It started as a joke—something to mess with Reki and Langa, nothing more.

You and Miya had come up with the plan during lunch. Reki and Langa were always so oblivious to anything, especially when it came to your interactions, so you figured it would be easy to play it off. Fake-dating seemed like the perfect way to stir things up.

"Alright," Miya said with that devilish grin of his, "let’s give them a show. We’ll hold hands, do the whole ‘cutesy couple’ thing, and watch them squirm."

The first few days were harmless—just playful touches, an occasional hand held during a skate session, and exaggerated sighs of affection to get a reaction. Reki groaned, telling you both to cut it out, and Langa looked confused but amused. Everything felt like a game.

But somewhere along the way, it started to feel… real.

Every time Miya brushed past you, your heart would race. And the teasing? It was harder to tell when it crossed from playful banter to something more affectionate. You couldn’t ignore the way his eyes would linger on you just a little longer, how his smile would soften whenever you looked his way.

Like today.

You were sitting next to Miya, watching Reki and Langa argue, when his hand brushed yours, lingering longer than usual. You froze, wondering if he did it on purpose.

Miya caught your reaction. "You okay there? Your face is all red."

"Shut up, Miya. I’m fine."

"Sure you are," he teased, but his eyes softened. "If you say so."

Reki groaned from across the park. "Alright, you two! We get it. You're so in love, we’re all going to barf."

Miya just grinned, his fingers tightening around your hand. "What can I say? I’m a hopeless romantic."

“Okay, but…” Miya suddenly turned serious. "What if this wasn’t fake anymore? Hypothetically, of course."

Your stomach flipped. You opened your mouth to respond, but no words came out. Maybe you’d been pretending to be confused about your feelings all along.