The school announced it officially.
The national academic competition would begin in two weeks.
And this time… it wasn't individual.
It was team-based.
Which meant Ethan and I would compete together.
When I saw the announcement on the board, my stomach tightened slightly.
"Looks like we'll really have to cooperate now," Ethan said beside me.
I glanced at him.
"We already are."
He gave a small nod.
"Good."
Practice Round
That afternoon, our teacher gave us a practice team challenge.
We had to solve a complex logic puzzle together under time pressure.
No arguing allowed.
We sat side by side this time instead of across from each other.
It felt more natural.
The timer started.
Immediately, I began reading the question.
Ethan listened carefully.
Instead of interrupting, he waited for me to finish.
That surprised me.
Normally, we would compete over who solved it first.
But now…
He simply said, "What do you think?"
Not "I think."
"What do you think?"
I looked at him.
For a moment, I hesitated.
Then I explained my idea.
He didn't dismiss it.
He thought about it.
Then nodded.
"That could work."
No ego.
No competition.
Just teamwork.
We combined both of our ideas.
And slowly, the solution started forming.
It felt… efficient.
Like we were actually a strong team.
When the teacher checked our answer, she smiled.
"Excellent. You solved it faster than expected."
I felt proud.
But what surprised me most…
Was that Ethan looked at me with something like approval.
Not arrogance.
Just quiet satisfaction.
"You did well," he said softly.
My heart skipped slightly.
"Don't sound so surprised," I replied.
He smiled faintly.
"I'm not surprised."
That answer made my cheeks feel warm.
After Practice
We walked out of the classroom together.
Some students were watching us again.
But this time, there were fewer whispers.
The fake relationship seemed more stable now.
Suddenly, a boy from another class approached us.
He looked confident.
"You're Lena Carter, right?"
"Yes?"
He smiled.
"I heard you're dating Ethan."
I froze slightly.
Before I could respond, Ethan stepped slightly closer to me.
Not dramatic.
Just protective.
"Yes," he said calmly.
The boy glanced between us.
"Interesting."
Then he walked away.
When he was gone, I looked at Ethan.
"You didn't have to do that every time."
"Do what?"
"Stand like that."
He looked at me.
"Like what?"
"Like you're defending me."
There was a short pause.
Then he replied quietly,
"It's part of the agreement."
But something about the way he said it felt different.
Not playful.
Not fake.
Just… natural.
And for a second, I wondered something I didn't want to admit.
If this was really just an act…
Why did it feel like he was becoming more important to me every day?