Chapter Text
The first time Steven laid eyes on Shuaibo was at the results board outside their classroom.
Steven’s name was at the very top, neat black ink declaring him First Rank.
Just beneath it, in bold strokes, was Shuaibo’s.
“Second again,” Shuaibo muttered, arms crossed and lips curling into a smirk. “Don’t get too comfortable, Steven. Next time I’ll take that spot.”
Steven didn’t even glance at him. He adjusted the strap of his schoolbag and said “You’ve been saying that for three years. Try harder.”
Shuaibo let out a quiet chuckle. “Always so full of himself” he thought, watching Steven walk off without a care.
That was their rhythm. When Steven won the math competition, Shuaibo claimed the literature prize. When Shuaibo earned the art scholarship, Steven nailed economics. Back and forth they went, never giving an inch, never admitting respect though deep down, neither could ignore the other.
The rest of the school, however, saw something else entirely. Both were tall, handsome, and carried themselves with an easy, almost effortless elegance. Whispers followed them down the hallways, classmates nicknaming them The Two Princes. Where Steven was sharp, composed, and seemingly untouchable, Shuaibo was creative, expressive, lively and warm. Polar opposites in every way, but always side by side on the stage of rivalry.
It wasn’t surprising when students began to ship them.
When their gazes locked during debates, it looked like a scene straight out of a romance drama. When Steven handed back a paper Shuaibo had dropped, their fingers brushed a second too long. When Shuaibo smirked at Steven’s perfect test score, it felt less like rivalry and more like teasing (flirting in all but name.).
Yet neither of them ever played along.
To Steven, Shuaibo was an irritating distraction.
To Shuaibo, Steven was an arrogant perfectionist. At least, that’s what they told themselves.
By the time high school ended, they thought they’d see each other less, or maybe never again.
But fate had a cruel sense of humor.
“Steven??”
Why in the world…
Steven’s stomach twisted.
“Zhang Shuaibo?”
He turned. Shuaibo is standing infront of him again. His hair is slightly longer now, dyed a soft brown that nearly fell over his eyes. A sketchbook was tucked under one arm, and he wore a loose white shirt that looked more suited for a gallery than a lecture hall. And beside him was someone familiar.
“Woongki?” Steven blinked.
Woongki grinned, slinging an arm around Shuaibo’s shoulder with the same easy friendliness he’d had in high school. “Yoh! Long time no see! Who would’ve thought the three of us would end up here?”
It turned out they had both been accepted into the same university, though in different majors. Steven chose Business and Economics, the practical path his parents expected. Shuaibo chose the Arts, where he could breathe and create. Woongki, too, had taken the Arts landing in the same major as Shuaibo, which meant the two of them were already inseparable again.
“What are you doing here?” Shuaibo asked, tilting his head. His smirk was softer now, but no less irritating.
“I’m a student here,” Steven replied flatly.
Shuaibo grinned. “So am I. Looks like we’re stuck together again.”
Woongki laughed. “No way! Steven, the future CEO himself? Still serious as ever.” He gave Shuaibo a playful nudge. “Guess you’ll be seeing a lot of each other again. History repeats, right?”
“Different majors,” Steven said, narrowing his eyes. “We won’t see much of each other.”
“Ooohhh” Woongki made a dramatic sound, glancing between them.
“Same lines, different year. Some things really don’t change.”
And still, in the following weeks, Steven found Shuaibo everywhere. At the library, flipping through art books while Steven studied balance sheets. At the campus café, sketching by the window while Steven revised for exams. At the student fair, Shuaibo surrounded by admirers, painting effortlessly on the spot.
No matter where Steven went, Shuaibo always seemed to be nearby and try as he might to ignore it, a flicker of curiosity and something else he didn’t want to admit kept bothering him.
University life settled around them before they even realized it. Their rivalry never disappeared, it just… shifted. No more medals or high school trophies now, it was about who turned in projects first, who drew the bigger crowd at presentations, who impressed professors the most.
Shuaibo thrived in Arts, just as he should. His parents had never forced him into their mold, he had chosen Arts because he wanted to. But that freedom only made him more determined to prove himself. He hated the thought of letting them down, so he pushed himself to the top, even when it meant burning out.
Steven, meanwhile, climbed to the top of his major just as everyone expected, sharp mind, sharper grades, the son destined to inherit a business empire. His parents never let him forget that he was the only heir, the one who had to carry their legacy perfectly, without a single misstep.
