"Look at you two, you're back together again! True friends, huh?" A teasing laugh rang out the moment Jinn and Jerome pushed open the large doors, each on the opposite side, into the classroom. The classroom, a moderate-sized one, was beginning to fill with a few students, and, naturally, all eyes were fixed on the two newly arrived young men.

 

"My dear friend, my true friend, didn't want to come here with me, did he? I'm just going home," Jinn replied to his best friend before walking off to the right, his usual spot, without even glancing back at the person who had walked off to the left. See? Even in class, they have to sit on opposite sides. You can tell they get along well!

 

"Damn, I can't believe it," Van nodded at Jerome and then affectionately put his arm around Jin's neck. Even though the two friends didn't get along, it didn't force others to hate them, too. After all, they'd been good friends between the two of them from beginning to end anyway; they didn't need anyone else to help them be nice.

 

"I'm so annoyed, you jerk." His large hand swept his light blue-brown hair back, a gesture that caused many of the girls and a few (a few) boys in the class to click their tongues in admiration of his coolness.

 

Jinn is handsome, the kind of attractive that no one with good eyesight could dispute. If there were a ranking of the most handsome guys in the university, he would definitely be in the top ten. His face is sharp but not overly intense; his eyebrows are thick and beautifully shaped; his nose is unusually prominent; and his thin lips often curve into a mischievous, teasing smile that has become his signature.

 

His sharp, sparkling eyes were at once flirtatious, charming, and intensely passionate. Anyone who met his gaze would say the same thing: "This guy is dangerous." Just looking into his eyes, you could tell he was dangerous, because that danger was so undeniable. But what makes him even more outstanding is his height of over 184 centimetres. His physique has perfectly balanced, beautifully toned muscles, not too much, not too little, like a well-maintained young man.

 

“Haha, whatever. Anyway, you know about that, right? Are you okay?” Van leaned in and whispered close to his best friend’s ear, not wanting anyone else in the class to hear. Although he thought everyone probably already knew, since this wasn’t the first time and probably wouldn’t be the last. The young man patted Jin’s shoulder lightly, a mixture of comfort and weariness.

 

"Of course I know. Otherwise, would I be this upset? Not only did I have to deal with him since morning, but he also snatched a guy away! What a pain!" Jin glanced at Jerome, then immediately pouted when the other man raised an eyebrow at him.

 

"Your preferences are way too similar, and Jay looks more like a gentleman. Get it?"

 

"This is my type, and I've always liked him. It's better this way. Before, I wasn't even gay, I think. Once I came out, he followed suit and even started hitting on me."

 

"You're always the same person as me. How are we ever going to be friends like this?" Jin glared and flipped off the guy sitting on the other side. Just seeing his face made him want to punch him in the face!

 

"Wow, you're no slouch either. Both of you have developed a habit of competing in everything you do. You're at a disadvantage because you show everything, but Jay is more of a quiet troublemaker," Van said, shaking his head with amusement.

 

To others, Jerome is a handsome, tall young man with a warm smile, who speaks politely and seems approachable. However, those who know him well or have spent a long time with him know that in reality, Jerome and Jin are practically identical in personality, differing only in their outward expression.

 

The truth is, neither choice is better than the other. I feel sorry for those young men. One used sincerity and openness, but in reality, wasn't entirely sincere. The other used deception? A charming, approachable image designed to lure the victim into a trap and ultimately win.

 

"I've never seen him take anyone seriously. He's just using people," Jin said. He wasn't a good person either, but he was quite straightforward. If he were going to be with someone, he'd have a clear conversation about where the relationship was going. Some people could talk for months, even if it always ended badly. Unlike him, who uses gentleness to approach people, then gradually distances himself and disappears once he gets what he wants. Well, if you choose it, good luck!

 

"Yeah, that's why I said you're both equally awful. No matter who you are, you're all the same. Haha." What sympathy could an outsider like him possibly have? They weren't that different at all; it was just a matter of who would get there first.

 

"Shit! I'm clearly better than him. Whatever, I don't want to care anymore." Jin was too lazy to dwell on it and get upset. They'd been competing against each other since elementary school, all the way to university. It was hard not to get used to it (or just accept it)!

 

"What's wrong with you? You've been staring at Jin a lot today. Why? Are you going to mess with him again?"

 

"I was just looking around. When have I ever been annoying? They always start it. Jerome averted his gaze from the group, constantly flashing the middle finger and turned back to look at the speaker as if nothing had happened. Hmm, if he counted, it seemed like he'd received several compliments from Jin today, hadn't he?

