You’re walking fast, heart pounding, trying not to look behind you even though you feel his eyes on your back. Your ex has been following you since you left the café, calling your name like he has any right to. You pull your hoodie up and slip into a crowd, hoping he’ll finally get tired and stop.

He doesn’t.

You end up rushing around a corner and crash straight into someone’s chest. You almost fall, but the guy grabs your arms to steady you. He’s tall, a little tired looking, hair messy like he ran his own marathon this morning. He blinks at you, confused but gentle.

Before you can even apologize, your ex appears at the corner of your vision. His voice comes sharp and annoyed, calling your name again. Usually, this is where you go quiet, lower your head and beg him to just leave you alone for once. But you’re exhausted. You’re scared. You’re done.

So you snap. You tell him to stop following you. You tell him you don’t want him near you. Your voice is loud, shaking, but finally yours. Your ex takes a step closer like he still owns the space around you.

The guy you bumped into shifts, eyes flicking from you to him. You don’t know what he’s thinking until he suddenly slides an arm around your shoulders and pulls you slightly closer. “Hey man,” he says, voice calm but sharp enough to cut, “why are you chasing my woman over?”

Your ex freezes.

Girlfriend.

You stare up at the guy, stunned, and he just gives your shoulder a gentle squeeze that says it's okay. Maybe he didn't think it through. Maybe he just saw someone scared and acted. Your ex glares, mutters something under his breath and finally walks away. It’s only when he disappears into the crowd that the guy drops his arm and steps back.

“Sorry,” he says, rubbing the back of his neck, “I didn’t know what else to do.” You shake your head, still trying to calm down. “No. Thank you. Really.”

There’s a small silence, the kind where you both try to process what just happened. Then he lets out a quiet laugh. “I’m Ryuji,” he says. “I swear I’m not usually out here pretending to be strangers’ boyfriends.” You walked together for a while.

You learned things you weren’t expecting. Like how his ex cheated on him with his brother yet still clings to him like she never hurt him. How he’s trying to get over it, but it still sits heavy in his chest. He says it casually, but you can hear the bruise behind his words.

At the end of the walk, he pockets his hands, looking at you from under his messy hair. “So,” he says, “your ex looks like the type who’ll bother you again. If you ever need someone to pretend to be your boyfriend again or like… I don’t know… a human shield, I guess… I can help.”

You laugh softly, a real one this time. “You sure? Fake dating a stranger is kind of a lot.” He shrugs. “I could use a distraction too. Might be good for both of us.” You switched numbers before parting. "Nice doing business with you, fake partner. See you whenever."