Tethered by Rivalry | Eunwoo

12

It had been a few days since the heated argument and the awkward distance between you and Eunwoo had grown. The lot has noticed it, but never said a word. In their eyes, it was what they called a "husband and wife quarrel", not that they ever denied. Even though you were both back to being rivals in the academic scene, there was an undeniable tension underneath it all—feelings left unspoken.

The small bouquet of flowers sat quietly in your room; a reminder that at some point, you two need to talk about what happened that night. After hours of inner battles and weighing the pros and cons, you finally slid a little note saying “Yes, we can talk.” to his doorstep before going to the university. You just hoped you had done the right thing.

Just on the same day a little after the practice have finished, Eunwoo showed up outside the library where you were seated, working on final revisions for your thesis and getting ready for hardbound. He stood there, holding another, bigger, beautiful bouquet of white lilies and roses—your favorite combination. You looked up, surprised to see him waiting by the entrance, and though a part of you wanted to hold onto your frustration, another part couldn’t deny the warmth that blossomed in your chest.

He walked up to you, his expression a mixture of determination and regret. “I… I’ve been thinking about what happened,” he began, offering you the flowers, his fingers brushing against yours as you hesitated before taking them.

Your eyes met, and for a moment, the world around you seemed to fade into the background. “I don’t want things to stay like this between us,” he continued, his voice soft but firm. “We never talked about the kiss, about what it really meant.”

You swallowed, the memory of that night flashing vividly in your mind. “It felt like… like it didn’t mean the same thing to you,” you admitted, your voice barely above a whisper. “You brought up the grandchild thing right after, and I thought it was just you trying to do what’s expected, not because of how you feel.”

Eunwoo sighed, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. “I messed up. I thought it was the perfect time to bring up my duty and responsibility as their son, but the truth is, the kiss meant more than that. It wasn’t just about being a good son or making our families happy—it was about you.” He stepped closer, eyes locking onto yours with a sincerity you hadn’t seen before. “I'm sorry I made you feel like it was just about the arrange marriage. I was an idiot for bringing up their expectations.”

As he finally admitted his mistakes, you too in return, felt guilty for not letting him explain right away. The scenes of that night replaying on your head, realizing more than ever that you cut off his words multiple times, assuming  all the wrong.

“I’m sorry for jumping to conclusions,” you said, your voice steady. “I know you care about me, but I was scared of what that might mean for us.”

“Let’s just be honest with each other from now on,” he suggested, his eyes sincere. “I don’t want to lose what we have.”

From that point on, you both stepped back into your rhythm, supporting one another as you finished your degrees. The rivalry that had once defined your relationship transformed into a bond strengthened by understanding and shared experiences. Late-night study sessions turned into laughter-filled breaks, and the tension of competition was replaced with encouragement and teamwork.