Over time, their circles began to overlap. Woongki introduced Shuaibo to Jeongwoo and JL, both from Steven’s department. Soon enough, the five of them were eating together between classes, trading memes at two in the morning, showing up at each other’s events though Shuaibo was rarely there, always slipping away with some excuse.
Even in shared company, Steven and Shuaibo kept a careful distance. They spoke when they had to, clashed when provoked, and otherwise orbited on opposite sides of the same group. Still, Steven caught Shuaibo’s gaze more than once across the table, irritating, mischievous, while Shuaibo noticed the sharpness in Steven’s eyes, precise and watchful even in casual moments.
Once rivals, always rivals.
And yet, neither could deny the subtle pull of attention the other still commanded.
By sophomore year, nothing between them had changed. They still competed, still held their ground. And yet… everything else around them had changed.
Family expectations pressed down from both sides.
Steven’s parents were already arranging introductions, eager to see him paired with someone promising. Shuaibo’s weren’t as strict, but he still chased excellence, terrified of disappointing those who had trusted him to choose his own path.
When those pressures collided, dragging them into a situation that blurred rivalry into something else neither could have predicted where it would lead.
. . . . . . . . . .
The Zhang household was never loud in the mornings. Just the soft clatter of dishes, the warm smell of soy milk and fresh bread, and his mother humming faintly as she set the table. “Heading out early again?” Mrs. Zhang asked as Shuaibo slung his bag over his shoulder.
He grinned sheepishly. “Deadlines. You know how it is.”
His father peeked over the morning paper, “Don’t overwork yourself, son. You chose this path to enjoy it, not to lose sleep over it.”
“I know.” Shuaibo’s smile lingered, but his grip on the bag tightened. He never wanted them to feel regret for letting him pursue Arts. That was why he couldn’t slack. If they gave him freedom, he would make sure he was worthy of it.
As he slipped on his shoes, Mrs. Zhang called after him, “Zhangshu, don’t stay too late at the studio tonight. Come home early, alright? Your father and I have something important to discuss with you.”
Shuaibo tilted his head, curious. “Important?”
"You'll know tonight!"
He waved goodbye and stepped into the crisp morning air, lungs filling with the cool, refreshing calm of early daylight.
Across the town, the Kim family’s breakfast was a different world.
“Steven, you’re not getting any younger.”
He nearly choked on his coffee. “I’m twenty, Mom!!”
Mrs. Kim lightly touched her lips with a napkin, calm on the surface but precise in her words. “Exactly. Your father and I think it’s time you started meeting responsible people, the kind who understand our business and values.” Steven set his cup down a little too firmly, forcing a polite nod.
Not this again.
He didn’t want to be paraded around like a company asset, but he knew better than to argue. “I’ll see what I can do,” he said, keeping his voice level.
“Make sure you have time,” his father replied, carefully watching him over the rim of his coffee cup.
Silence fell over the table for the rest of breakfast. By the time Steven pushed back his chair, his mood had turned as heavy as clouds, stark against the freshness of the morning outside.
At the campus café, Jeongwoo and JL sprawled lazily over their drinks, while Woongki sat beside them, sipping milk tea with wide, innocent eyes. Steven walked in, and his expression left no doubt about his mood.
“You look like you failed a class,” Jeongwoo quickly remarked.
“Worse.” Steven dropped into the chair opposite them. “My parents are trying to set me up with someone.”
JL raised an eyebrow. “Again ?”
“Yes, this time with their partner’s son. I wanna tell them No, but you know how they are.”
Jeongwoo leaned forward, a mischievous spark in his eyes. “So… why don’t you fake a relationship?”
Steven blinked. “Excuse me?”
“Just tell them you’ve got a boyfriend,” JL added with a smirk. “Pick someone they’d actually believe. Someone unexpected.”
Steven frowned, clearly thinking it over. Jeongwoo nodded along, as if JL’s idea made perfect sense.
Woongki, who had been quiet until now, suddenly spoke up. “What about Zhang Shuaibo?”
Steven nearly spat out his drink.
“Wtf, Woongki? Absolutely not. HELL NO!!!”
Jeongwoo lost it immediately, half falling off his chair.
“Pfft, OMG…Steven and Shuaibo? That’s hilarious!”
“Think about it,” Woongki said, his eyes far too innocent for the thought he was clearly having.
