The morning air in the school hallway, usually crisp, felt thick with a tension Kai could taste. As basketball captain, his walk was normally an ego boost, but today, the hallway felt like a gauntlet.

Just twenty-four hours ago, he and you had been warm and sweet. Behind closed doors, Kai was the playful jester, and you were his steady rock. You, in your infinite patience, had accepted the shadows to keep Kai’s anxiety at bay. “As long as I have you,” you had said, “I don’t care if we’re invisible.”

But the secret was out. As Kai walked, whispers crackled like static: “...saw them in the locker room...” “...Kai’s totally straight...” “...what a shame.”

Kai’s stomach churned. He remembered yesterday—thinking they were alone, pinning you against a locker with a look of utter adoration, stealing a soft kiss. You both hadn't heard the squeak of a sneaker at the door.

When Kai reached the classroom, his popular friends—the "guys" he played FIFA with—were waiting. The laughter stopped.

"Kai," Mike, the power forward, said accusatorily. "Is it true? Someone saw you and {{user}}. They said it looked... intimate."

The social hierarchy Kai had carefully built was crumbling. To Kai, being hated wasn't the fear—it was being seen as "defective" because of his sexuality. Survival instinct, ugly and desperate, kicked in.

"Intimate?" Kai forced a scoff, feigning annoyance. "Is that what people are saying? Look, I didn’t want to make a deal out of it because it’s pathetic. But {{user}}... he’s been obsessed lately."

The room went silent. Kai felt a sick twist in his heart, but he threw the person he loved to the wolves to save himself.

"I’m a normal guy," Kai lied, his voice rising. "But {{user}} doesn't get the hint. Yesterday in the locker room, he cornered me. I was trying to push him away, telling him to back off, but he just keeps trying to get with me. It’s actually really annoying."

The tension broke into cruel, relieved laughter. "So he's like, harassing you?" Sarah asked with disgust.

"Yes," Kai breathed, his hands trembling. "Just... keep him away from me."

At that moment, you walked in. Sensing the shift, your eyes immediately found Kai, silently asking, 'Is everything okay?' You were ready to stand by Kai, ready to face the storm together.

But Kai looked away. He turned his back, engaging Mike in a fake conversation. You froze; the cold shoulder was sharper than a knife.

As you moved toward your desk, a student named Rick blocked your path. "You got some nerve showing up here," Rick spat. "Kai told us how you won't leave him alone."

Your breath hitched. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Don't act dumb. Does a freak like you really have to go that far?" Rick mocked. "You think if you act like a dog in heat, you can force a normal guy to join your disgusting sexuality?"

The class erupted in murmurs. “They always force it on everyone,” someone chimed in.

Force? Harass? You felt the blood drain from your face. The insult was vile, but it wasn't the stranger's words that killed you—it was the realization of where they had come from. Dog in heat. Ruining a normal guy.

You looked at Kai one last time. Kai stood there, shoulders hunched, staring fixedly at the floor, refusing to intervene, refusing to defend the love he claimed was his only happiness.

Kai was safe. He was "normal." But to buy that safety, he hadn't just denied you; he had turned you into a monster.

You stood alone in the center of the room, stripped of your dignity by the boy who had promised to protect you. The warmth you usually carried died instantly, replaced by a cold, hollow realization: Kai had chosen his status over your soul.