The gym reeked of blood and leather. Seo Min-Joon just finished his morning training, sweat rolling down his jaw, he flexed his bruised knuckles, unsatisfied. He leans against the punching bag.
Still not good enough.
He drove another punch into the heavy bag. Pain flared, skin splitting, but he could care less. Not until the clock caught his eye.
"Fuck"
Late.
He seized his gym bag, basically threw it in the locker and hopped in the freezing shower, he got used to the sting of water on his cuts, as he scrubbed the stank off him. He quickly changed in his uniform.
It was unseasonably cold that morning as he weaved down the side walk on his bike. The wind burned his ears, the cold air bit as his wet hair, but catching a cold was the last thing on his mind.
He was bracing for the real fight.
The world of Adrian Laurent, Seo's personal hellmaster.
When he arrived at the gate, he parked his bike and entered, the halls smelled like pressed linen and polished wood, with a hint of black coffee. The navy blazer felt stiff across his shoulder, the crest caught the light like it was mocking him. His tie was half-way done and his hair was still damp.
Everyone's collars were knife-sharp and ties pinned dead-center, loafers shined like trophies, and there wasn't a speak of dust in sight. Even the air felt fake. He earned his spot unlike the trust-fund nepo babies here so his goal was to keep a level-head, win the tournament, and graduate. The tie was too tight, the collar stiff enough to scrap his skin, he gripped it and loosened it, trying not to show his annoyance.
As he approached his locker, he noticed a familiar face waiting there, leaning casually against the locker, a lazy smirk on his face. It was Adrian Laurent, the infamous academic golden boy of Harrowgate University, and his unlikely frenemy.
"You're late," Adrian drawled, studying him with a critical eye, taking in his usual disheveled appearance. Adrian looked at Seo up and down, taking in the half-done tie, the crumpled collar, the damp hair, which contrasted against his own flawless appearance. "It looks like you forgot to dress yourself," Adrian said with a low and smooth French accent with a intrigued expression, a tone he seemed to only use with Seo.
Seo rolled his eyes at Adrian's comment, but he couldn't help but notice the way his voice seemed to deepen with each word. "Shut it, Laurent," he muttered.
Seo Min-Joon stood there, his jaw clenched tight as he stared back at Adrian. The hallways echoed with the laughter and gossip of the other students, but to Min-Joon, it all seemed to fade away until it was just the two of them. He could feel Adrian's gaze on him like a physical weight, making his skin prickle with awareness.
He's toying with me.
"I'm not here to impress you or anyone else," Seo growled lowly, refusing to meet Adrian's gaze, "I have better things to do." Seo shut his locker firmly with a snarl as he finally looked at Adrian, he noticed the scent of his soap mingled with the lingering smell of the gym, a stark contrast to Adrian's expensive cologne. "And for your information, I wasn't late." With that, Seo strides away.
Seo's long strides carried him swiftly down the hall, his shoulders are stiff with tension. He could practically feel the heat of Adrian's gaze boring down his back but he refused to look back. When he made it to class, he sat in the back, closest to the window. Luckily, Seo didn't share this class with Adrian; he couldn't be more relieved.
Although, Adrian wasn't the only problem he had to worry about, there was an onslaught of "scholarship kid" whispers from the other students. It was pathetic; did they truly have nothing else to do with their time? Seo didn't bother to focus on it, he knew he had to maintain his 3.8GPA if he wanted his family to slightly acknowledge his boxing pursuits. This wasn't a problem for him though; he's a quick-learner.
The professor drones about some obscure historical event, but Seo's mind wanders elsewhere, to the upcoming tournament. His pen tapped restlessly against his empty notebook, a steady rhythm that failed to reveal his irritation. The students' whispers grate on his last nerves, but he refuses to let it show. Instead he focuses on the pain that stinged his knuckles, a fitting distraction.
The bell rang, signing the end of the lecture, Seo gathered his belonging, shoving them haphazardly into his bag. He couldn't wait to get out of that classroom filled with judgmental and useless slurs. As he stepped into the hallway, the cool air was a welcomed respite form the stale atmosphere inside.
Seo walked briskly, his mind already occupied with the upcoming tournament. He needed to review his strategy, perfect his weak spots, and push himself harder during training. Anything to ensure victory and prove his worth. To everyone.
As he brisked down the hall, around him, a river of students flooded out lecture halls, a kaleidoscope of designer labels and effortless privilege. Their airy laughter seemed to mock the heavy weight that settled in Seo's chest. Lost in his observations, he almost collided with someone, the eerily familiar scent of sandalwood and champagne invaded his senses. Adrian.
Adrian quickly caught Seo by his shoulder, his touch lingering for long then necessary, catching Seo completely off-guard which usually didn't happen. Adrian's movements were warm yet unnervingly smooth as he tucked his manicured hands into his blazer's pockets.
It made Seo snarl. Seo tensed at the contact, it made his body coil like a snake ready to pounce. He jerked away from Adrian's touch, putting distance between them, "What do you want Laurent?" each word soaked in barley constrained hostility. He stepped closer, despite the height difference of about three inches. He clutched his knuckles so tight that they began bleeding. He noticed Adrian's sharp green eyes narrowing slightly. Adrian observed this and smirked, but it wasn't cruel.
This displeased him further. In a movement that surprised even himself, Seo gripped Adrian's lapel, yanking him close. Their faces mere inches apart, breath mingling in the charged air between them. Seo's voice was a low, almost dangerous rumble, "Listen Laurent. I'll say this once. Stay. Away. From. Me." Each word was punctuated with a small shake, emphasizing his point.
Instead of fighting back, instead of resisting like any normal human in this situation, Adrian allows Seo to yank him further, staring into his eyes with unnerving stillness. In a warm yet deep voice Adrian spoke, "I just wanted to give you this," With that, Adrian backs away with a casual grace, he hands Seo a folder, information about their shared project for competitive debate class. Adrian then looked at him with a knowing smirk. "Have a great day Seo."
That got to Seo.