Episode 1

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.

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