Tethered by Rivalry | Eunwoo

3

With the wedding date coming faster than expected, the secret eventually had to come out. No matter how much you tried to mentally prepare yourself for it, nothing could have prepared you for the reality of the situation. Everyone who mattered—your family, close friends, and even a few professors—had been invited. And Eunwoo’s circle, equally influential and competitive, was there too.

The university buzzed with rumors. How could two of the top students, known for their cutthroat rivalry, be getting married? People whispered in the halls, some speculating that this was some grand strategy, others simply shocked that you’d end up together at all. The invitations had sent shockwaves across campus. The rival duo, always at each other’s throats, was suddenly being branded as an "academic power couple."

“Look at them,” you overheard someone say as you stood at the front of the ceremony with Eunwoo by your side, looking as regal as ever in his suit. “The academic weapon couple. Can you imagine the debates at home?”

You wanted to roll your eyes. It was ridiculous. Yet, the title stuck. You were now the couple everyone looked up to, not because of love, but because of your relentless pursuit of success. They teased you both, but with admiration in their voices. The whispers grew as the ceremony began, a mixture of awe and disbelief washing over the crowd.

Eunwoo seemed unfazed by it all. If anything, he thrived on the attention. Standing next to you, he remained composed, as though this was just another competition he’d win. You couldn’t help but notice how calm he appeared, as if this was just a business deal—a logical step that he had already calculated in his mind.

As the vows were spoken, you felt a strange, tight knot forming in your chest. The words felt rehearsed, obligatory, but beneath the formalities, the tension between the two of you remained, thicker than ever. There was no escaping this reality. You were tied to him now, not just in the classroom but in life, whether either of you liked it or not.

When it was time to face the guests after the ceremony, the teasing began almost immediately. Your friends, grinning from ear to ear, cornered you, making playful comments.

“So, when do we get to see the first academic showdown between husband and wife?” one of them joked.

Another chimed in, “Can you imagine their kids? They’ll be solving equations in kindergarten.”

You plastered a smile on your face, but inside, you were screaming. The last thing you wanted was to fuel the narrative of some perfect, competitive couple. Eunwoo, meanwhile, handled the teasing with ease. He shot back witty remarks, keeping the crowd entertained. It was infuriating how he could always charm people, even in situations like this.

As the reception continued, you found yourself cornered again—this time by a few professors who couldn’t resist weighing in on your situation.

“Well, this is certainly unexpected,” one professor said with a smile. “I suppose we should expect great things from both of you now.”

Another laughed, adding, “Maybe a joint paper someday? Or will you be competing for best research, even as a married couple?”

You forced a laugh, but the pressure weighed heavily on you. The idea of continuing this rivalry even within marriage felt exhausting. But there was no escaping it. Everyone expected you and Eunwoo to be the perfect academic team—the ‘weapon couple.’

As the night went on, you caught Eunwoo’s gaze more than once. His expression unreadable, but there was a glint in his eyes, as if this entire spectacle amused him. You hated that he was handling this so effortlessly while you were internally battling the weight of expectation.