The laughter and excitement of the campus fair were beginning to wind down as the evening drew near. Students wandered between stalls, chatting, eating, or taking photos under the soft glow of hanging fairy lights. Leon trudged along, still dripping from the dunk tank, water dripping from his hair and shirt.
Maya walked beside him, giggling softly. "You really went all in, didn't you?"
Leon scowled, shaking out his hair. "All in? I got dunked! That's not 'all in,' that's—" He stopped, realizing that Richard, perfectly dry and smug, was strolling calmly beside them.
"—effortless perfection," Richard finished for him, smirking.
Leon shot him a glare. "Why are you always like this?"
Richard tilted his head, eyes calm yet teasing. "Like what?"
"Like… untouchable! Like you don't even get embarrassed! Like—like everything is easy for you!" Leon's frustration bubbled over.
Maya raised a hand, laughing. "You two are unbelievable."
Before Leon could respond, a campus volunteer rushed over, holding a clipboard. "Hey! Since your dorm won the relay, we need two representatives for the final cleanup challenge. It's a one-on-one task: whoever collects the most trash in fifteen minutes wins bonus points for the dorm."
Leon groaned inwardly. "A cleaning contest? Are you kidding me?"
Richard's eyes flicked to him, calm and calculating. "Looks like we're going head-to-head."
Leon blinked. "What? You're… you're doing it too?!"
Richard nodded, his gaze steady. "That's the challenge."
Leon's stomach twisted. Why does it have to be him? Why can't it be someone else?
Maya squealed softly. "This is perfect! You two will be side by side… literally! It'll be hilarious!"
Leon's face burned. "Hilarious? You think me, soaked and frustrated, next to Richard, calm and smug, is hilarious?!"
Maya only giggled and nudged him. "It is, trust me."
The volunteer set a timer and pointed toward the designated area: a small park behind the campus, littered with paper cups, wrappers, and stray leaves.
"Go!" the volunteer shouted.
Leon dashed forward, scooping up trash with frenzied energy. His movements were messy, desperate, and chaotic—but determined.
Richard walked calmly beside him, surveying the area, picking up trash with precision. Every movement was efficient, every step calculated.
Leon felt a surge of frustration. He's too perfect! Even in a stupid cleanup challenge!
"Focus," Richard said calmly, glancing at him. "Efficiency matters more than speed."
Leon shot him a glare. "You don't have to be smug about it!"
Richard didn't respond verbally. He only smirked faintly and continued picking up trash with effortless ease.
Maya stood at the sidelines, notebook in hand, scribbling and laughing softly. "You two are ridiculous! Look at him—he's red in the face!" she said, pointing at Leon.
Leon ignored her teasing. "It's not funny!"
Halfway through the fifteen minutes, Leon bent down to pick up a piece of paper—and realized Richard was right next to him, picking up the same item. Their hands brushed accidentally.
Leon froze. What? Why does that…
Richard's gaze met his briefly. "Careful," he murmured, almost inaudible, yet loaded with an intensity that made Leon's heart race.
Leon's face went red. "Careful? About trash?"
Richard smirked faintly. "About touching hands… accidentally."
Leon blinked. Touching hands…? His chest felt like it was going to explode. He stepped back, awkwardly shoving a wrapper into the bag.
Maya, standing nearby, couldn't contain her laughter. "Oh my gosh! You two… are you flirting while cleaning trash?!"
Leon groaned, covering his face. "No! Absolutely not!"
Richard only laughed softly. "I don't think that's entirely true."
Leon's hands trembled slightly, though he tried to hide it by grabbing more trash. His heart was pounding, mind racing, and he couldn't understand why a simple cleanup challenge had become the most intense fifteen minutes of his life.
As the timer counted down, both boys increased their pace. Leon's movements became desperate, competitive. Richard remained calm but relentless, matching Leon stride for stride.
Finally, the volunteer blew the whistle. "Time's up!"
Maya ran forward, clapping her hands. "Okay, let's see who won!"
The volunteer counted the collected trash. Leon had a decent pile—but Richard's was slightly larger, perfectly arranged, everything meticulously collected.
Leon felt his chest tighten. He had lost, but not entirely. There was a strange pride in knowing he had kept pace with Richard—his rival, his constant thorn, the one person who inexplicably made him feel things he didn't understand.
Richard handed over the collected trash to the volunteer, smiling faintly. "Good effort," he said to Leon.
Leon swallowed hard. "Good… effort? You're impossible."
Richard's gaze softened slightly, his eyes almost warm. "You did well. Better than I expected."
Leon felt heat rise to his cheeks. "Better than… expected?"
Richard didn't answer. He only gave that faint, unreadable smirk, and for a fleeting moment, Leon's frustration tangled with something else—something dangerous, confusing, and new.
Maya clapped, completely oblivious to the silent storm brewing between them. "Both of you were amazing! And so… competitive! I love it!"
Leon glanced at Richard, who was now calm and composed again, his smirk faint but present.