The competition training officially began this week.
That meant more time with Ethan.
Which meant… more pretending.
After school, we met in the classroom to prepare for the team rounds.
It felt different now.
Not awkward.
Not tense.
Just… familiar.
Ethan was writing something in his notebook when I arrived.
"You're early," he said without looking up.
"You say that every time."
"Because it's true every time."
I sat across from him and opened my book.
For a few minutes, we studied quietly.
No teasing.
No arguments.
Just concentration.
It was surprisingly peaceful.
After a while, I noticed something.
Ethan wasn't acting like his usual confident self.
He seemed more focused than before.
Serious.
Determined.
"Why are you trying so hard?" I asked suddenly.
He paused.
"For the competition?"
"Yes."
He leaned back slightly in his chair.
"Because we're going to win."
Not I.
We.
That word made my chest feel slightly warm.
"We always compete," he continued calmly. "But this time, it's better if we cooperate."
I stared at him for a second.
Was this the same arrogant boy I used to fight with every week?
He noticed me looking.
"What?"
"Nothing."
But inside, I was thinking…
Maybe I misjudged him.
Later That Day
We were practicing logic problems when I got stuck on one question.
I frowned.
Ethan noticed immediately.
"Need help?"
"I don't need help."
He gave me a look.
"…You've been staring at that question for ten minutes."
I sighed.
"Fine."
He moved his chair closer so he could see the page.
Our shoulders were almost touching again.
But this time, it didn't feel as shocking.
He pointed at the problem calmly.
"You're overthinking it."
"I am not."
"You are."
I glared at him.
He smiled slightly.
Then, instead of teasing me, he explained the solution step-by-step.
His voice was steady.
Clear.
Patient.
When I finally understood, I said quietly,
"Oh."
He looked at me.
"See? Not that hard."
I didn't respond immediately.
Instead, I noticed something else.
He looked… different when teaching.
Less competitive.
More genuine.
For a second, our eyes met.
The room felt quiet.
Too quiet.
Then suddenly, a loud sound came from outside the classroom.
Someone dropped something in the hallway.
We both turned our heads.
The moment broke.
When I looked back, Ethan had already returned to his notebook.
But I could still feel the tension from that brief eye contact.
Something was changing.
Slowly.
And neither of us was saying it out loud.
Before we left that day, Ethan walked beside me again.
Students were watching, but not as intensely as before.
The rumors had started to calm down.
While walking, he suddenly said,
"You're improving."
I looked at him.
"In what?"
"In everything."
The words were simple.
But they stayed in my mind longer than expected.
I didn't know why…
But hearing that from him felt different.
More meaningful than any ranking.
More important than any exam score.
Maybe this fake relationship wasn't just about rumors anymore.
Maybe it was starting to change something inside both of us.
But for now…
We were still rivals.
Still pretending.
And neither of us had realized how close we were getting.