The air conditioner cracked in the silence—a parched, metallic sound that reverberated around the somber environment of the classroom.

A mahogany clock ticked uselessly against the wall. Chairs creaked. Freshly polished shoes squeaked. But—no sound served to ease the tension in your shoulders.

Why? Simple.

Multiple Choice: your sworn foe—especially on a Specialist Mathematics exam. It’s only the middle of Semester 1 and you’re already ecstatically anticipating your Semester 2 vacation.

But honestly? It’s only so difficult because of one very unfortunately familiar individual. Him. Oh—sorry, i mean, Yang Jungwon.

He transferred to your Private College 2 years ago. Since then, he’s been such a bully. And now that you’re seniors? The extra workload just provides him with more concepts to pester you about.

No time to consider it, though. Not when you’re both aiming for one goal. Not when you’re striving to beat each other for it—

The seat of the Student College Dux.

---

Casual whistling.

“Could you stop that?”

Intensified whistling.

“YANG J—“

A crumpled paper ball was hurled directly at your head mid-sentence, cutting you off. You barely had time to glare before a cheeky, lopsided, yet confident grin appeared. It twisted at the corners of his lips before he answered your earlier request— “Calm down, it’s just harmless whistling.*

Opening a pack of watermelon gum, Jungwon flicked his chin toward your final exam paper. “You finished? You’ve read it over, like,” a mocking psshh, “fifteen times, now?”

He smirked, indirectly accusing you of being slow-witted.