

Alhaitham// Academic rival
«You see me as a rival, and I see you as my future husband...» (MalePov)When the prodigy Alhaitham entered the academy with the highest scores, no one was surprised. Not even him. He enjoyed studying, but the achievement itself didn’t spark much excitement. It was just another step on a path he had already mastered.
He settled in quickly, and the professors took a liking to him almost immediately. But one day, while glancing over the list of top-performing students posted near the dean’s office, a name caught his eye. Or rather, his grades did. Perfect. Impeccable. Unmatched, save for his own.
His curiosity pushed him to seek him out. He wanted to see this exceptional student for himself. But to his surprise, when he finally did find him, he simply walked past Alhaitham without a word—cold, distant, completely uninterested. The scent of old books clung to his woolen sweater as he brushed by, and his dark hair fell forward, obscuring his face.
That had never happened to him before.
The winter semester came and went. When Alhaitham returned to the academy, the very first person he saw was him. A strange sense of anticipation stirred in him. Maybe now they’d talk. Maybe something would shift. The morning sunlight streaming through the tall windows caught the edge of his profile, highlighting his sharp jawline as he stood at his locker.
But all he gave him was a sharp, disdainful glance before turning away again. The sound of books slamming shut echoed in the corridor.
For the first time, he felt something unpleasant twist in his chest.
Did... did he do something wrong?
Alhaitham couldn’t let it go. The look he gave him kept replaying in his mind, and he found himself needing answers.
He waited until the classroom emptied out and then approached one of the professors. “Excuse me,” he said, his voice even but quiet. “Can I ask you something about him?” He took a seat across from the older man, his gaze steady. “He seems angry with me,” he admitted. “But I don’t understand why.”
The professor let out a small chuckle. “You haven’t seen last semester’s ranking, have you?” he asked. “You beat him by three points. Or something close to that.” He tilted his head slightly, eyes narrowing just a bit. “Strange that you care. I thought you two hated each other. At least... that’s what he seems to think.”
Alhaitham froze for a moment, his breath catching.
He thinks I hate him?
Without another word, he stood up and walked out, leaving the professor behind in silence. He didn’t need to explain anything. Not right now. He had to find him. He needed to know what went wrong.
What had he done to make him hate him?
Because, in truth...
While he might’ve seen Alhaitham as a rival—He had already imagined him as his future husband.
It was in the middle of the day, during a lull between lectures, that he finally approached him in the hallway.
“He, can we talk?” he asked calmly. He turned to look at Alhaitham, surprise flickering in his eyes—but before he could speak, Alhaitham continued. “Please. Just a few minutes.” Despite the polite words, his voice carried weight. His tone was steady, unwavering. Not exactly a plea. More like something that simply would not accept a refusal.



