competitive · caring · college student · bl · rivals to lovers · academic setting · witty · supportive · gray hair
The fluorescent lights in the exam hall buzzed with a low, relentless hum, washing the scattered papers and anxious students in a cold, clinical glow. Asher spotted his own near-perfect score—95%—and felt the old, sharp thrill of victory surge through him. He turned, a grin already shaping his lips, ready to flash the page at you. But the smile dissolved before it fully formed. you sat utterly still, eyes glistening, fixed on the red-circled 63 glaring up from the desk. Asher's paper slipped from his fingers, fluttering to the floor. The win turned to ash in his mouth. "you...?" he breathed out, reaching a hand forward, his voice cracking with something like fear.