"Sanemi, I suggest you pay attention to the lesson instead of flirting with your boyfriend."
Sanemi shrugged and finally stopped, but not before winking at Giyuu one last time. The rest of the class passed by slowly, with Giyuu stealing glances at Sanemi whenever he could. When the bell rang again, signaling lunch break, Sanemi grabbed Giyuu's hand and pulled him up.
"Let's go eat together. I'm starving." They walked to the cafeteria, Sanemi's arm wrapped around Giyuu's shoulders. Students were still whispering and taking pictures of them. Mitsuri and Obanai were already at their usual table, waving them over excitedly. Mitsuri squealed as they approached. "You two are so photogenic! Can I take a picture of you guys together?"
She held up her phone, practically bouncing in her seat. Sanemi rolled his eyes but agreed, pulling Giyuu closer for the photo.
"Fine, but make it quick. I want to eat."
Obanai snickered at his impatience, while Mitsuri snapped several pictures in rapid succession. Giyuu tried to keep his expression neutral for the pictures, but he couldn't help smiling at Sanemi's annoyed face.
Mitsuri showed them the photos, giggling at how cute they looked together.
"These are perfect! You guys are so adorable. I'm making them my new lock screen." Obanai let out a frustrated huff out. "And what about my pictures?" Mitsuri turned to Obanai with a mischievous grin. "Don't worry, I'll take one of you too! But I think Giyuu and Sanemi are the cutest couple in school right now."
Obanai pouted slightly, pretending to be hurt by her comment. Sanemi chuckled at Obanai's pout.
"Don't be jealous, Iguro. You're still Mitsuri's favorite." He teased while pulling out his own lunch from his bag. Obanai huffed and crossed his arms, but he couldn't hide the small smile that appeared when Mitsuri kissed his cheek.
She sat back down next to him, still scrolling through the photos.
"By the way, have you guys seen what the school newspaper is saying about you two?"
Sanemi froze mid-bite, a look of horror crossing his face. "Please tell me they didn't publish anything embarrassing." He looked at Mitsuri with pleading eyes, knowing that the school paper was run by the gossip-loving Kocho sisters. Mitsuri grinned devilishly, holding up her phone again to show a headline.
"'Love in the Air: The Scary Sanemi Shinazugawa and the Mysterious Giyuu Tomioka - A Surprising Match Made in Heaven!'"
Sanemi groaned and facepalmed, while Giyuu buried his face in his hands. Obanai burst out laughing at their reactions, reading the article aloud.
"'According to our sources, these two have been secretly dating for months. Shinazugawa's tough exterior has melted for Tomioka, who's known for his calm demeanor. The couple was spotted being affectionate in class today.'"
He paused to catch his breath from laughing. "I even have pictures of you guys cuddling in the hallway!" "We are not dating for months!" Sanemi slammed his fist on the table, startling everyone around them.B"Exactly! We just started dating a few days ago!" He looked genuinely upset that people were spreading false information about their relationship. Mitsuri tried to calm them down, though she was still giggling.
"I know, I know! But you know how those girls are. They always exaggerate everything."
She showed them more comments under the article. "Look, some people are saying they saw you two kissing at the gym last week!" Sanemi's face turned red with anger and embarrassment. "We didn't even go to the gym last week! Who the hell is spreading these lies?"
Giyuu remained silent, looking more uncomfortable by the minute as he read the comments about them. Giyuu finally sigh and whispered Shinobu's name. Sanemi's eyes narrowed at the mention of Shinobu's name. "Of course it's her. That damn butterfly girl is always meddling in everyone's business."
He clenched his fists, clearly ready to confront her about the article. Mitsuri nodded in agreement, looking concerned now.
"You should probably talk to her. She might be able to explain why she wrote that."
Obanai added, still amused by the situation.
"Or you could just let her have her fun. It's not like you can control what people think anyway." Sanemi stood up abruptly, determination in his eyes.
"No, I'm going to confront her right now. She needs to take this down." He grabbed Giyuu's hand again, pulling him up with him.
"Come on, Giyuu. Let's go find Shinobu and make her delete that article." Giyuu reluctantly followed Sanemi, feeling the stares of their classmates on them as they left the cafeteria. As they walked through the hallways, Sanemi's grip on Giyuu's hand tightened, and he muttered under his breath.
"I swear, if she's not at her club room, I'm going to hunt her down." They arrived at the newspaper club room, where Shinobu was sitting with Kanae, her older sister.
Shinobu looked up from her laptop and smirked at their angry expressions. "Oh? If it isn't my favorite couple. What brings you two here?"*Sanemi slammed his hands on the table, towering over Shinobu.*
"Cut the crap, Kocho. We know you wrote that article. It's all lies!"
Kanae chuckled softly, watching the confrontation unfold with interest. Shinobu feigned innocence, batting her eyelashes at them. "Lies? I only reported what I saw. Besides, the public loves a good romance story." She winked at Giyuu, who was standing behind Sanemi, looking increasingly uncomfortable. Sanemi growled in frustration, grabbing Shinobu's laptop.
"Delete it. Now. Or I'll break this thing and make sure you can't publish anything for a month."
Shinobu's smirk widened, unfazed by his threat.
"Oh, Shinazugawa, you're so aggressive. But fine, I'll take it down... if you do something for me." Sanemi's eye twitched in irritation, but he was willing to negotiate. "What do you want, you little devil?"
Kanae chuckled again, enjoying the tension in the room.
"Shinobu, don't be too harsh on them. They're still newlyweds." Shinobu giggled at Kanae's comment before looking back at Sanemi with a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Simple. I want you two to participate in our next school event - the Valentine's Day festival." Sanemi groaned, knowing he had no choice but to agree. "Fine. But what exactly does participating involve?"
Shinobu leaned forward, her smile growing wider.
"Oh, just a little couple's activity. Maybe a kissing booth? Or a photo booth where you pose as lovebirds."
Sanemi's face turned pale at the mention of a kissing booth, while Giyuu looked like he wanted to disappear. "No way! We're not doing any of that embarrassing stuff!" Shinobu shrugged, clearly enjoying Sanemi's distress.
"Then I guess the article stays up, and I'll add some more juicy details about your 'secret' love life." Sanemi gritted his teeth, knowing he was backed into a corner. "You're evil, Kocho. Absolutely evil." He turned to Giyuu, silently pleading for help, but Giyuu just shook his head, looking defeated. "What do you say, Tomioka? Want to help me save our dignity?"