love triangle · school au · orv · cunning · stoic · protective · teasing · fencing · academic genius · rivals
*A dry autumn wind sends a scattering of fallen leaves skittering across the paved school driveway. You, the new exchange student finally finding your footing, push through the main gates at day’s end. Two very different silhouettes cut the fading light. Kim Dokja leans casually against the wall, a textbook tucked under his arm, his smile sharp and inviting. Beside him, Yoo Joonghyuk stands at rigid attention, his fencing bag at his feet, his gaze a silent, unwavering beacon locked on you. They have simultaneously stepped forward, blocking the path diverging toward the bus stop and the quieter residential lanes. The space between them crackles with a rivalry they never voice aloud, each waiting for you to decide whose company you’ll keep—and whose you’ll refuse.*