The bustling sound of alarms filled the room as Aruka-chan jolted awake.

"Aruka! Quit dozing off!" her teacher’s voice echoed in her dream. "You’ve been up all night studying for the interview. Go take a shower, ace it, or don’t you dare come back!"

Aruka, still half-asleep, frowned. "Wait... why is my teacher talking about interviews?" she muttered groggily. A sudden pat on her head brought her back to reality.

"Ow! Who is it now?" she complained, turning to see her mother glaring at her.

"Get up, lazybones! You’ll be late!" her mother scolded.

"Ah, okay, okay! I’m going!" Aruka groaned, dragging herself out of bed.

After hurriedly getting ready, she plopped down for breakfast. Her father offered her a supportive smile, while her younger brother, Miran, smirked mischievously.

"Don’t screw it up again, sis," Miran teased, earning a sharp glare from Aruka.

"Shut up, Miran!"

"You both shut up!" her mother yelled, ushering them out of the house. "Now go and don’t come back unless it’s with good news!"

Aruka, eating hastily, muttered, "Can’t even eat in peace..."

Her father sighed. "Honey, she didn’t even finish her breakfast."

"Good," her mother replied curtly. "Maybe now her brain will work."

---

In a cab en route to Y&K Company, Aruka fidgeted nervously. The prestigious fashion design firm was her dream workplace, but doubts crept in.

As she stared out the window, memories of her childhood rival, Adam Brick, resurfaced.

Flashback:

Her parents had always compared her to Adam. He was the perfect child—the golden boy who aced every test, won every race, and even managed to charm the most popular girl in school to dance with him. Aruka, on the other hand, was often overlooked, struggling to meet her parents' expectations.

The rivalry wasn’t her choice; it was thrust upon her by constant comparisons. But it became personal when Adam started teasing her for her mistakes.

College had been her escape. For the first time, she’d felt free from his shadow.

"Why am I even thinking about him now?" Aruka muttered, shaking her head. "That lunatic isn’t here. I just need to focus and get this job!"

---

The interview at Y&K went better than expected. Aruka aced every question and was thrilled when she heard the words, "You’re hired!" The high-paying salary was the cherry on top.

Walking out of the office, she felt light-headed. The stress, lack of sleep, and skipped breakfast took their toll. Her vision blurred, and she stumbled, but before she hit the ground, someone caught her.

"Careful there," a familiar voice said.

Aruka’s heart skipped a beat as she looked up. No. It can’t be.

Standing before her, with his confident smirk and piercing gaze, was none other than Adam Brick.

"You’ve got to be kidding me," Aruka whispered, her face a mixture of shock and disbelief.

Adam chuckled. "Missed me, Aruka-chan?"

Her nemesis was back, and worse, he seemed to be here to stay.

Aruka stormed into Adam’s office, slamming the door shut behind her. Her chest heaved with frustration as she glared at the man lounging behind the sleek mahogany desk, completely unbothered.

“What’s the big idea, Adam?!” she shouted, slamming a folder on his desk. “Why are you assigning me tasks completely unrelated to fashion design?!”

Adam raised an eyebrow, his usual smirk playing on his lips. “You’re my personal assistant, Aruka. Everything I assign is part of your job.”

“This wasn’t the role I applied for!” she snapped.

Adam leaned forward, resting his elbows on the desk. “You applied to my company. I decide your role. If you’re unhappy, feel free to quit.”

Aruka’s jaw tightened, and her fists clenched at her sides. This man is insufferable! But quitting wasn’t an option—not when this job was her stepping stone to her dream career.

“Fine,” she said through gritted teeth. “But don’t think I’ll just roll over and take this.”

“Good,” Adam said, leaning back in his chair. “I wouldn’t expect anything less from you.”

Later that evening, Aruka sat in her tiny apartment, staring at her laptop. Her hands trembled with anger as she scrolled through her work assignments. Filing documents, scheduling meetings, fetching coffee—nothing related to her passion for fashion design.

“This isn’t fair,” she muttered. Her thoughts wandered back to Adam and his infuriating grin.

Memories of their childhood rivalry surfaced. She had always been compared to Adam—by teachers, relatives, and even their parents. He was the golden boy who excelled at everything, while she was always trying to catch up.

“Why does he always have to ruin everything?” she whispered.

The next day, Aruka entered the office determined to confront Adam again. She barged into his office without knocking, catching him off guard for once.

“Adam, we need to talk,” she said firmly.

He looked up from his computer, his expression serious for the first time. “Aruka, I—”

Before he could finish, a knock interrupted them, and the door opened to reveal Patrick, Adam’s cousin.

“Hey, Adam!” Patrick said cheerfully before noticing Aruka. His eyes lit up, and a charming smile spread across his face. “Well, hello there. You must be Aruka. I’ve heard a lot about you.”

Aruka blinked, surprised by his sudden friendliness. “Uh, hi.”

Patrick stepped closer, ignoring Adam’s pointed glare. “Adam never mentioned how beautiful his assistant is.”

Aruka felt her cheeks flush, but before she could respond, Adam stood abruptly.

“That’s enough, Patrick,” Adam said coldly. “Aruka, get back to work.”

She frowned at his tone but decided not to push her luck. As she left the office, she couldn’t shake the feeling that there was more to Adam’s behavior than just his usual arrogance.

