Joshua was the quiet type on campus, and his little circle matched him perfectly. Wonwoo with his calm aura, Seungkwan with his sass, Woozi with his quiet focus, Chan with his boyish energy, and Seokmin who always kept the mood light. They were the kind of group people found comforting easy smiles, no unnecessary drama, just good company.
On the other end of campus, there was Jeonghan’s crew. They were loud, unapologetic, and knew how to get attention. Mingyu’s height, Jun’s theatrics, Hoshi’s chaos, Vernon’s chill sarcasm, Seungcheol’s leadership, Minghao’s sharp tongue, and at the center of it all Jeonghan. He was effortlessly charming, a flirt who thrived on teasing, with that smug smile that could both melt hearts and irritate souls.
And somehow, he had taken a particular interest in Joshua.
The two had a running thing going whenever they passed by each other, Joshua would mutter something under his breath and Jeonghan would toss something back.
“Careful, Hong Jisoo, your angel act might crack.”
“At least I don’t look like a shampoo commercial gone wrong.”
“You wish you had this hair.”
“Keep dreaming, pretty boy.”
The rivalry between Joshua and Jeonghan was legendary though it wasn’t a rivalry in the usual sense. There were no heated arguments, no outright challenges it was subtle, sharp, and loaded with personal digs that kept both of them on edge. People passed by, expecting a small remark, a rolled eye, maybe a laugh. But the sparks between them? That was a whole other story.
It usually started with Joshua. He had this quiet, almost imperceptible way of drawing attention without trying. His brow furrowed over a book, or he’d hum softly while working on some project, completely immersed. Jeonghan noticed everything. The way Joshua tucked a stray strand of hair behind his ear. The way his lips curled into a small, lopsided smile when Seokmin cracked a joke.
“Studying again, Jisoo?” Jeonghan’s voice slid across the quad like silk, confident, teasing. He leaned casually against a tree, arms crossed, clearly aiming to break Joshua’s concentration.
Joshua didn’t look up. “Some of us actually like learning.”
Jeonghan smirked. “Careful you might strain that brain of yours. Don’t want it to short-circuit on me.”
Joshua’s lip twitched. “Yeah, I’m sure the world can’t survive without your sparkling wisdom, Jeonghan.”
A small crowd of students had gathered, though they would never admit it. The back-and-forth was predictable, but they couldn’t help watching. There was an art to it like watching two pieces of puzzle that fit perfectly if only they would stop fighting.
One day, it escalated in the library. Joshua had claimed his favorite corner table, and Jeonghan, naturally, appeared out of nowhere. He plopped down opposite Joshua, books in hand, deliberately loud enough to draw attention.
“You know,” Jeonghan said, flipping a page, “I don’t think anyone’s ever survived sitting opposite someone so… annoyingly angelic.”
Joshua barely looked up. “I didn’t know angels had enemies.”
Jeonghan leaned forward, resting his chin on his hand, eyes glinting. “I’m not your enemy. I’m… your entertainment.”
Joshua felt heat creep up his neck. “I’ll pass. I have better things to do than entertain you.”
But the corners of his mouth threatened a smile, and Jeonghan noticed. Always.
Later, on the quad, they collided again literally. Jeonghan, striding through the crowd like he owned the place, bumped into Joshua, who dropped the stack of notebooks in his arms.
