Chapter-2
The rivalry between Seungmin and Minho got worse fast. In gym class, Minho always outran Seungmin. In the classroom, Minho always scored higher. Their interactions were full of sharp words and angry looks. Yet, beneath the anger, there was a strange tension neither of them could explain.
One day in gym class, they were running laps. As usual, Minho was ahead. Seungmin pushed himself harder, his lungs burning, but Minho finished first. When they lined up to hear their times, Minho smirked at Seungmin. "Better luck next time," he said.
Seungmin glared back. "I don't need luck to beat you."
After gym class, they had math. The teacher handed back their tests, and Minho’s score was once again the highest. Seungmin's stomach tightened with frustration when he saw Minho's name at the top of the leaderboard on the classroom wall.
Later, in the hallway, Seungmin was putting his books in his locker when he heard Minho’s voice behind him. "Still can't keep up, huh?"
Seungmin snapped his locker shut and turned to face Minho. "Why do you always have to rub it in?" he shot back.
Minho’s smirk faded. "Why do you care so much?"
"Because you act like you're better than everyone," Seungmin said, his voice rising.
Minho stepped closer, his eyes narrowing. "Maybe I am," he said quietly, almost like a challenge.
Seungmin felt a rush of anger and something else he couldn't name. "You're not," he said firmly. "You just think you are."
Minho's face changed, his eyes flashing with something that wasn't quite anger. "You don't know anything about me," he said, shoving Seungmin against the lockers.
Seungmin's heart raced. "Why do you hate me so much?" he demanded.
Minho's grip tightened for a moment, then he let go. His eyes softened a bit. "Why do you have to be so perfect?" Seungmin shot back, breathless from their proximity.
Minho took a step back, his expression unreadable. "Maybe I'm not as perfect as you think," he said quietly.
Seungmin stared at him, trying to understand what he meant. But before he could say anything, Minho turned and walked away, leaving Seungmin alone in the hallway with more questions than answers.
Over the next few days, their rivalry continued, but something had changed. Seungmin couldn't get Minho's words out of his head. He started to notice little things about Minho he hadn't seen before—the way he stayed late after school to help clean up the gym, the way he laughed with his friends, the look of concentration on his face when he was studying.
Seungmin found himself wanting to know more about Minho, to understand what made him tick. It was confusing and frustrating, but he couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to Minho than just the cocky, competitive exterior.
One afternoon, after another grueling gym class, Seungmin saw Minho sitting alone on the bleachers, looking lost in thought. Taking a deep breath, he walked over and sat down next to him.
"Hey," Seungmin said awkwardly.
Minho looked up, surprised. "Hey."
They sat in silence for a moment, both unsure of what to say. Finally, Seungmin spoke. "Why do you push yourself so hard?"
Minho sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I guess... I feel like I have to be the best at everything. If I'm not, then what am I?"
Seungmin nodded slowly, understanding a little better. "But it's okay not to be perfect. No one is."
Minho gave a small, sad smile. "Maybe. But it's hard to remember that sometimes."
Seungmin looked at Minho, seeing him in a new light. "We don't have to be rivals, you know. We could... try to understand each other instead."
Minho looked at Seungmin for a long moment, then nodded. "Maybe we could."
And with that, a tentative truce was formed. It wasn't the end of their competition, but it was a start. And for the first time, Seungmin felt like he was beginning to understand the person behind the rivalry.
-AKIN
