Daniel stood outside the room, his body tense. His heart was pounding—not from exhaustion after running, but from an unbearable jealousy. Through the crack in the door, he could see Randy and Aisha talking—too close, in his opinion. His lips tightened, and his eyes were filled with suppressed rage.
"I'm fine, Randy. Thank you for helping me," Aisha's voice was soft, a small smile on her face.
"Don't worry, Aisha. I just did what I had to do," Randy replied, his voice calm but full of care. He looked at Aisha with a gentle gaze, making Daniel even angrier.
Daniel clenched his fists. *Always Randy,* he thought angrily. *He's always the hero. Always better, faster, more... everything.*
A few minutes earlier, when Aisha fainted on the field, Daniel was among those who ran to help. But Randy got there first, and now he had all of Aisha's attention. This wasn't the first time Randy outdid him—in fact, it had happened repeatedly since Randy transferred to their campus.
Before Randy's arrival, Daniel was the center of attention. His friends admired him, professors praised him, and, most importantly, all eyes on campus were on him. But everything changed when Randy came. It was as if Randy stole everything that had once belonged to Daniel.
"Randy, you're always in the right place at the right time," Aisha smiled, and her smile pierced Daniel's heart. How could Randy always manage to be in the perfect place, at the perfect time? Why was he always the center of attention?
Daniel bit his lower lip, holding back the anger boiling in his chest. His mind raced back to the past, to the first time he and Randy met. Randy transferred to their campus about a year ago, and since then, a quiet rivalry had begun. For Daniel, popularity was everything. It was his identity—the guy everyone wanted, the guy who always got what he wanted. But Randy's arrival changed everything.
Since Randy's arrival, the attention once focused on Daniel was now split. Students who once admired him began to shift their interest to Randy. Girls who once only had eyes for Daniel now smiled at Randy. And the worst part, Randy didn't seem to care about any of it. For Randy, everything happened naturally—without effort, without ambition, while Daniel worked hard to maintain his status.
"I'm glad you're okay," Randy said again, making Daniel's fury rise further. *Not just okay, but she looks happy with you,* Daniel muttered inwardly.
Breathing heavily to suppress his rage, Daniel walked away from the door, unable to watch them together any longer. In his mind, a voice echoed, 'I will not lose to you, Randy. Never.'
As he walked out, an idea began to take shape in his mind. There was a way to beat Randy, a subtler, sharper way than just competing in front of everyone. Daniel knew that if he wanted to reclaim his place at the top, he had to make a smart move.
Day by day, Aisha and Randy's closeness became the talk of the campus. They were always together, sharing laughs in the cafeteria, sitting side by side in class, and even studying together in the library. Whispers of admiration began to spread among the students who watched them.
"Hey, did you hear? They say Randy and Aisha are officially dating," whispered a long-haired girl to her friends.
"Yeah, that's what I heard," added a short-haired girl. "It's no surprise; they've been together all this time."
"They really are a perfect couple. Randy, the campus prince, and Aisha... as beautiful as a princess," said a girl with glasses. They continued gossiping about Randy and Aisha, not caring that their conversation could be heard by anyone.
Daniel, who happened to pass by, heard the conversation. His face turned red, and his hands clenched tightly. Those whispers, those praises for Randy, made his anger burn even more. Ever since Randy joined the campus, the attention that used to be his was now turning towards Randy. And now, Randy had managed to win Aisha, the girl he had long desired.
"This can't go on," Daniel muttered to himself, his eyes fixed sharply on the couple laughing together in the distance. "I have to get Aisha... Yes, I have to take her away from Randy, no matter what," he said in a monologue, as if trying to convince himself.
Lost in his thoughts, a soft tap on his shoulder startled Daniel. He turned to see Liam and some other friends approaching.
"What's with the deep thought, Dan?" Liam asked with a smile.
"Oh, you guys... I've been looking for you. There's something I want to talk about," Daniel replied, a bit nervous but trying to appear calm.
"Sounds serious. Let's go to the rooftop then, as usual," suggested Rafa. Without waiting for an answer, they headed to the rooftop, a place where they often hung out during breaks.
Once there, Rafa leaned against the railing, looking at Daniel expectantly. "Alright, now tell us what you wanted to say."
Daniel took a deep breath. "Have you heard the rumors about Aisha and Randy dating?"
Liam nodded casually. "Yeah, that rumor has spread all over campus. I think everyone knows."
"So, what if they are dating?" Liam asked, looking at Daniel curiously.
Daniel looked at them one by one, his face serious. "I want to take Aisha away from Randy."
Those words left his friends silent, shocked. Anton was the first to react. "What did you say? You want to steal Aisha?"
Rafa shook his head in disbelief. "Don't be foolish, Daniel. I know you're competing with Randy, but that doesn't mean you have to take his girlfriend too. There are plenty of other girls on this campus."
"Rafa, it's not just about competing," Daniel replied firmly. "Yes, I am competing with Randy, and I don't want to lose to him. But when it comes to Aisha, I'm truly in love with her."
Rafa looked at Daniel skeptically. "Come on, Dan. I know Aisha is beautiful, but there are many other girls who are just as beautiful, who are single, and who you can easily get."
Daniel snorted. "Yes, I know. I could get any girl I want with my father's wealth and influence. But Aisha... she's different. She's the only girl that's hard for me to get."
Rafa just looked at Daniel with a concerned expression. "Daniel, I think what you're feeling isn't love, but an obsession to own Aisha completely."
Daniel glared at Rafa angrily. "No! This isn't an obsession! I'm sure what I feel is love!"
Liam, who had been listening quietly, finally spoke up. "Daniel, I understand your feelings. But you can't force your feelings on someone who has clearly rejected them. It's best to forget Aisha and find someone else on this campus."
Daniel's expression turned sour, his voice rising. "Why aren't you supporting me? Aren't you supposed to be my friends?"
"Of course we're your friends," Liam answered wisely. "But we don't want you to be someone who destroys other people's relationships."
Daniel's face grew even redder, his anger boiling over. "Fine! If you don't want to help me, I'll just leave!" He stormed off, leaving them behind without looking back.