The fake relationship was starting to feel… normal.
Too normal.
Students no longer reacted loudly when they saw us together.Whispers still happened, but they weren't as intense.
And that made everything more dangerous.
Because now people were watching quietly.
Which meant any small mistake would be noticed.
After School
Ethan and I stayed back again for competition practice.
The classroom was almost empty.
We were solving practice questions when the door suddenly opened.
I looked up.
A girl from another class walked in.
She seemed nervous.
And she wasn't looking at me.
She was looking at Ethan.
"Ethan," she said softly. "Can I talk to you for a minute?"
I immediately focused back on my notebook.
This was normal.
He was popular.
Of course people would approach him.
But instead of standing up, Ethan glanced at me first.
That surprised me.
Then he said calmly,
"Sure. You can speak here."
The girl hesitated.
Then asked directly,
"Is it true you're dating Lena?"
The room felt quiet again.
My heart beat slightly faster.
I didn't look at him.
I kept pretending to read.
Ethan answered without hesitation.
"Yes."
Simple.
Clear.
No drama.
The girl looked disappointed, then nodded and left quietly.
When the door closed, I finally spoke.
"You don't have to answer so confidently every time."
He leaned back in his chair.
"It makes the story consistent."
I frowned.
"You really think like this is some strategy game."
He looked at me.
"Isn't it?"
That question stayed in the air.
Was it?
Was this still just strategy?
Or had it become something else without us noticing?
A Small Moment
Later, while packing up to leave, I accidentally dropped my notebook.
Before I could bend down, Ethan had already picked it up.
Our hands touched for a second.
Just a second.
But it felt longer.
He handed it back to me.
"You're distracted again," he said lightly.
"I am not."
"You are."
I looked at him.
For some reason, he wasn't smiling this time.
His expression was calm.
Serious.
Almost thoughtful.
And suddenly, he said something unexpected.
"Lena."
Hearing him say my name still felt different.
"Yes?"
"If anyone ever bothers you because of this," he paused slightly, "tell me."
The tone wasn't arrogant.
It wasn't playful.
It was protective.
My chest felt warm for no clear reason.
"I can handle myself," I replied quickly.
He nodded.
"I know."
That answer surprised me.
He believed in me.
Not as a fake girlfriend.
But as a rival.
As someone strong.
For a moment, the rivalry didn't feel like competition.
It felt like respect.
We walked out of the classroom together.
The hallway was quieter now.
And as we walked side by side, I realized something small but important.
We weren't arguing anymore.
We weren't competing constantly.
We were cooperating.
And maybe…
That was more dangerous than rivalry.
Because now, I was starting to enjoy being around him.
And that wasn't part of the plan.