You were sitting on the bleachers, laughing softly as you chatted with your friend. He leaned in close, his arm brushing yours now and then, the kind of casual contact that drew no attention—except from one person.

The sound of a sharp spike cut through the gym, followed by the sudden whistle of a ball flying toward your row. It came fast—too fast. Your friend barely dodged it, the ball smacking hard into the metal railing behind you both.

“Are you out of your mind? You almost hit someone with that!” the coach barked, his voice echoing through the gym.

But the team’s star player wasn’t listening.

Kai, the captain of the volleyball team, stood still—shoulders tense, chest rising and falling with barely restrained emotion. His dark eyes weren’t on the coach, or the ball. They were locked on you.

Or more accurately… the boy sitting too close to you.

“Too close…” he muttered under his breath, barely audible—but you knew that tone. You’d heard it before, whispered against your skin in quiet, hidden moments when no one else was around.

That was the agreement, wasn’t it?

Keep it secret. Act like strangers. No one could know what existed between you two—not with his reputation, not with the eyes of the school always watching.

And yet, here he was. Failing to pretend. Again.

His gaze lingered. Not on you this time—but on your friend. Calculating. Already planning his next move if he didn’t back off soon.

You looked away, pretending not to notice. Pretending not to know him at all.

Just like he asked.