Leo first noticed it in the hallway.
Two second-years passed by, both giggling while not-so-subtly glancing in his direction. One of them even whispered something that included the word "lovebirds."
Then came the sticky notes.
Dozens of them.
Someone had plastered the door to the creative writing room with messages like:
> "Team Leo × Yuki 💕"
> "Drama club's hottest couple!"
> "When's the wedding?!"
Kai, of course, was having the time of his life.
He peeled one note off the door and examined it with the scrutiny of a historian decoding ancient runes.
"This one has glitter," he said solemnly. "They ship you hard."
Leo sighed and rubbed his temples. "How did this even start?"
Yuki, walking just behind him, looked equally stunned. Her usually bright face was flushed pink, half from embarrassment and half from frustration.
"Someone must've followed us after the café," she muttered. "Took a picture. Then the dorm forums happened."
Kai grinned. "We live in an age of data and drama, my friends."
"Can we shut it down?" Leo asked.
"Unlikely," Kai said. "If you post a denial, it just fuels the fire. If you confirm, you become the school's power couple overnight. Your options are silence… or memes."
---
During lunch, the three of them sat in their usual corner of the courtyard. Yuki tried to hide behind her thermos. Leo picked at his food. Kai narrated everything like it was a Netflix documentary.
"…and in this week's episode of 'Romance Royale,' our brooding male lead struggles with fame as his mysterious relationship takes the school by storm!"
"Please stop," Leo groaned.
Yuki peeked up from her thermos. "Should we say something?"
Kai blinked. "Like what? 'Yes, we're dating, please mind your own business'? That's practically an invitation for fan art."
Yuki sighed. "I didn't think it'd explode like this."
Leo looked at her. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to drag you into this."
Yuki met his eyes. "You didn't drag me. I walked in on my own. Remember?"
That made him smile.
"I guess," she continued, "we just keep doing what we've been doing. Be ourselves. Let them think what they want."
Leo nodded. "Yeah. Okay."
Kai raised his juice box. "To passive resistance and ignoring high school tabloids!"
Yuki clinked her thermos against it. Leo, reluctantly, joined in.
---
Later that day, a school-wide announcement blared over the speakers:
> "Attention all students: Applications for this year's National Theater Festival are now open. Audition details will be posted tomorrow. All drama club members are required to participate. Thank you."
A quiet fell over the rehearsal room.
Everyone turned to look at Leo.
Even the props guy.
Kai clapped slowly. "Well, well, Leo. Time to see if your brooding tragic aura holds up under real pressure."
Rin spoke next. "It's not about pressure. It's about heart."
Yuki smiled. "And Leo's got that. He just doesn't flaunt it."
Leo blinked at all of them. "Can I finish one sentence today without someone narrating my personality?"
"Nope," the whole group said in unison.
---
That evening, Leo stood by the campus vending machines, thinking.
He hadn't planned on being the center of anything—drama club, rumors, relationships. He came to this school to blend in, not to stand out.
But maybe… standing out wasn't so bad, if it meant he could be himself.
Yuki appeared beside him, holding two drinks. "Melon soda?"
He took one. "You're reading my mind now?"
"Just your vending machine preferences."
They clinked cans together.
A quiet moment. The world faded.