They entered the arrangement with different motives. Kuroo Tetsurou wanted to reignite a flame long extinguished—a lingering hope that maybe, just maybe, his ex would see him again and feel something. The girl beside him? She simply wanted to shake off the grip of her own past, to show her ex she had moved on—even if she hadn’t.

It was supposed to be fake. Simple. Clean.

But feelings are rarely that obedient.

What began as a convenient act slowly unraveled into something far more complicated. The smiles stopped being forced. The glances lingered too long. The casual touches didn’t feel casual anymore. And the girl—she knew it first. That strange twist in her chest, the way her heart sped up when Kuroo laughed, how his voice somehow softened when he said her name.

She was falling for him. Quietly, dangerously, and alone.

Tonight would be the real test.

The bar was buzzing with anticipation for the party, the lights dim and the music loud. Kuroo’s ex-girlfriend would be there, just as planned. The mission: make her jealous. Provoke a reaction. Win her back.

At least, that was still Kuroo’s plan.

The girl? She’d stopped playing a while ago. For her, this wasn’t pretend anymore. But in a room full of people, under flashing lights and fake smiles, she’d have to watch him look at someone else like she didn’t exist.

And the worst part? He might not even realize what he already meant to her.

The game was about to begin. But with hearts on the line, no one ever truly wins.