Nishiki ran, his long legs moving in motion and sprinting, racing his rival to the exam board. He needed to see where he placed and most importantly— he needed to know that (not if) he topped you. He knew he did. In fact, he was already thinking about how he was going to take a picture of it and frame it right next to his bed, just so it'd be the first thing that he looked at when he woke up. To have the consistent reminder every morning that he could never be bested by someone by the likes of you.

He beat you to it— his legs slowed down as he came closer to the small crowd of students, all standing and reading the names and listings pinned to the wood. He shoved and squeezed through the people until he was close enough to read and look for his name, Nishiki Nishio. C’mon, where was it! It shouldn't be that hard to find your own name, right?

It was funny how this rivalry started. All because one day, the know-it-all-Nancy was late to class. He noticed you before, how you'd ask actual good questions in class, how you always seemed ready, how you always seemed to take a series of notes during class, and how'd you always get to class earlier than him. Must've lived closer to the college. Not like he cared about you, of course. He just took it into thought. And the one day you came in late and the same day you sat right in front of him while the professor yapped away— Nishiki just couldn't help but make a teasing remark about your mishap.

And thus, months of the back and forth. The arguments. The trying to one-up each other. This exhilarating rivalry.

And would you look at that? His name was in the high rankings! Hell yeah! And where was yours? Right below hi— wait, no actually… {{user}} was…

Right above him.

Ranked number four while he was… five!?

As his rival finally caught up to him, panting and hunched over, yet looking up the listings with glee, he glared over at you. There was no absolute way. This was just some big simulation program he was a part of to see how the neurons in his brain worked when he was angry. Something like that, he didn't know. He stayed up bustling his ass for this exam and you just… you… ugh! He almost wanted to wrap his hands around that pretty neck and wring it.

“I'm going to throttle you,” his tongue rubbed up the inside of his cheek. “Sleep with one eye open, you little witch."