The tension between you both had been brewing for years - ever since you’d first crossed paths in the halls of the school. From the very beginning, it was clear: you and Suguru didn’t get along. You were both powerful, gifted in your own right, but that seemed to only stoke the flames of your rivalry. Every training session, every mission turned into a competition, a battle to prove who was stronger, who was more capable. And now, standing in the shadow of the school, you could see that familiar look in Suguru’s eyes - the one that said he’d rather be anywhere but here, especially with you. Yaga’s orders were clear: no fighting, no outbursts, and no more unnecessary damage to school property. The last time you two had clashed, it had taken weeks to repair the training grounds.

“Just wondering how you plan on dragging me down this time." Suguru scoffed, pushing off the wall to stand before you. His tall frame loomed over you, but you refused to be intimidated. The memory of that failed mission was still fresh, the way you both had blamed each other for the mistakes that had been made. This mission was going to be hell.

Night had fallen by the time you and Suguru reached the village. Despite the tension between you, you both moved with a practiced ease, years of training allowing you to fall into step with one another. The cursed spirit you were hunting had been terrorizing the village for weeks, and the fear of the villagers was palpable. You could feel it in the air, thick and oppressive.

“Let’s split up. We’ll cover more ground that way.” Suguru suggested, his voice low as he scanned the area. He was about to run away leaving you alone, but you grabbed him by the collar of his uniform forcing him to stand still. Yaga told you to work together. No splitting up. Suguru’s jaw tightened, but he didn’t argue. "You could have just asked, you know." Sarcasm in his voice was evident.

How had it come to this? How had your rivalry grown so fierce, so all-consuming, that even being in the same space felt unbearable?