𝑭𝒂𝒄𝒂𝒅𝒆 | 𝘯𝘢𝘯𝘢𝘮𝘪 𝘬.

𝟑

The next day, you find yourself in the middle of what seems to be a bad dream—a very real, very awkward, "pretend relationship" kind of nightmare. Nanami Kento stands beside you as you walk through the school courtyard, silent but present, like some kind of unshakable shadow. You're painfully aware of how many eyes are on you, curious and suspicious. A few whispers reach your ears, but you try to block them out.

"What's happening? Is she really dating Nanami?"

"She's totally out of his league!"

"How did they even end up together?"

You clench your jaw, forcing a smile that you hope looks at least somewhat natural. Nanami, on the other hand, looks as unbothered as ever, his hands in his pockets, his expression calm.

"Doesn't this bother you?" you whisper, shooting him a glance. "Everyone's staring."

"They'll get used to it," he replies, his voice low, casual. "Just ignore them."

Easy for him to say. You tug your bag higher on your shoulder, nodding as if that's the easiest thing in the world to do. As you walk toward the classroom, the weight of their gazes feels heavy on your back, but Nanami seems completely unfazed. It makes you wonder if there's anything that could actually ruffle his calm demeanor.

The day passes in a haze of stares and whispers, and by the time lunch rolls around, you feel like you've survived some kind of social battlefield. As you sit at your usual spot in the cafeteria, you spot Ayumi across the room, waving you over with a curious look in her eyes. You hesitate for a second, wondering if you should sit with Nanami instead to make the relationship seem more real. But when you glance at him, he merely nods, his expression as unreadable as ever.

"Go ahead," he says quietly. "You don't have to sit with me."

You nod, grateful for the escape, and quickly make your way over to Ayumi and the rest of your friends. The moment you sit down, Ayumi leans in, her eyes wide with barely contained curiosity.

"Okay, spill," she says, barely waiting for you to settle in. "What's going on with you and Nanami? You guys are dating? Since when?"

You take a deep breath, trying to keep your voice steady. "Yeah, it's... new."

"New?" Ayumi raises an eyebrow, glancing back over at Nanami, who is calmly eating his lunch alone, looking completely uninterested in the chaos around him. "You guys haven't even spoken much before this, right?"

"Right," you admit, feeling a pang of guilt at how easily the lie rolls off your tongue. "It just sort of... happened."

Ayumi studies your face for a moment, then smiles. "Well, good for you! Nanami's... well, he's kind of mysterious, but he's definitely not a bad guy. Maybe this'll bring him out of his shell a little."

"Yeah," you murmur, feeling a strange mix of emotions. You're not even sure what to make of all this yourself, but there's no turning back now. At least not without raising a ton of questions.

After lunch, you head to math class, the dread building in your chest as you remember yesterday's tutoring session. You weren't kidding when you told Nanami you were bad at math—numbers have never been your friend. And the last thing you want is to embarrass yourself again in front of him.

As you sit down at your desk, you catch a glimpse of Nanami a few rows ahead. He's already focused on the board, his posture straight, his pen poised to take notes. How does he always look so... put together? You slump in your chair, trying to mentally prepare yourself for another hour of confusion and frustration.