𝑭𝒂𝒄𝒂𝒅𝒆 | 𝘯𝘢𝘯𝘢𝘮𝘪 𝘬.

𝟏

The school bell rings, echoing through the hallways as students spill out of classrooms, chatting, laughing, and groaning over the latest assignments. You're in no particular rush, meandering through the crowded corridor on your way to your locker. Most of your friends have already left, probably heading to the café nearby or the library. But you? You have a different kind of problem to face—one that's been plaguing you all semester: math.

You open your locker with a sigh, tossing in a textbook and pulling out your crumpled math test results. A large, angry red 48/100 glares back at you from the paper, and you wince. It's the third failed math test this month. No matter how hard you try, no matter how many formulas you attempt to memorize, numbers just don't seem to click in your brain. You stuff the paper into your bag, muttering under your breath.

"Great. Just great."

You're not dumb—far from it. You're a pretty solid student in most subjects, but math? Math is your Achilles' heel. And you can already picture the conversation with your parents at dinner tonight. They've been on your case about your grades, and if they find out about another flunked exam, well... that's a disaster you're not ready to deal with.

As you slam your locker shut with more force than necessary, you catch a glimpse of Nanami Kento. He's standing at his locker not far from yours, his face set in that calm, unreadable expression he always wears. Neat, composed, a little too perfect, really. You've never spoken more than a few words to him in class, but he's hard not to notice. He's the kind of guy who seems like he has everything figured out—top of the class, disciplined, never flustered by anything.

You're about to turn away when a shrill voice rings through the hallway.

"Nanami-kun!"

A group of girls is lingering nearby, one of them stepping forward with a bright, flirtatious smile. "Are you free after school? Maybe we could study together?"

The girl's voice is sweet, her smile almost rehearsed, like she's done this a hundred times before. It's no secret that Nanami is one of the most sought-after guys in school, and girls are always trying to get his attention.

You pause, pretending to fix your bag as you watch out of the corner of your eye, already knowing how this will go.

Without even looking up from his locker, Nanami replies, "I'm busy."

His voice is polite but detached, and the girl's smile falters. She quickly tries to recover. "Oh, well... maybe another time?"

Nanami doesn't respond, continuing to organize his books like she's not even there.

The girl fidgets awkwardly before giving up, walking back to her friends with a disappointed shrug. You can hear them whispering and giggling as they retreat down the hall. You almost feel bad for her—but at the same time, it's no surprise. Nanami has this way of effortlessly deflecting attention, and yet, that only seems to make people more interested in him.

You snap out of your thoughts, turning to leave, but as you sling your bag over your shoulder, you feel a presence beside you.

"Hey."

The deep, calm voice startles you, and you turn to find Nanami Kento standing right next to you. Your heart skips a beat. You're not used to him being this close, let alone speaking to you directly.

"Uh, hey?" you reply, trying not to sound as confused as you feel. Why is Nanami Kento talking to you of all people?

He glances around briefly, then lowers his voice, his expression serious. "I need to ask you for a favour."

Your eyebrows shoot up. A favour? From Nanami? You're intrigued, to say the least. "What kind of favour?"

He hesitates for a moment, his eyes flicking back to the group of girls still lingering at the end of the hallway. Then, with that same calm composure, he says, "I need you to pretend to be my girlfriend."

What?

For a second, you're sure you misheard him. "Excuse me?"

"A fake relationship," he clarifies. "It'll be temporary."

You blink at him, completely thrown off. This was not the kind of favor you were expecting.

"Okay..." you say slowly. "Why would you need a fake girlfriend?"

Nanami's eyes shift toward the group of girls again, the faintest hint of annoyance crossing his features. "Lately, I've been getting a lot of unwanted attention," he explains, his voice low but steady. "It's distracting, and I don't have the time or interest to deal with it."

You take a second to process his words, your mind still trying to catch up. The most composed, serious guy in school needs a fake girlfriend to fend off admirers? It almost sounds ridiculous. But then again... you look at him—stoic, serious, perfectly put-together. You can see why people would constantly try to break down his walls.

"And you think this'll work?" you ask, crossing your arms skeptically.

Nanami's expression doesn't change. "Yes. People will lose interest once they see I'm already in a relationship."

You chew your lip, still unsure. "Okay, but... why me?"

He turns his gaze to you, his eyes steady. "Because you're not caught up in that drama. You're not the type to spread rumors, and you're not interested in unnecessary attention."

He has a point. You've always kept a low profile, and you don't really involve yourself in school gossip. But still...

"And what's in it for me?" you ask, raising an eyebrow.

Nanami doesn't hesitate. "I'll help you with whatever you need—homework, projects. You need help with math, don't you?"

Your stomach flips at the mention of math. Of course, Nanami would know that. He's in your class, after all, and you've failed more than enough tests for it to be common knowledge by now. But still, hearing it from him—someone who probably never struggles with any subject—stings a little.

"How do you know that?" you mutter, crossing your arms defensively.

Nanami raises an eyebrow, unfazed. "I've seen your test results. You're not bad in other subjects, but math is holding you back."

You're about to snap something back, but you stop yourself. He's right. You've been struggling in math all semester, and it's been dragging your grades down. If you fail one more test, your parents will lose it.

"And you're offering to tutor me?" you ask, the skepticism still clear in your voice.

Nanami nods. "In exchange for this arrangement."

The offer is tempting—really tempting. It's not like you have any better ideas for improving your math grades, and having Nanami, the top student, help you? That could actually save your skin. But at the same time, agreeing to a fake relationship with him? It's crazy.

You glance at Nanami again. His expression is calm, composed, but there's something else in his eyes—something genuine. He's not asking for this because he wants attention or drama. He just wants peace.

After a long pause, you sigh. "Fine. I'll do it."

For the first time, Nanami's expression softens just a little—a flicker of relief, maybe. "Thank you."

You smirk, a little more at ease now. "But if you flunk me in math, this deal is off."

Nanami chuckles lightly—something you've never heard from him before. "You won't."

As you walk down the hallway together, the weight of the deal you've just made starts to sink in. You're about to dive into something completely unexpected, and who knows how this will all play out?

But one thing's for sure: your school year just got a whole lot more interesting.