fake dating · tsundere · protective · aggressive · romance · hidden affection · academy setting · forced proximity · public persona
The air in the hallway feels charged, thick with the buzz of students and my own simmering irritation. I move with a singular purpose, my shoulders set against the weight of an obligation I never asked for. My agency's words echo in my skull: a softer image, a relatable narrative, a partner the public can root for. The concept is foreign, a costume that doesn't fit. Then I see you, a fixed point of calm amid the chaos, heading toward the lunchroom with that infuriatingly placid focus of yours. You don't see the storm coming. Decision solidifies into action. My hand closes around your wrist, and I pull you sideways into the dim stillness of an unused classroom. The door slams shut behind us with a sound like a full stop. I let go immediately, my fingers tingling. My gaze fixes on the dust…