“People already ship you two. The Two Princes, remember? It’ll look really convincing. Your parents will have no doubts.”
Steven glared. “He’s the last person I’d ever—”
“…exactly why it works!”Jeongwoo interrupted smoothly. “No one would suspect you’d team up with your rival unless it was real.”
JL chuckled. “And if it keeps your parents off your back, isn’t it worth swallowing a little pride?”
Steven opened his mouth to argue, but then closed it again. His parents would never stop otherwise. And… Woongki was right. People already whispered about him and Shuaibo. If he played it carefully, it could be the perfect cover.
He rubbed his temple. “I hate this idea.”
“Which means it’s perfect,” Jeongwoo said cheerfully.
Later that evening, Steven ended up outside the art building, nerves chewing at him. (Why was he nervous? Hell no. This was stupid.)
Shuaibo came out of the studio, laughing at something one of the friends said. His smile lingered, until his eyes landed on Steven. Just like that, gone.
“What do you want, Steven Kim?” Shuaibo asked, tension already rising in the air between them.
Steven inhaled deeply. “I need a favor.”
Shuaibo raised an eyebrow, a smirk tugging at his lips. Oh, should be good.
He tilted his head, eyes narrowing like he was trying to read Steven’s mind. “From me?” His chuckle was low, amused. “Wow. You really must be desperate, Steven Kim.”
Steven let out a sigh, biting back the string of curses on his tongue.
Patience. Don’t punch him. You need him.
“It’s not what you think. I just… need you to play along. Temporarily.”
Shuaibo crossed his arms, eyes looking answer. “Play along with what, exactly?”
Steven glanced around, making sure no one was close enough to eavesdrop. With students coming out of the building, he lowered his voice. “My parents are setting me up on a blind date with someone. I don’t want it. So I told them…” He swallowed his pride. “….that I already have a boyfriend.”
He lied, he just recently agreed to the friends’ ideas and came to find Shuaibo. He hadn’t told his parents yet, but it didn’t matter. All he needed was for Shuaibo to help (by which he meant, accept his favor.)
Shuaibo’s lips curled into a slow, amused smile. “Let me guess. You’re about to ask me to fill the role.”
Steven shifted uncomfortably. “You don’t have to look so entertained.”
“Why me?” Shuaibo asked, raising an eyebrow. “You have plenty of friends. Why not Jeongwoo or JL?”
Steven muttered, “Because they’re both already dating. And Woongki suggested you.”
That got a reaction. Shuaibo’s brows rose. “Woongki did?”
“He said people already… ship us. So it’ll be convincing.” Steven said the words like they tasted sour.
For a moment, Shuaibo just stared at him, then let out a laugh. “Of course. The universe just loves a good joke.” He shook his head.
Steven glared, shooting him an annoyed look. “This isn’t funny. I wouldn’t be asking if I had another option. Look, I know we’re not exactly…”He hesitated, searching for the right word. “…friends. But we’ve known each other long enough. You’d pull it off. And it’s not like you’re thrilled about your parents meddling in your life either.”
Shuaibo’s smile faded. His eyes flickered with something unreadable. After a few seconds, he spoke again, breaking the tension. “And how long are you planning to keep up this little performance?”
“Just until my parents drop it,” Steven said quickly. “One dinner. Maybe two. After that, we can… pretend to break up or something.”
Shuaibo studied him carefully, as if weighing every word. Then he said, “Fine. I’ll do it.”
Steven blinked. “Wait, what? Did you just say okay?” He hadn’t expected such a quick agreement.
“Didn’t expect you’d agree to something like this so fast.”
Yes, he admitted it, Zhang Shuaibo wasn’t as mean as he thought. But that didn’t make this any less nerve-wracking.
“Don’t look so surprised,” Shuaibo said, leaning in just slightly, close enough that Steven could feel the warmth of his breath. His voice dropped to a teasing whisper. “I have my reasons. And since this plan can solve my problems too, I’ll endure pretending to be your boyfriend. But just so we’re clear, I expect you to owe me, big time.”
F*ck. Steven cursed under his breath, realizing he’d underestimated him.
He replied, though his heart skipped uncomfortably at the closeness.
“Deal.”
Shuaibo turned to leave, throwing one last glance over his shoulder. “Just try not to fall in love with me, Steven.”
“As if.” Steven scoffed, trying to hide his fluster, but his red ears gave him away.