That morning, Bomi realized something.
Rumors didn't always come loudly.
Sometimes, they whispered—soft enough to slip under the skin, sharp enough to hurt without being noticed.
✦ ✦ ✦
"Seriously, they don't even act like a couple."
"Yeah, there's zero affection."
"It has to be fake."
"Poor Bomi, if she actually believes it."
Bomi slowed her steps.
She didn't stop walking. She didn't turn around.
But every word lodged itself in her head like tiny thorns she couldn't pull out.
She sat down in her seat—right beside Hanz.
As usual, he looked calm. Distant. Like the world around him had no sound. His fingers flipped the pages of his book in a steady rhythm.
Bomi glanced at him quietly.
If he really doesn't care…
why am I hoping he'll deny the rumors?
Her chest tightened.
They were fake dating.
That had been the agreement from the start.
She knew that. She was the one who asked for it.
But then…
why did the lie suddenly feel like it was hurting her instead?
✦ ✦ ✦
The lesson went on, but none of it reached her.
Her hand trembled as she wrote. Her handwriting fell apart.
She felt stupid.
If this was just a contract… I shouldn't be hoping for more.
She looked at Hanz again.
He wasn't looking back.
But his shoulders were slightly tense. His jaw was clenched.
Hanz… heard everything.
And for some reason, that realization scared her even more.
✦ ✦ ✦
When the break bell rang, Bomi stood up too quickly.
"I'm… going to the restroom," she said softly.
Hanz looked up. "Now?"
"Yeah."
She left without waiting for his response.
In the restroom, Bomi stared at her reflection. The smile she usually wore for everyone else felt impossible today.
If I'm nothing to him…
why does this hurt so much?
Tears gathered, but didn't fall.
She was too used to holding them back.
✦ ✦ ✦
When Bomi stepped back into the hallway, Hanz was standing there.
"Why did you run?" he asked flatly.
"I didn't run."
"You're lying."
The words were simple.
But they hit perfectly.
Bomi fell silent.
"What did they say?" Hanz asked again.
"They said… we're fake."
He looked down at the floor for a moment. "Do you believe them?"
"I…"
Bomi clenched her hands. "I'm just scared."
"Of what?"
"That I'm the only one who thinks this means something."
The words slipped out before she could stop them.
Hanz froze.
For the first time, something showed on his face—not coldness, but hesitation.
"I'm not good at showing how I feel," he said quietly. "But I'm not playing around."
Bomi looked up.
"I might seem distant," Hanz continued. "But it's not because you don't matter."
Silence filled the hallway.
Then Bomi smiled—a small, fragile smile that almost broke.
"That's enough," she said.
And as they stood side by side in the empty corridor, the rumors kept spreading.
But the feelings between them…
were no longer entirely fake.