Tethered by Rivalry | Eunwoo

8

After the Christmas vacation, filled with warmth and family moments, the reality of the new semester settled in. Both you and Eunwoo dove headfirst into your internships, which marked the beginning of a challenging yet exciting chapter. Your days were now filled with balancing the responsibilities of your internships alongside the rigorous demands of your coursework.

You excelled in the science-related aspects of your internship, gaining hands-on experience that solidified your passion for Medtech. Meanwhile, Eunwoo thrived in his Business Administration internship, applying his marketing skills in real-world scenarios. Despite the competition that had characterized your academic rivalry, this new phase brought a sense of camaraderie.

You often found yourselves comparing notes, bantering at your insights, and criticizing each other through the challenges of your respective fields. The late nights spent studying and preparing for your thesis defense, although through rivalry, felt more manageable with Eunwoo by your side, his banters with you becoming a source of strength. The situation is indifferent for Eunwoo. With your own share of thoughts, the stress in preparing for his own thesis somehow lessened.

The Christmas vacation felt like a distant memory at this point. Months already passed and the internship even passing by like a blur, the hustle and grind of the internship quickly took over, leaving little room to reflect on the quiet moments you’d shared with Eunwoo. The stress brought by academics resumed almost immediately, but something had obviously changed. Beneath the sharp comments and competitive drive, there was an unspoken tension—a shift that neither of you could ignore.

Your feelings for him had grown, despite your best efforts to push them aside. Every interaction, every debate over academic topics, carried a weight that wasn’t there before. It was like walking on a tightrope between rivalry and something more, and you weren’t sure which side you’d fall toward.

Eunwoo, too, seemed different. While he was still as focused on winning in your academic battles, there was a softness to him that hadn’t been there before. His acts of service hadn’t stopped after the vacation; if anything, they’d grown even more frequent.

The moment that really caught you off guard came after your long-awaited thesis defense. The months of hard work had paid off, and as you stood in front of the panel, answering questions and defending your research, you felt a surge of pride. The moment they told you that you had passed, you could’ve cried with relief.

As you stepped out of the room, a few of your classmates gathered around to congratulate you. Among them was a guy from your class—someone you didn’t know particularly well, but he’d always been friendly. He offered you a warm smile, stepping a little too close as he spoke.

“Great job in there! I knew you’d ace it,” he said, his voice full of admiration. “We should celebrate later, maybe grab a coffee or something?”

Before you could respond, you felt a presence behind you. Eunwoo appeared out of nowhere, his eyes narrowing slightly as he sized up the situation. Without saying a word, he slipped an arm around your shoulder, pulling you back a step and placing himself between you and your classmate.

“Thanks, but she’s already got plans,” Eunwoo said smoothly, his tone friendly but firm. The underlying message was clear—back off.

Your classmate blinked, clearly taken aback, and after a brief pause, he awkwardly excused himself. As soon as he was gone, Eunwoo’s arm slid off your shoulder, but the heat from his touch lingered. You were left standing there, completely flustered, your heart racing for reasons you didn’t want to admit.

You stared at him, your mind a jumble of emotions. The way he had stepped in, the possessiveness in his tone—it was unlike anything you’d seen from him before. And the worst part? It made you blush like an absolute idiot. You could barely think straight, let alone speak.

“What was that?” you asked, trying to keep your voice steady but failing miserably.

Eunwoo didn’t seem fazed by your question. He shrugged casually, as if shooing away a classmate was the most natural thing in the world. “Just making sure he wasn’t bothering you.”

Bothering you? That guy had been nothing but nice, and yet… a small part of you was secretly glad Eunwoo had intervened. Still, it left you more confused than ever. What were you two? Married, sure—but in every other way, it felt like you were walking a fine line between being rivals and something more.

Your heart thudded in your chest, the question swirling in your mind—What are we really?

But you didn’t have the courage to ask out loud. Not yet.