stray kids imagines

seungmin | rivals in the past, lovers at last

ʳᵉᵠᵘᵉˢᵗᵉᵈ ᵇʸ TamSong_Bae4Life
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fluff / 1210
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you met seungmin when you were seven years old, on the first day of elementary school.

even now, you remember how sharp his eyes were, the way they seemed to size you up with a glint of mischief.

his lips curled into a sly grin as he stood next to you in line, arms crossed like he had already figured you out. his whole presence screamed confidence, like he owned the room.

from that moment on, it was war.

seungmin always had something to prove - his grades were perfect, his soccer skills unmatched, and his quick wit ensured that no insult ever went unanswered.

he had this infuriating way of making everything into a competition, and unfortunately for him, you were just as stubborn.

the battles started small: who could answer the most math questions correctly, who could finish a book first, who could climb higher on the jungle gym during recess.

neither of you backed down.

when he won the spelling bee in third grade, you made it your personal mission to crush him in the science fair.

and you did - by building an erupting volcano that stole the show, leaving

seungmin and his humble potato clock in second place.

you remember the way he glared at you when the results were announced, his lips pursed in that way that told you he wasn't going to let this go.

when you came first in the mile run during p.e., he challenged you to a rematch the very next week.

he trained for it, too - showing up early to practice laps around the field until the coach finally had to tell him to stop.

your parents thought the rivalry was hilarious, while your teachers were endlessly amused by your constant competitions.

you even overheard one of them joking that you two should just get married and call it a day.

the idea made your face flush with embarrassment back then, and you hated how it made your heart race just a little too fast.

because behind the sharp words and competitive banter, there was always something else.

a strange pull, an unspoken connection that neither of you could quite understand. sometimes, you'd catch him staring at you during class, his eyes lingering a second too long before he smirked and looked away.

it made your chest tighten in a way that you refused to acknowledge. and when he wasn't around to challenge you, you found yourself feeling an odd kind of emptiness, as if something important was missing.

by middle school, the rivalry cooled down. you drifted into different friend groups, your paths crossing less and less.

by high school, you hardly spoke at all. life went on, and seungmin became nothing more than a distant memory - just another part of your childhood.

▪▪▪

years passed, and you moved away for college, busy building a new life in a new city. you hadn't thought about him in ages.

until today.

the café is warm, filled with the comforting hum of quiet conversations and the rich scent of coffee.

the soft clinking of cups and gentle rustle of newspaper pages form a soothing backdrop as you sit at a table by the window, typing away on your laptop.