Chapter 2

A Night of Celebration… and Realization

The victory was theirs.

For once, Kim Eun-ji and Baek Eun-woo weren’t competing—they had won together.

The after-party was loud, full of cheers and flashing lights. Their classmates lifted them up like heroes, laughing and celebrating their victory. But amidst the noise, Eun-woo only cared about one thing.

Her.

As the night wind cooled their flushed faces, he pulled her aside. "Eun-ji… I need to tell you something."*

She tilted her head, curious. "What is it?"

His heart pounded. "I—"

Then—rain.

A sudden downpour drenched them, cutting off his words.

Eun-ji gasped and let out a laugh. "Seriously?!" She grabbed his wrist and pulled him toward a nearby bus stop for cover.

Eun-woo shook his head, water dripping from his hair. "Guess the universe doesn’t want me to say it yet."*

Eun-ji raised an eyebrow. "Say what?"

He hesitated.

Then, with a playful smirk, he leaned in slightly. "Wouldn’t you like to know?"

She rolled her eyes but felt her heart skip a beat.

And just like that—the tension between them shifted.

After the competition, things between them felt different.

Less sharp. Less like war.

They still argued, still pushed each other, but now… there was something else beneath it.

Something undeniable.

One afternoon, Eun-ji found herself sitting on the rooftop, enjoying a rare quiet moment, when she heard footsteps behind her.

She didn’t have to turn to know it was him.

"You’re following me now?" she teased.

Eun-woo smirked. "As if. I just know all your hiding spots."*

She rolled her eyes but smiled. "What do you want?"

He hesitated. Then, with an exhale, he sat beside her. "I wanted to ask you something."*

"Go ahead."*

Eun-woo looked at her, his usual confidence faltering for the first time. "Do you ever get… tired of fighting?"

Eun-ji blinked at him. "What do you mean?"

"This. Us. Always competing, always trying to prove something."* He looked at the sky. "Sometimes, I think we forgot why we started fighting in the first place."*

She didn’t answer immediately.

Because… he was right.

Somewhere between childhood and now, their playful competition had turned into something more intense—almost like neither of them knew how to be with each other without fighting.

But maybe… they didn’t have to fight against each other.

Maybe they could fight together.

She let out a small sigh. "Maybe I am tired."*

Eun-woo looked at her, and for the first time in years, there was no rivalry in his gaze.

Just something softer.

Something real.

"Then… let’s stop being enemies, Kim Eun-ji."*

She stared at him. "And what should we be instead?"

A slow smile spread across his face. "I was thinking… something more interesting."*

Her heart raced.

She smirked, crossing her arms. "You’ll have to work for it, Baek Eun-woo."*

He laughed. "Wouldn’t expect anything less."*