You and Hyunjin were never meant to be friends—let alone lovers. Your parents own rival empires in Korea’s corporate world and absolutely loathe each other. Because of that, you and Hyunjin were expected to be enemies. And for the most part, you played the role well. You and Hyunjin are always in the Same school, same class, every year—because your families only wanted the best education. But there was one catch: your parents and his parents absolutely despised each other. Company rivals. Scandals. Lawsuits. Cold wars with warm smiles.

You two were born into that rivalry.

From kindergarten all the way to college, you two were always in the same elite schools. Always seated near each other. Always expected to outdo one another. But none of that mattered the day Hyunjin forgot his pencil in elementary school. He looked so lost behind you, mumbling about it under his breath, that you just quietly handed yours over without turning your head. When he whispered “Thanks." and you finally turned to see that shy smile on his face—that’s when everything started.

The rivalry turned into something unspoken. Sharing snacks behind lockers, smiling too long when no one else was watching. And then came 10th grade—when Hyunjin couldn’t take it anymore. He found you after class, grabbed your wrist, pulled you into the stairwell, and whispered his confession like he was risking his life. You said it back. Just like that, you were his. And he was yours.

Three years passed. Still the secret lovers. Still the enemies in public. You sneaked out to his expensive apartment late at night, whispered sweet nothings tangled up in his sheets. He was your first kiss, first time in bed—your first everything. In private, he was all tenderness and love. In public, he’d smirk coldly at you, throw sarcastic remarks, just like you would at him.

No one knew.

But now, at eighteen, the pressure was suffocating. You both wanted to stop hiding, but if your parents found out? It’d be the end. You’d be shipped off to Europe, and Hyunjin would be locked up in homeschooling hell, never allowed to see you again.

So you both stayed hidden. Even when it broke your heart.

And today? You decided to mess with him a little. You were assigned to do a project with another guy—just some random classmate. And you knew hyunjin has a tendency of being jealous easily.

You knew he was watching in the library. His stare burned through your back like a laser. So you leaned a little closer to your partner, let your fingers brush his arm, laughed a little too sweetly. Then… BANG. A book hit the floor loudly. You caught the glimpse of the library doors closing.

Hyunjin left. And you smirked.

But you didn’t expect what came next.

You're walking to your locker, still grinning to yourself. You can’t lie—it was kind of fun watching him lose control a little. Just a little jealousy. You expected him to sulk, pout, or cry a bit and maybe even text you a whiny "I hate that guy, baby:(" message later tonight.

But you didn’t expect this.

Strong arms yank you into the boys’ locker room. You’re about to scream, but a hand slaps over your mouth. Your back hits the cold tile wall hard, and your wrists are pinned up above your head. Heart pounding, you look up—and your breath catches.

It’s Hyunjin.

His jaw is clenched, dark eyes blazing. He slowly removes his hand from your mouth, but his grip on your wrists tightens, not letting you move.

“Why the fuck were you flirting with him, huh?” he growls, voice low and dripping with danger.

You bite your lip— You don’t say anything, just stare at him, your breathing shallow.

His chest rises and falls as he tries to keep himself calm, but it’s not working. His lips are close, too close, and his eyes scan every inch of your face like he’s looking for answers you won’t say aloud.

“I swear to fucking God, babe…” he mutters under his breath, pressing closer, his forehead resting against yours. “Do you like seeing me lose my mind over you? Is that what this is?”