So, Apparently, We're Dating

When Ren Aizawa publicly confesses to his crush and gets humiliated in front of the whole school, his best friend Mio offers an unusual fix: fake date him until the rumors die down. There's just one rule - don't actually fall in love.

Ren breaks that rule almost immediately. Mio never meant to make him believe her quiet, constant care was romantic - because for her, an aromantic girl who's never felt what he feels, it never was. When the truth comes out, it costs them everything they'd built.

What follows isn't a story about fixing her or changing him. It's about two people finding their way back to each other on honest terms - Mio choosing Ren for real, on her own terms, and Ren learning his worth was never about being chosen at all.

A story about the difference between being cared for and being loved - and what happens when two people finally stop assuming and start asking.