The afternoon sun slanted across the pavement, painting the streets in amber light. Students spilled from the gates of the academy in chattering groups, peeling off toward their neighborhoods. Amid the crowd, two figures stood out—not because they tried, but because their very existence refused to blend in.
Cassian walked with calm, steady strides, posture straight, ocean eyes fixed ahead. Beside him, Altair flailed his arms like a conductor orchestrating chaos, words spilling with all the fire of a man convinced his mission was righteous.
"You cheated," Altair declared, pointing at him with righteous indignation. "That so-called food duel was fraudulent! Corrupt! A scam of cosmic proportions!"
Cassian didn't even turn his head. "You mean the duel you invented?"
"Yes! Exactly that one!"
"Mm."
Altair gasped. "Do not dismiss me with that monk-like hum! You think you're so wise, but all you did was eat slowly and wait for me to choke on rice. That's not skill, that's cowardice."
Cassian's lips quirked. "And yet, you're the one who almost fainted."
"That was strategy," Altair said with utmost confidence. "I was lulling you into a false sense of security, allowing the crowd to underestimate me. A fox knows when to play dead before striking."
Cassian finally glanced at him, smirking. "So the groaning, red face, and clutching your stomach was… acting?"
Altair sniffed. "Oscar-worthy."
"Mm."
"There it is again! That infuriating hum!" Altair waved his hands dramatically, nearly colliding with a lamp post. Cassian casually reached out and pulled him aside by the collar.
"Watch where you're going," Cassian said.
Altair swatted his hand away. "Don't touch me! I don't need saving!"
"Sure you don't."
Their classmates passing by on the opposite sidewalk glanced over, whispering. One girl giggled. "Look at them—they're totally flirting."
Altair, hearing only the laughter, puffed up proudly. "Yes, laugh! Laugh at my rival's disgrace!"
Cassian chuckled under his breath. "Oblivious as ever."
"What was that?"
"Nothing."
---
The Sidewalk Duel
"Anyway," Altair continued, unwilling to surrender the floor, "this rivalry of ours needs rules. Proper rules! Otherwise, how will history record our legendary battles?"
Cassian gave him a sidelong glance. "You think history cares?"
"Of course it cares! One day, future generations will study the chronicles of Altair the Brilliant and Cassian the Brooding, eternal rivals locked in combat for supremacy of the academy!"
"You really like hearing yourself talk, don't you?"
"It is not vanity, it is narration!" Altair gestured to the air dramatically, as though narrating to an invisible audience. "The world must know my perspective, otherwise your stoic silence will rewrite the truth in your favor."
Cassian smirked. "You're worried people will take my side?"
"They already do!" Altair accused. "Do you know how many students today dared to whisper that we looked like we were having a lovers' quarrel?!"
"…Because you shouted at me like an angry spouse."
Altair clutched his chest. "The audacity! I was expressing the hatred of a thousand suns!"
"Mm."
"There it is again! You do that on purpose!"
Cassian's eyes glimmered with quiet amusement. "Maybe."
Altair nearly tripped over his own outrage. "You—! You infuriating pickle! You think you're so calm, so untouchable, but one day I will—"
Cassian cut in smoothly. "—what? Flirt me into submission?"
Altair froze, jaw falling open. "EXCUSE ME?!"
Cassian's smirk deepened. "You heard me."
"I was ranting! Expressing my righteous fury! Don't twist my words into—into some—romantic insinuation!" Altair's face was redder than the setting sun. "That is blasphemy!"
"And yet," Cassian said lightly, "everyone around us thinks otherwise."
Altair spluttered like a kettle. "That is because they are fools! Idiots! Blind sheep led astray by the serene mask of a wolf! I am not flirting—I am antagonizing you!"
"Sure."
"Stop agreeing with me like you don't believe me!"
"Mm."
"Cassian!"
Cassian chuckled, low and rich, enjoying the way Altair's entire being combusted with indignation.
---
The Shortcut
They turned down a quieter street, away from the last trickle of students. The air was cooler here, cicadas humming in the hedges. Altair finally slowed his rant, though his glare remained sharp.
"You are insufferable," he muttered.
"And yet, here you are. Walking home with me."
Altair opened his mouth, then closed it, then opened it again. "…That is coincidence! Mere coincidence! We just happen to live in the same direction."
"Mm."
"I swear, Cassian, if you hum one more time—"
"What will you do?"
Altair flailed, words failing him for once. "I—I will… I'll outshine you at the next test, that's what! And the next event, and the next duel, and every single thing until you are nothing but a footnote in the legend of Altair!"
Cassian's smirk softened into something quieter, more genuine. "I look forward to it."
Altair blinked. For a moment, the usual retort caught in his throat. His chest tightened strangely at Cassian's tone—not mocking, not dismissive, but… sincere.
He shook it off immediately, scowling. "Don't think I won't! I will make your life a living hell of rivalrous defeat!"
Cassian chuckled. "You already do."
---
The Crossroads
They reached the corner where their paths split. Altair stopped, arms crossed, chin lifted in defiance.
"This rivalry is far from over," he declared.
"It never is," Cassian replied calmly.
Altair leaned forward, eyes blazing. "One day, I will surpass you so completely that you will have no choice but to kneel and acknowledge me as your superior!"
Cassian leaned slightly closer, their faces inches apart. "We'll see."
Altair froze, caught off guard by the nearness. For one absurd moment, he thought Cassian might actually—
He shook the thought violently from his head, stepping back with a scoff. "Hmph! Don't think you've rattled me, Cassian. I am un-rattle-able."
"Sure you are."
Altair stomped his foot like a petulant child. "Argh! You're impossible!"
Cassian gave him a half-smile that was far too knowing. "See you tomorrow, fox."
Altair's heart did something inconvenient, so he smothered it with more outrage. "Stop calling me that!"
Cassian only raised a hand in lazy farewell, turning down his street.
Altair watched him go, fuming, unaware of how soft his own expression had turned. He muttered to himself, "One day, Cassian. One day I'll prove it…"
Passersby who overheard only shook their heads, smiling knowingly. To them, it was obvious. To Altair, it was rivalry. Nothing more.
Or so he told himself.