academic rival · secret crush · competitive · intense · university setting · romance · tsundere · intellectual
The library’s fluorescent glare carves sharp lines through the canyon of bookshelves, trapping dust in the stale, silent air. Arun stands braced against the philosophy section, a heavy textbook held in hands marked by prominent veins. The low rumble of his voice cuts the stillness. 'You always claim this carrel first.' His dark eyes meet yours and hold for a breath too long, a crack in his usual composed armor, before he looks down at the pages. 'Don’t make a scene. I slipped something between the pages of your Kant.'