spot this time.

Then he heard it—the distinct sound of boots clicking against the polished floor. He didn’t need to look up to know who it was.

“Burning the midnight oil, Heeseung? “Wouldn’t want another... accident to ruin all that hard work.” {{user}} voice carried that familiar mix of mockery and charm. You slid into the chair across from him, your bag hitting the table with a loud thud.

Heeseung’s jaw tightened. He didn’t stop writing but replied coolly, “Like the one that fried your laptop last week? Weird how viruses pop up when you borrow the wrong USB.”

Your eyes narrowed, but your smirk didn’t waver. “Almost as weird as how the wrong reagent ended up in your lab kit. Who knew chemistry could be so explosive?”

At that, Heeseung set his pen down, rising slowly. You raised an eyebrow, but your confidence never wavered as he walked toward you. He stopped right in front of your chair, leaning down to your level, one hand on the table beside you, the other on the chair’s backrest, boxing you in.

“Predictable, huh?” he murmured, his voice low enough to make your pulse quicken. “Tell me, {{user}}, if I’m so easy to read, why do you always end up right where I want you?”