Liam Reyes has always been the best top grades, star athlete, and the pride of Saint Crest Academy. Everything in his world is organized and predictable… until Ethan Cruz transfers in.

Ethan is everything Liam isn’t loud, confident, and effortlessly talented. From the moment they meet, they clash over everything who’s smarter, faster, better. But between the teasing, the late-night projects, and the quiet walks home, something starts to shift.

What began as rivalry slowly turns into something neither of them can name a bond that’s confusing, warm, and maybe even dangerous.

Because sometimes, the person you thought you hated becomes the one you can’t stop thinking about.

The morning sun shone brightly over Saint Crest Academy, painting the hallways gold. Students hurried to their classes, laughing, chatting but none of that mattered to Liam Reyes, the school’s top student and basketball team captain. For him, mornings were for winning in grades, in games, in everything.

But today, something was off.

As he walked into class, the room buzzed with excitement.

“Have you heard? There’s a new transfer student,” whispered one of his classmates.

“Yeah! They say he came from a prestigious school in Manila super smart too.”

Liam just smirked. “Another wannabe trying to steal my spotlight. Great.”

Then, the classroom door opened.

A tall boy with messy dark hair and sharp brown eyes stepped in. His uniform was neat, but his expression screamed confidence almost too much.

“Hi, I’m Ethan Cruz,” the new student said with a slight grin. “Nice to meet you all.”

The teacher nodded. “Ethan, you can take the seat beside Liam.”

Liam stiffened. Of course. Right next to me.

Ethan sat down, his scent a mix of citrus and something faintly sweet brushing past Liam.

He gave him a quick side glance and said, “So, you’re the famous Liam Reyes everyone keeps talking about?”

Liam raised a brow. “And you’re the new guy trying to take my title, I guess?”

Ethan smirked. “Guess we’ll see about that.”

From that moment, the tension between them was obvious.

In class, they competed for every answer.

On the basketball court, they challenged each other with every move.

Even during group projects, they argued over who had the better idea.

But behind every glare was something unspoken curiosity.

Liam hated to admit it, but he found himself noticing Ethan the way his eyes sparkled when he smiled, the way his voice softened when he wasn’t being cocky.

And one afternoon, after yet another heated game, Ethan looked at him, sweat glistening on his face, and said softly,

“You know, you’re not as bad as I thought.”

Liam blinked. “What’s that supposed to mean? ethan”

Ethan just smiled. “Maybe I’ll tell you when we’re not enemies.”

Liam’s heart skipped just once before he turned away.

But for the first time, he wasn’t sure if he really wanted to keep fighting him.

The next week at Saint Crest Academy started like any other — the echo of footsteps in polished hallways, the chatter of students swapping stories from the weekend, the rustle of notebooks and papers. Liam Reyes walked to class with his usual calm expression, clutching his binder close to his chest.

Everything was predictable. And that was exactly how he liked it.

But that Monday morning, predictability decided to abandon him.

“Alright, class,” Ms. Dela Vega said, setting her papers on the desk. “For the upcoming Science Fair, you’ll be working in pairs. The project will count for 40% of your final grade.”

Groans filled the air. A few students whispered nervously, others sighed in relief. Liam, however, felt a quiet thrill of confidence. Group projects weren’t his thing he preferred working alone, where he could focus without distractions. Still, it didn’t matter. He’d win, like always.

He raised his hand, already about to ask if he could work solo, when Ms. Dela Vega smiled.

“And to make things interesting this year,” she continued, “I’ve already chosen your partners.”

The class fell silent.

Liam slowly lowered his hand. “Wait, what?” he muttered under his breath.

The teacher scanned the list in her hands. “Let’s see… Marcos with Eli, Kara with Janelle, and…” she paused, glancing up with a small smirk. “…Liam Reyes will be partnered with Ethan Cruz.”

The room exploded with whispers.

“No way!” someone gasped.

“They’re both top students! They’ll either win or murder each other.”

“This is going to be entertaining.”

Liam’s jaw clenched. He turned his head, meeting Ethan’s amused grin from across the room.

Ethan leaned back in his chair, stretching lazily. “Well, looks like we’re stuck together, partner,” he said, his tone light but his eyes sharp with mischief.

Liam exhaled slowly through his nose. “Perfect,” he muttered, already regretting every life choice that led to this moment.

That afternoon, they met in the school library to start their project.

Books, notebooks, and half-empty snack wrappers covered the table. The clock ticked softly in the background, but neither of them seemed to care about time.

“You’re doing the calculations wrong,” Liam said after glancing at Ethan’s notebook. His tone was calm, but his brow furrowed.

Ethan raised an eyebrow. “Wrong? Excuse me, Mr. Perfect, but not everything has to be your way.”

“It’s not about my way,” Liam replied coolly, reaching for the notebook. “It’s about the right way.”

Ethan quickly pulled it out of reach, leaning forward with that teasing smirk that always made Liam’s patience wear thin. “Then show me, genius.”

Their faces were suddenly inches apart.

For a heartbeat, neither of them moved. The space between them seemed to shrink, the air heavy with something neither could name. Liam could feel Ethan’s breath warm, steady brushing against his cheek. His heart thudded against his ribs, too fast, too loud.

Ethan’s teasing expression faltered, his eyes flickering from Liam’s lips to his eyes, something uncertain flickering there. For a brief, fleeting second, the world went quiet.

