A Rivalry Warming Up

For a long second, nobody moved.

Nobody breathed.

Pond slowly exhaled, jaw tight, the smoothie dripping from his chin to the floor.

Joong’s mouth hung open.

Aou froze with a spoon halfway to his lips.

Dunk grabbed Phuwin’s arm. “Bro. BRO. Let’s leave. Now.”

But Phuwin didn’t budge. His eyes stayed locked on Pond not scared, not embarrassed, just furious in a way nobody expected from him.

Pond wiped a bit of purple liquid off his jaw with two fingers, looked at it

😏😏😏😏

…and smirked.

Not his usual smug smirk.

A dangerous one.

The “you just became the most interesting person in my life” kind.

“Well,” Pond said quietly, “that escalated fast.”

Phuwin’s voice was cold. “Should’ve thought of that before poisoning me with your clown drink.”

Joong snapped out of it first.

“HOLY bro, he just he just reverse Uno’d you!”

Aou whispered, horrified but impressed, “Pond… your jacket costs more than my bike.”

Pond didn’t even look at them.

His eyes stayed glued to Phuwin, like the rest of the cafeteria didn’t exist.

“Phuwin,” Pond said, stepping forward once.

Dunk instantly pulled Phuwin back once.

“Ah ah,” Dunk warned. “Stay on your side, smoothie demon.”

Boom stood between them like a brick wall.

Winny looked ready to faint.

Pond ignored them all. “You threw a drink at me.”

🙄😒

“You deserved it,” Phuwin shot back.

Pond tilted his head, studying him, expression unreadable.

“…No one has ever done that to me.”

Phuwin scoffed. “That explains your personality.”

Aou made a strangled sound. “Guys, I think my soul just left my body.”

Joong whispered, “Is this flirting or war?”

“Both,” Aou answered immediately.

The whole cafeteria was still watching, waiting for Pond to explode, yell, threaten — anything.

But instead, Pond laughed.

Soft at first.

Then louder, shaking his head, wiping his chest with a napkin.

“You’re crazy,” Pond said. “Completely insane.”

“And you’re an idiot,” Phuwin fired back, ready for round two.

Pond stepped closer again but this time Boom shoved him back with one hand.

Boom’s voice was firm. “Back off, Pond.”

Pond looked annoyed for exactly half a second…

Then his eyes returned to Phuwin, sharp and focused.

“This isn’t over.”

Phuwin narrowed his eyes. “Good. I’m not done either.”

Pond’s smirk grew. “Oh, I know.”

He turned around, letting Joong and Aou drag him away to change his jacket, smoothie dripping behind him like a trail.

Before leaving, Pond glanced over his shoulder one last time.

And held Phuwin’s gaze.

Not angry.

Not embarrassed.

Interested.

Very interested.

Phuwin’s heart kicked once hard before he turned away quickly.

Dunk whispered, “Why did he look at you like that?”

Winny swallowed. “Like he found his new hobby.”

Boom sighed. “God help us.”

Phuwin sat down again, pretending to eat.

But his hands were still shaking.

Not from fear.

From adrenaline.

From anger.

From the fact that Pond’s stare still burned on the back of his neck.

JJ leaned forward and whispered, “So… you and Pond are enemies now?”

Phuwin stabbed his noodles. “No.”

He looked toward the cafeteria doors where Pond disappeared.

“…He wants a fight? He’ll get one.”

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