RIVAL OR DATE? [PERTHSANTA]

CHAPTER 1

Perth lounged comfortably under the big old tree in the courtyard, munching on a Pepero Hazelnut stick. It was his favorite snack for a lazy afternoon, and he was savoring every bite while scrolling through his phone. The stone bench beneath him was cool, the breeze just right.

Out of nowhere, Gemini plopped down beside him and, without warning, snatched a Pepero stick right out of Perth's hand.

"Oi!" Perth glared, half-amused, half-annoyed.

Gemini just grinned mischievously, the Pepero already halfway to his mouth. "What? I was hungry," he said, chomping on the other end.

Perth narrowed his eyes, then smirked. "Oh yeah?" he said, snatching the Pepero stick from Gemini's mouth and casually biting off the other end.

Gemini looked at him, shocked, and then burst out laughing. "You really went there, huh? You just stole your own Pepero back from my mouth!"

Satang, who'd been passing by, stopped in his tracks and stared at the two of them, a look of pure disgust on his face. "Oh my god, Perth. Seriously? That's gross!"

"What? It's not that deep," Perth said with a shrug, tossing the empty Pepero wrapper aside. "Besides, I'm not about to let Gemini eat my last one. These are precious!"

Satang rolled his eyes, crossing his arms. "And you wonder why you're single. You're practically begging for it at this point."

Perth raised an eyebrow, looking amused. "Oh please, as if I want a boyfriend," he scoffed. "If I actually dated someone, all my fans would disappear. No one would chase after me anymore. My hotness would vanish. Gone!"

Ohm, who had overheard this while walking by, couldn't hold back a laugh. He came over, shaking his head. "Your hotness would vanish? That's your worry?"

"Exactly!" Perth said, serious but dramatic. "Do you know how many people in this college admire me? They're all after me! If I were taken, it'd break their hearts. I'm doing them a favor by staying single!"

Gemini rolled his eyes, smirking. "Oh, right, you're doing them a favor. Such a sacrifice, Perth."

"Oh, please," Satang said, sitting down beside them. "You're in denial. Everyone else has managed to find someone, but you're here, munching Pepero sticks and pretending you're the college superstar. Look at Ohm—he's happy. Look at me—I'm happy. Gemini? Happy. But you? Single as a Pringle and still acting like it's a choice!"

Perth shook his head, laughing. "Trust me, when I do settle down, it'll be a big deal. People will talk about it for years. 'Perth, the legend, is finally taken.' There'll be heartbreak all around campus."

Gemini snorted. "Legend? Please. You're hot, but you're a bit full of yourself, don't you think?"

Perth gave a casual shrug, leaning back on the stone bench. "It's not called being full of myself. It's called self-confidence. You could learn from it, Gemini."

Ohm, now fully entertained, chimed in. "Yeah, right. Self-confidence. More like delusional self-preservation. You're scared to date, admit it."

"Who, me?" Perth raised an eyebrow, clutching his chest dramatically. "Afraid? Please. I just haven't met anyone worth breaking hearts for, that's all."

"Oh sure, yeah," Satang muttered, shaking his head. "Let's just ignore that ridiculous logic. You're single because you want to keep all your 'fans' happy." He threw in some air quotes, raising an eyebrow. "What kind of thinking is that?"

"Exactly," Gemini said, laughing. "Who talks like this?"

Perth just grinned, unapologetic. "What can I say? I'm one of a kind." He reached into his bag and pulled out another Pepero stick, waving it tauntingly at Gemini. "Now, anyone else feel like stealing my snacks? Or have I made my point?"