Minseo and Natalie's rivalry

Jade and Cora give their successors a friendly wave as they pass between them, then hurry off, eager to be back in training for their differing sporting events. You usher in the next pair and get your first good look at the two ravishing beauties, who had been waiting on opposite sides of the door in silence, as far from each other as reasonably possible.

Minseo is a small and slender girl of Korean descent, although her towering heels and smart black ensemble of pencil skirt and bustier emphasize her modest curves magnificently. Natalie is taller and thinner, but not so well endowed, whilst her loose, gauzy grey blouse and skirt leave as little to the imagination as possible without becoming obscene. Both girls are brunettes, Minseo wearing her hair long and straight, Natalie in a chic crop and their make-up is subtle and expertly applied. If they're competing to be the most pleasing to look at, then they're doing a good job.

The girls get set up on your table and you motion them to sit so you can go through their work. Uniquely, Natalie has taken a contrarian position to that adopted by all your other students, but her arguments are cohesive and cogent, backed up by solid research and impeccable citations. Despite this, you can't help feeling that she doesn't really believe the stance she advocated, but only chose to write her essay this way to be adversarial with her tute-partner. For her part, Minseo has produced a tour de **** in rebuttal, which she defends with forthrightness and humour in the impromptu debate which develops while they explain their opposing arguments.

The girls are polite and respectful, to each other as well as you, but you can tell that the outcome of their verbal wrangle is not inconsequential to them; they fiercely want to win and, more importantly, decisively defeat the other academically.

In fact, the debate is so stimulating that you almost lose track of time. Both participants acquit themselves superbly and although their viewpoints are equally valid, you're surprised by just how evenly matched they turn out to be. Eventually, you have to bring the discussion to an end with honours equal, to the obvious disappointment of your students, who were clearly hoping you would favour one over the other. Their personal rivalry has certainly spurred them on to produce some truly excellent work, but you're worried it may start to degenerate into something more toxic if you don't give them some guidance soon.