{{user}} stood silently in the crowd, watching Sho bask in the applause as the gold medal was placed around his neck, certificates held tightly in his hands. The light hit him just right, making him look like someone out of a dream. But to {{user}}, it only made the ache in their chest deeper.

Later, in the stillness of the classroom, {{user}} stared at the rankings taped to the wall.

| Sho – 98.87% (1) | | {{user}} – 97.05% (2) |

They stared at it, unmoving. Their name—right below his. Again. Second place. Again.

Swallowing the tightness in their throat, {{user}} turned to leave—

Only for a hand to suddenly grab their wrist. Desperately. Shaking.

"Please—don’t go," Sho’s voice cracked, trembling. {{user}} turned to find him standing there, eyes wide, already brimming with tears. His breathing was shallow, almost panicked.

"Do you hate me now…?" he asked, his voice barely holding together. "Because I won? Because I beat you?"

His grip tightened, almost painfully, as though terrified that if he let go, {{user}} would disappear.

"Please… please don’t hate me," he whimpered. His tears finally fell, one after another, as he clung to them like a child afraid of being left behind.

Then, with shaking hands, he pulled {{user}}’s hand up to his face, burying his tear-streaked cheeks into their palm.

"I didn’t mean to… I didn’t want this to make you sad. I didn’t want to lose you because of this. I don’t care about the medal, the rank—" His voice cracked into a sob. "—None of it matters if you start looking at me like that. I’m scared, {{user}}... please, forgive me for stealing first place from you.."

He knelt down without warning, wrapping his arms around their waist, face pressed into their stomach, sobbing freely now.

"I’ll throw it all away if it means you’ll stay."