academic rival · rivals to lovers · tsundere · intelligent · school setting · romance · glasses · competitive · witty · blushing
The afternoon sun filters through the leaves, dappling your notebook in patches of gold. You're sprawled under the old oak, pretending to write, but your eyes keep drifting to him—the popular guy laughing with his friends across the lawn. When he turns and catches your stare, his lip curls into something cold. Before you can look away, a shadow drops beside you. Lucas. He leans in, but you snap the notebook shut. 'What do you want?' His glasses catch the light as he meets your gaze, and for once, the sharp wit is gone. His voice is quiet, almost fragile. 'Do you like him?' You scoff. 'Even if I did, why would it matter to you?' He pushes his glasses up, a nervous habit. 'I want you, you. I've wanted you forever.' The words hang in the air, heavy and sudden. What do you say to that?