 

"You're something else, man. Anyone else would believe it, but sorry, I don't, because you've already messed with 70% of it. Like Beam, boy Jin was trying to woo, but you just snatched him away! And you still say that's not messing with him?" Farm shook his head, exasperated by his friend's competitive nature. They're both equally bad; neither is better or worse than the other. Don't flatter yourselves so much.

 

"He chose me, what else could I do?" Jerome shrugged indifferently, his handsome face, which was somewhat more delicate than most men's, smirking wickedly. In an instant, the smile vanished without a trace.

 

Jerome is of mixed heritage. His mother is half Thai and half English, married to his father, who is half Thai and half American. This means he inherited some physical traits from both families, and when everything is combined, he inevitably stands out.

 

His hair and eyebrows are jet black. His beautiful, rather sweet eyes are inherited from his mother; his irises are a light brown, slightly lighter than others. Long, curled eyelashes further enhance his lovely eyes, making them even more alluring. Those who make eye contact often feel drawn to him. He has a high, straight nose, thin, pretty lips, and a well-defined face. Yet, when all these features are combined, he doesn't appear harsh, but rather handsome in a gentle, sweet way—with beautiful eyes, a charming smile, and approachable, even though everything seems to contradict his true personality.

 

Jerome is 189 centimetres tall, a height he is extremely proud of. It often makes him the centre of attention wherever he goes. Moreover, his height is exactly 5 centimetres taller than Jin's. His tall, well-built physique, typical of a mixed-race man, boasts beautifully sculpted muscles like a model in a famous magazine, making Jerome one of the most attractive men in the eyes of many. See? Overall, he's much more than just a middle finger guy. Hmph!

 

Jerome unintentionally glanced at the person sitting across from him. His mind raced back to his disjointed dream from the previous night, and he frowned. He couldn't understand why he had to dream about that short guy, someone he disliked so much. And it wasn't even the same Jin as before; it was an older Jin, less annoying, a Jin who felt both familiar and strangely unfamiliar, for reasons he couldn't explain.

 

Because of this, Jerome kept turning to look at the other person today, even though he couldn't remember any details from the dream except for his face. But he didn't know why he felt so much curiosity, even though it was just a dream. Really strange

 

"So what? Just hooking up, not dating like usual, right? I'm serious, do you really like that kind of thing, or is it just because Jin likes him?" Farm asked, voicing his curiosity. He'd noticed for a long time that every time Jerome managed to steal someone from Jin, or even tried to woo someone himself, they'd only date for a short time before disappearing. It was a never-ending cycle. Sometimes he succeeded, sometimes he didn't, but it seemed like he was just doing it out of obligation or something like that.

 

"I don't know. It's just that the type of person Jin likes is always more interesting than anyone else," Jerome chuckled at his friend's exasperated expression. The young man knew he wasn't a good person, not at all. He loved competing with Jin in everything, whether it was academics or relationships.

 

Jerome didn't have a particular passion. He was good at anything he wanted to be. He never thought about what he wanted to be when he grew up because his life had always been smooth. His parents took care of him, and he could do whatever he wanted and be whatever he wanted without anyone forcing him to do anything.

 

His mother, Jenny, is a renowned photographer who still works full-time. His father, Vee, is a former famous model who has now opened his own successful restaurant. His older brother, Vince, is studying culinary arts in America, while he, Jerome, chose to study fashion design—a field he never considered before. But because Jin decided to study here, he thought it would be fun to compete against him.

 

Jin's mother is a fairly well-known designer and also a close friend of Jerome’s mother. It's no surprise that Jin chose this field of study. What's strange, though, is that despite knowing each other since they were seven years old, they don't get along the way adults would expect. They fight every chance they get, compete in everything they can, and insult each other whenever they can. They've been bickering since they were little. It's become a habit for him to always do what Jin does, wanting to compete with him, no matter how small or big the matter is.

Well, it's fun, huh?

 

"You're such a bad person." If it weren't for the fact that he felt a strong connection with him and got along with him best, Farm would want to run far away from someone as devious and terrifying as this guy.

 

"It's normal, isn't it? Everyone does the same thing. It's not just me." Jerome didn't think much of it, because he never considered himself a good person anyway. Besides, if he just flirted a little and those people reciprocated, it would be good for Jinn, too, so he wouldn't have to waste time dating. He was actually helping to test people's character. He should be thankful.

 

It's possible... if Jin knew what Jerome was thinking, this time it wouldn't just be a middle finger gesture. He might even smash that middle finger in Jerome's face until he's covered in blood.

 

"Fine, whatever," Farm didn't want to care anymore. He should just accept it, like Van had, because even if he did, he couldn't stop or interfere with those two anyway. They'd been competing since before they even met him. Whatever, let them compete for the rest of their lives. That way, they'd be each other's karmic enemies and wouldn't have time to bully others!