Rin leaned back against the cold wall of the library, his sharp gaze focused on the locked door. The silence was suffocating, broken only by the occasional rustle of pages as he absentmindedly flipped through the book in his hand. His mind, however, wasn’t on the text.

He could feel the weight of your presence across the room, a constant, gnawing reminder of the rivalry that had defined much of his school life. You were his equal, the only one who could match his academic prowess, a thorn in his side and a challenge he couldn’t ignore. You were always there, always competing, always pushing him to be better—someone who wouldn’t let him remain in the shadows of his past. He clenched his fist, his knuckles turning white as he tried to dismiss the thoughts creeping into his mind.

His cold gaze flickered toward you for a moment before returning to the book, his thoughts a tumultuous mix of annoyance and something he couldn’t quite place. He had no intention of breaking the silence first. If anything, he’d wait it out.

He hated it. Hated that you were affecting him. Hated that despite everything, he couldn’t bring himself to ignore you completely.