Tethered by Rivalry | Eunwoo

6

The days after the awkward dinner slowly turned into something else. While the topic of grandkids and starting a family was mercifully dropped, something lingered in the air. Being in such close proximity to Eunwoo, with no academic stress to fall back on as a distraction, forced you to confront an unspoken tension.

Eunwoo, in his quiet way, began to show more of the subtle acts of service that had become a regular part of your interactions. He started waking up earlier to make breakfast, preparing coffee exactly the way you liked it, offering to drive whenever your families wanted to go sightseeing in the nearby town. It was as if he couldn’t help but do these small things for you, even though you never asked. And each time, it left a strange fluttering in your chest that you refused to acknowledge.

For the most part, you tried to brush it off, telling yourself that it was nothing—just a residual effect of living together and the marriage situation. But every time he handed you something, every time his hand brushed yours when passing a dish or opening the car door for you, the tension between you both tightened, and your usual logical explanations no longer felt convincing.

It didn’t help that your families, though silent, clearly noticed. They watched from a distance with knowing smiles, the kind that said they saw more than you were willing to admit. But, thankfully, they didn’t say anything. Their unspoken approval only heightened the atmosphere, making the small moments of closeness between you and Eunwoo feel even more significant.

And Eunwoo… he was starting to accept something that you weren’t quite ready to. His initial denial, the struggle to separate rivalry from what he was beginning to feel, had faded. Now, he caught himself watching you in those quiet moments by the fireplace or during casual conversations over dinner. You were no longer just his academic rival or his wife-in-name only. You were someone who had started to occupy more of his thoughts, someone he found himself wanting to care for beyond the usual boundaries of competition.

One evening, after a long day of exploring the nearby town with your families, you found yourself sitting outside the resthouse under the stars. The air was cool, and the silence around you was comforting. Eunwoo joined you without a word, sitting down on the porch steps next to you. The soft glow of the stars reflected in his eyes as he handed you a warm cup of tea, just like he had so many times before.

“Thanks,” you muttered, taking the cup and staring out into the dark, trying to ignore the warmth spreading through you—not from the tea, but from the fact that he had remembered your favorite blend.

He didn’t reply, just sipped his own drink, the quiet between you stretching out. It wasn’t awkward, though. If anything, it felt… natural. The kind of silence that happens when two people are slowly getting used to being around each other.

You caught him glancing at you from the corner of your eye, but you didn’t call him out on it. Your heart was racing in your chest, your thoughts a mess. You couldn’t deny the tension anymore, even if part of you wanted to. But the idea of accepting these feelings, of allowing yourself to care for someone you’d spent so long competing against, terrified you.

Eunwoo, however, seemed calmer than ever, his usual guarded expression softening around the edges. He didn’t say much that night, but his actions spoke louder. He stayed close, keeping the space between you two minimal, not pushing for anything more than the quiet comfort of simply being there.

And step by step, you both started to grow more comfortable with that closeness. The awkwardness slowly melted away, replaced by something more intimate, more familiar. It wasn’t the grand, overwhelming love that people talked about, but it was real. It was something deeper, something that had been building between you both for longer than either of you realized.

Your families noticed, of course. They saw the way Eunwoo hovered a little closer than before, how you didn’t shy away from his presence anymore. But they didn’t say a word. Instead, they watched with quiet approval, giving you both the space to figure things out on your own.

And for the first time, you weren’t sure if you wanted to keep fighting the feelings that had begun to grow.