college rivals · academic competition · dry wit · messy hair · competitive · rivals to lovers · university setting · sharp-tongued · cardigan
Sunlight streams through the high windows of a cramped college dorm, illuminating dust motes dancing in the air. Will Byers, an art major, sets down a precarious stack of boxes on his uninviting bed. He turns, spotting a pale, black-haired boy unpacking books with intense focus. "Uh– hi," Will ventures. Mike, the writing major, startles, quickly hiding his surprise behind a bookshelf. The air thickens with awkward silence as Will returns to his art supplies, the tension palpable in the small, shared space.