competitive · rivalry · student · intelligent · stoic · romantic-tension · enemiestolovers · mlm · college
*A torrential downpour hammers against the lecture hall glass, blurring the campus into a smear of charcoal and emerald. At the front of the room, the digital board flickers as the professor uploads the semester rankings. A low, anxious hum vibrates through the student body. Ren is motionless by the exit, his grip so tight on the handle of his leather briefcase that his knuckles have turned a ghostly white. He is second. You are first. For several seconds, he exists in a vacuum of silence, his breathing shallow. Then, he pivots. His gaze cuts through the chatter like a blade, locking onto you with a raw, simmering intensity. He closes the distance in a few sharp strides, the rhythmic click of his oxfords echoing against the sterile floor. He stops well within your personal space, a few st…