Then Ethan leaned back and laughed, breaking the moment. “Relax, Reyes,” he said, grinning. “It’s just science.”

Liam blinked, quickly looking away. “You’re impossible.”

“And you love it,” Ethan said, flashing a smug grin.

“I don’t,” Liam replied quickly maybe too quickly.

Days turned into weeks, and somehow, they began to work better together. Their arguments softened into jokes, and their silences became comfortable. They stayed late after school, side by side, surrounded by half-finished posters and open books.

Ethan brought snacks, claiming he couldn’t focus without food. Liam complained, but always ended up eating them too.

He learned that Ethan wasn’t just loud and arrogant he was creative, passionate, and surprisingly patient when he cared about something.

And Ethan learned that Liam wasn’t cold he was cautious, afraid of failing, afraid of disappointing anyone who believed in him.

One Friday evening, as they finished another long day in the lab, the power suddenly went out. The fluorescent lights flickered, then vanished, leaving only darkness and silence.

“Great,” Ethan sighed. “Perfect timing.”

Liam turned on his phone flashlight, the small beam casting soft light across Ethan’s face. “We wait,” he said simply, sitting back down.

Ethan huffed but didn’t argue. Instead, he leaned against the wall, watching Liam’s calm expression in the dim light.

“You know,” Ethan said quietly after a moment, “I used to think I hated you.”

Liam looked up. “Used to?”

Ethan met his eyes, a small smile tugging at his lips. “Now I’m not so sure.”

For a moment, neither of them spoke. The sound of rain began to tap softly against the windows.

Liam didn’t look away, but he didn’t reply either. Something in his chest ached a quiet, unfamiliar pull that made him feel unsteady.

The silence wasn’t awkward this time. It was… peaceful. Warm.

When the lights finally flickered back on, neither of them moved right away. They just sat there, pretending they weren’t both thinking the same thing:

Something between them had changed.

They didn’t know what it was yet.

But it was no longer hate.

The next few days at Saint Crest felt… different.

It wasn’t anything big no dramatic confessions, no sudden change in how they acted. But something in the air had shifted.

Liam noticed it first.

When he passed Ethan in the hallway, Ethan didn’t tease him the way he used to. He just smiled a real one, soft and easy, like they shared some kind of secret. And for reasons he couldn’t explain, Liam found himself smiling back.

He told himself it meant nothing. That they were just getting used to working together. That was all.

But every time he caught himself glancing in Ethan’s direction, every time Ethan’s laughter echoed across the classroom and Liam’s chest tightened a little it became harder to believe his own excuses.

During lunch, Ethan dropped his tray down across from him. “Hey, partner.”

Liam looked up, confused. “You’re sitting here now?”

“Obviously,” Ethan said, unwrapping his sandwich. “You eat alone every day. It’s tragic.”

Liam raised an eyebrow. “Maybe I like eating alone.”

Ethan leaned forward, grinning. “No one actually likes eating alone.”

Liam wanted to argue but when he looked at Ethan, really looked, the words wouldn’t come. Ethan’s smile was bright and real, his eyes full of something Liam couldn’t quite name.

He sighed. “Fine. Just don’t talk with your mouth full.”

Ethan saluted playfully. “Yes, sir.”

Later that week, they worked on their science fair presentation in the library again. This time, there was less arguing. More quiet. More small, almost unnoticed moments that felt strangely comfortable.

“Your handwriting’s terrible,” Liam muttered, peering at Ethan’s notes.

Ethan laughed. “It’s called personality.”

“It’s called illegible.”

“Whatever, Mr. Perfect.”

Liam rolled his eyes, but his lips twitched in the faintest hint of a smile. Ethan saw it and for some reason, it made his chest feel warm.

As the hours passed, they found themselves talking less about the project and more about everything else.

Ethan told him about his little sister, how she liked to draw but always stole his markers. Liam listened quietly, nodding now and then, secretly amused by the way Ethan’s eyes lit up when he talked about her.

In return, Liam mentioned almost hesitantly that he used to spend hours at the local observatory as a kid, staring at the stars.

Ethan tilted his head. “You? The serious science guy who acts like emotions are illegal?”

Liam chuckled softly, surprising even himself. “Stars aren’t emotions.”

“Maybe not,” Ethan said, smiling. “But you sound different when you talk about them.”

Liam didn’t reply. He didn’t know how.

The following afternoon, it started to rain. The kind of steady drizzle that made the world feel smaller, quieter.

They worked by the window, the sound of raindrops filling the silence between them.

Ethan glanced outside. “I used to love the rain as a kid. My mom said it made everything feel cleaner.”

Liam looked up from his notes. “Do you still think that?”

Ethan shrugged. “I don’t know. These days it just makes me feel… stuck, I guess.”

Something in his voice softened something Liam hadn’t heard before. Without thinking, Liam said quietly, “Then maybe you just need someone to walk through it with you.”

Ethan blinked, surprised. Their eyes met.

For a second, neither moved. The rain kept falling.

Then Ethan smiled not teasing this time, not playful, just warm. “Maybe you’re right.”

When Liam got home that night, he couldn’t focus on anything. His mind kept replaying little moments Ethan’s smile, the way he’d said maybe you’re right, the sound of rain in the background.

He didn’t understand what was happening.

All he knew was that something about Ethan felt different now.

Or maybe he felt different.

Either way, the wall between them the one built on pride, competition, and stubborn denial had started to crack.

And neither of them seemed in a hurry to fix it.