His Beautiful Rival

10.FELIX

Seraphina sat on a bench in the school courtyard, her eyes distant and unfocused. The sting of her father's slap still lingered on her cheek, a painful reminder of the constant pressure and demands at home. She tried to push the thoughts away, but they clung to her like a dark cloud.

“Hey, mind if I sit here?” a cheerful voice broke through her reverie.

She looked up to see a boy with a friendly smile and bright green eyes standing in front of her. Recognizing him, Seraphina managed a small smile. “Felix, right? The new transfer?”

Felix nodded, his smile widening. “Yeah, that’s me. And you’re Seraphina, my first cousin. It’s nice to finally meet you after a decade.”

Seraphina’s smile grew a bit more genuine. “Yeah, nice to meet you too. What brings you here?”

Felix shrugged, sitting down beside her. “Parents moved for work. It’s been a whirlwind, but I’m glad to have at least one familiar face around here.”

Seraphina nodded, appreciating his presence. “I can imagine. How’s your first day going?” Leaning forward on the heels of her palm.

“It’s been... interesting,” Felix said, glancing around. “But I think it’s getting better now that I’ve found you.”

Seraphina chuckled softly, the weight on her chest lifting slightly. “Well, I’m glad I can help.”

As they talked, a figure loomed in the distance. Blaze, on his way to the library, spotted Seraphina and Luca sitting close, talking and laughing. An unexpected surge of jealousy and irritation flared up inside him. He clenched his jaw, feeling a burning sensation in his gut that he couldn’t quite explain.

“What the hell are they doing?” he muttered under his breath, his eyes narrowing as he watched them. Without thinking, he cursed under his breath and turned sharply, heading towards the library with even more determination. “I don’t care. I don’t care about her,” he repeated to himself, but the bitterness in his voice betrayed his true feelings.

Blaze stormed into the library, his mind a chaotic mess. He slammed his books down on a table, drawing a few curious glances from other students. Ignoring them, he opened his Economics textbook, trying to focus on preparing for his test. But no matter how hard he tried, the image of Seraphina and Felix laughing together kept intruding on his thoughts.

“Why do I care?” he muttered, gripping his pencil, so tightly his knuckles turned white. “She’s just... just some girl. My enemy.”

But deep down, he knew that wasn’t entirely true. The truth was, seeing Seraphina with someone else—someone who clearly made her smile—made him feel something he didn’t want to admit. It wasn’t just jealousy; it was something more complicated, more confusing.

With a frustrated sigh, Blaze forced himself to concentrate on the pages in front of him, determined to push those unsettling feelings aside. He had a test to ace, and nothing—not even his conflicted emotions—was going to distract him from that goal.

But as he stared at the words on the page, they seemed to blur together, his mind stubbornly drifting back to Seraphina and Felix. And despite his best efforts, the burning sensation in his gut refused to fade.

The burning sensation in his gut had dulled slightly, but it flared up again when he saw them walk into the library together, whispering and laughing as if they shared a secret world.

Seraphina’s smile, bright and genuine, was like a knife twisting in his chest. He ground his teeth, his fury bubbling just below the surface. He couldn’t tear his eyes away from them as they sat down at a table directly across from his, their heads close together as they talked in hushed tones.

Blaze clenched his fists under the table, the anger coursing through him like wildfire and his knuckles turning white. Why did seeing her with Felix affect him so much? She was supposed to be his rival, his enemy. He should be glad she had someone else to distract her, someone who wasn’t him. But instead, he felt a burning, aching pain that he couldn’t explain.

“Focus, Blaze,” he muttered to himself, trying to drown out the sound of their laughter with the words on the page. “You have a test to prepare for. Don’t let them get to you.”

But it was no use. Every time he glanced up, he saw Felix leaning in closer, his expression earnest, and Seraphina smiling back, her eyes sparkling with amusement. The sight of her happiness only fueled Blaze’s rage.

He slammed his book shut, the loud noise echoing through the quiet library. A few students looked up, but he ignored them, too consumed by his own frustration to care. He stood up abruptly, shoving his chair back with a harsh scrape.

Seraphina glanced over, her smile fading slightly as she met Blaze’s furious gaze. For a moment, their eyes locked, and Blaze saw a flicker of confusion and something else. Something he couldn’t quite place—in her expression. But then she turned back to Luca, dismissing Blaze as if he were nothing more than a minor annoyance.

That was the final straw. Blaze stormed out of the library, his anger boiling over. He needed to get away, to clear his head before he did something he might regret. The cool air outside hit him like a splash of cold water, but it did little to calm the fire raging inside him.

“Why do I care?” he asked himself, his voice a low growl. “Why does seeing her with him make me so angry?”

He knew the answer, but he refused to admit it. Admitting it would mean acknowledging feelings he wasn’t ready to face, feelings that complicated everything.

Taking a deep breath, Blaze tried to focus on what he could control. He had to ace his test, prove to his father that he was capable, that he could succeed despite the distractions. He had to put Seraphina and Felix out of his mind and concentrate on his goals.

But as he walked away from the library, the image of Seraphina’s smile, so radiant and carefree, stayed with him. And the burning sensation in his gut, the gnawing ache of jealousy and confusion, refused to fade.

Blaze knew he couldn’t keep ignoring these feelings forever. Sooner or later, he would have to confront them, to understand why Seraphina affected him so deeply. But for now, all he could do was try to push them down and focus on what lay ahead. Rubbing his tear-filled eyes, he focused on the countryside outside the school.

Gulping down his raw emotions, he walked to the washroom. On entering the empty washroom, he sighed in relief and splashed cold water on his burning face. The cold liquid calmed down his guts as he leaned on the slab, avoiding looking into his eyes.

"What am I doing?" His eyes finally raked over his tired face, blood-red eyes and swollen cheek.

Huffing out, he let the water drip from his face and strolled out of the washroom with his face wet. Upon exiting the washroom, he collided with a small car and stumbled but soon got hold of himself.

His eyes took in the features, but something else caught his attention.

Seraphina's swollen cheek came into his sight, making him draw his eyebrows closer as he leaned on her face and tilted her chin up for a better view. Her breath hitched on his as she struggled to get out of his hold. But he only tightened his hold and circled her waist with his other arm.

"What is this?" He asked in a trance, grazing her cheek with anger.

"N-nothing," letting out a shaky breath, she pushed him out of her face and shoved herself into the female washroom, leaving Blaze alone with his thoughts.

What was she going through? The question rang like a bell in his head, making him tighten his jaw harder and saunter away from the washroom.

"Why do I care?" He hissed as the bell rang, making him fasten his pace for his English Lit class.