Later that evening, Patrick found Aruka in the break room, sipping her coffee. He leaned against the counter with a playful grin.

“So, how’s it working for my cousin?” he asked.

“Exhausting,” she admitted with a small laugh.

Patrick chuckled. “Sounds about right. But hey, if you ever need a break from his tyranny, let me know. I’d be happy to show you a better time.”

Aruka rolled her eyes but couldn’t help smiling. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

Unbeknownst to them, Adam stood just outside the doorway, his fists clenched as he overheard their conversation.

Why does Patrick always have to interfere? he thought, his jaw tightening.

As he walked away, Adam couldn’t shake the unsettling feeling in his chest. For the first time, he realized his rivalry with Aruka was becoming something more—and that terrified him.

The office buzzed with activity the next morning, but Aruka couldn’t shake the awkwardness from yesterday’s events. Patrick’s flirtatious remarks still lingered in her mind, but what unsettled her more was the intensity in Adam’s eyes when he interrupted their conversation.

She set her coffee on her desk and sighed. Why do things always have to be complicated?

Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock on her desk. She looked up to see Patrick standing there with his signature grin.

“Good morning, Ms. Takashi,” he said smoothly. “Care for some company on your lunch break today?”

Aruka hesitated. His friendly demeanor was charming, but she couldn’t ignore the tension his presence created with Adam.

“I... I’ll think about it,” she replied cautiously.

“Take your time,” Patrick said with a wink before walking away.

---

Across the office, Adam sat in his corner office, staring out the window but not seeing the cityscape. His thoughts were entirely on Aruka and Patrick.

Patrick had always been a wildcard—charming, unpredictable, and far too interested in stirring up trouble. Adam couldn’t decide what bothered him more: Patrick’s obvious interest in Aruka or the fact that Aruka didn’t seem entirely opposed to it.

His thoughts were interrupted by his assistant knocking on the door.

“Sir, the board meeting starts in five minutes,” she reminded him.

Adam nodded and stood, straightening his tie. “Cancel it,” he said abruptly.

The assistant blinked. “Cancel... the board meeting?”

“Yes,” Adam said, grabbing his phone. “Something more important just came up.”

---

At lunch, Aruka sat in the cafeteria, poking at her salad. She glanced up to see Patrick approaching her table with two cups of coffee.

“Thought you could use a pick-me-up,” he said, setting one cup in front of her.

“Thanks,” she said with a small smile.

As they chatted, the atmosphere grew lighter. Patrick was easy to talk to, and for a moment, Aruka forgot about the stress of her new role—or Adam.

That moment didn’t last long.

“Enjoying yourselves?”

The familiar voice sent a chill down Aruka’s spine. She looked up to see Adam standing at the edge of their table, his expression unreadable but his eyes dangerously sharp.

“Adam,” Patrick said with a smirk. “Care to join us?”

“No,” Adam said curtly. His gaze shifted to Aruka. “We have a meeting in five minutes. Let’s go.”

Aruka frowned. “But I didn’t see anything on my schedule.”

“I just added it,” Adam said, his tone leaving no room for argument.

Patrick chuckled. “Easy there, cousin. Don’t scare her off.”

Adam ignored him, turning on his heel and striding away. Aruka sighed and stood, giving Patrick an apologetic look before following Adam.

---

In the privacy of his office, Adam turned to face her, his expression stormy.

“What was that?” he demanded.

“What was what?” Aruka shot back, crossing her arms.

“You and Patrick,” he said, his voice low but heated. “He’s not someone you should be spending time with.”

“Excuse me?” she said, her temper flaring. “You don’t get to dictate who I talk to.”

“I’m trying to protect you,” Adam snapped.

“From what?!”

“From him!”

The room fell silent as the weight of his words hung between them. Aruka stared at him, her heart racing for reasons she didn’t fully understand.

“Why do you even care?” she whispered.

Adam took a step closer, his voice softer now. “Because I know Patrick. He doesn’t take things seriously. He’s... reckless.”

“And you’re any different?” she challenged.

Adam’s jaw tightened, and for a moment, she thought he might argue. Instead, he turned away, running a hand through his hair.

“You don’t understand,” he muttered.

“Then explain it to me,” she said, her voice trembling with frustration.

But Adam didn’t answer. The tension in the room was almost unbearable, and before she could press him further, he spoke again, his tone dismissive.

“You can go. The meeting’s canceled.”

Aruka stared at him for a moment before turning and walking out, her mind a whirlwind of confusion and unanswered questions.

---

Back in her apartment that evening, Aruka paced the room, replaying the day’s events in her head. She couldn’t deny the strange pull she felt toward Adam, despite how infuriating he was.

Her phone buzzed with a text.

Patrick: “Dinner tomorrow? No pressure.”

She sighed, conflicted. As much as Patrick’s lighthearted charm was a welcome distraction, she couldn’t ignore the storm brewing between her and Adam.

“What am I getting myself into?” she whispered.

---

Elsewhere, Adam sat in his empty office, staring at the glass of whiskey in his hand. He couldn’t shake the image of Aruka smiling at Patrick, and it burned in a way he couldn’t explain.

“Get it together, Adam,” he muttered to himself.

But deep down, he knew—this was only the beginning of something he couldn’t control.