genre: a little bit of angst, fluff
‘of all people, why him?’ you complain, but of course, you don’t say it out loud.
just a few feet away from you stands your greatest archnemesis since elementary, the one and only, qian kun. he was always your competitor, whether that’d be based on talent or intelligence. you basically grew up trying to outdo each other.
“i have faith in both of you,” the upcoming festival’s organizer smiles, their eyes switching between you and kun.
you flash a fake smile their way. kun does the same. when the organizer leaves, the two of you immediately disperse, trying to stay away from each other as far as possible.
“do you hate each other or something?” a co-worker whispers. you shake your head to avoid questioning.
you’re aware that this is petty, since the both of you are adults, but the rivalry did not stop at high school. your parents are family friends, but behind closed doors, they demanded both of you to stay ahead of each other.
it’s only been a minute, but the tension inside the room has grown incredibly strong. you didn’t want to approach first, but the silence is just dragging itself on, waiting for disruption.
‘fuck it,’ you tell yourself before letting out a dry cough to get everyone’s attention.
kun’s crew turn towards you except for him. he was already looking at you in the first place.
“so, what’s the plan? any ideas?” you direct to everyone, putting your leader voice on. kun shifts in his seat.
“well, since we’re two different units, we don’t need to coordinate anything except for deadlines,” kun speaks up, also with his leader voice.
you raise an eyebrow, pondering why he’s not his usual competitive self. maybe, unlike you, he’s moved on from years of traumatic rivalry. good for him.
“ok, then that’s it for today then?” you confirm, glancing over everyone.
the room exhales deeply. you could feel everyone relax.
“y/n!” a voice shouts from behind as you duck to get into your car’s driver seat.
unfamiliar with their voice, you quickly turn around to check who’s calling you. kun runs towards you, his right arm flailing for your attention. for a moment, you stand there awkwardly, waiting for your old opponent to catch up to you.
“hi?” you greet him in a confused tone.
“hi,” he pants, his hands resting on his knees.
“uhm,” you look around, “why are you talking to me?” you’re not sure at how what you just said sounds, but you don’t intend to be mean.
“how are you?” his breath has steadied.
you could feel your heart drop at how surprised you are at his question. out of all people, he’s the only one who’s sounded genuine asking you the simplest question, but hardest to answer.
“me too, i didn’t think i’d ever see you again,” kun confesses.
‘well did you want to see me?’ you keep to yourself.
“why is that?” your interest in the conversation grows.
“graduation day, four years ago,” he starts, “i received a note anonymously,” he searches one of his front pockets before taking a crumpled piece of paper.
‘oh fuck, not this’ you think, suddenly remembering that you sent him a note on the last day of high school.
“i figured this was from you,” he hands you the note.
you don’t dare read it. even now, every word and every sentence are still fresh on your mind.
“sorry for putting that burden on you, kun,” you apologize to him for the first time ever. you’re glad that it’s a sincere one.
“no need,” he says smiling, “i knew what you felt, it was the same for me,” his voice fades.
well, that just confirmed it. both of your parents are two-faced.
“fuck our parents, am i right?” you scoff and kun nods laughing.
“start over?” kun reaches out his hand for you to shake.
“of course,” you flash a smile as you take his hand.
