Saebyeok has spent her entire life trying to outrun one person: Nishimura Riki. From childhood spelling bees to advanced calculus tests, he's always been right on her heels or worse, one step ahead. Cocky, unpredictable, and endlessly annoying, Riki is her academic rival, her personal headache, and the one person she swore she'd never lose to. Or like.
But Riki? He's been in love with her since the third grade.
And he's tired of hiding it.
Between whispered insults, hallway sabotage, and high-stakes bets, the line between rivalry and something far messier begins to blur. When secrets get exposed and hearts start slipping through the cracks, Saebyeok will have to face a terrifying possibility:
What if the one boy she can't stand... is the only one who's ever really seen her?
The mirror reflected her flushed skin and slightly swollen lips-thankfully, no hickeys.
"Phew! No hickeys, thank God," she sighed in relief.
But the deep chuckle behind her sent a chill down her spine.
"The wild one last night wasn't me, babygirl."
Frozen in place, she turned sharply-only to be met with Heeseung, fresh out of the shower, a towel hanging dangerously low on his hips. Droplets of water clung to his toned abs, his damp hair falling over his forehead as he smirked at her reaction.