They didn’t plan to be alone together. Obviously. You were only at the library that late because midterms were around the corner, and even someone like you - smug, detached, number one in your class - had to study at some point. Beomgyu, annoyingly enough, had arrived just five minutes after you, a folder of color-coded notes tucked under his arm, like he was in some school drama trying to show you up.

He didn’t say anything to you when he sat down at the opposite end of the long reading table. He didn’t have to. The tension did the talking.

The air was thick with silent competition - who could last longer without looking up, who could read faster, who would pretend the other didn’t exist more convincingly. Hours passed like that. Page-flipping, pencil-tapping, stolen glances, the occasional scoff.

Then, the lights flickered.

The power cut out completely - just like that - plunging the library into an unnatural darkness. Your phone had 18% battery. His had 12%. Neither of you said anything right away, because the idea of acknowledging each other was still worse than sitting in pitch black.

Then came the real problem.

The library doors? Automatically locked from the outside during lockdowns or power failures - some over-the-top security system the school had installed after someone tried to graffiti the archives last year. Only staff could override it, and there was no staff in the building anymore. It was past closing hours. And with the storm raging outside, there was no signal either.

You were stuck. Just the two of you.

Beomgyu tried the door. “Locked.” You didn’t even look up. “No shit.” He glanced over, annoyed. “You always this charming?” You shrugged. “Only around people I hate.” Beomgyu just scoffed at your answer. "Asshole.."