The announcement came the next morning.
A sheet pinned to the council board, neat black letters:
Special Supervision Project: Kairo & Ayan.
Every student paused to stare, whispers rising like wildfire.
Side by side, their names stood out in ink, sealed with the principal's signature.
Ayan's eyes flicked over it, unbothered. Kairo's jaw tightened.
"They really put us on display," Kairo muttered under his breath, leaning closer so only Ayan could hear. "Caged animals."
"Fitting," Ayan replied smoothly, not looking at him. "You do growl a lot."
Kairo's laugh was sharp, humorless. "Careful, Omega. They'll see your claws soon."
The "punishment" was clear:
They weren't just working together anymore. They were chained to the same role — co-leads for the entire school presentation.
Every meeting. Every decision. Every hour logged. Together.
The principal hadn't just tied them up in responsibility.
He had trapped them in visibility.
That afternoon, they sat at the back of the library with a mountain of papers between them. The silence wasn't peaceful — it was brittle, dangerous.
Kairo tapped his pen against the desk, watching Ayan's steady movements. "You realize what this means, don't you?"
"That you'll finally have to keep up," Ayan said without missing a beat.
Kairo leaned closer, eyes flashing. "No. It means if one of us falls, we both burn."
The weight of it hung heavy. Not just punishment — exposure. One slip, one rumor, and the whole school would eat it alive.
Ayan's lips curved into a slow, unbothered smile. "Then I suggest you don't stumble, Alpha."
Kairo's smirk was quick, sharp — but his eyes lingered on him too long, unreadable.
Somewhere between duty and danger, the line was blurring.
And neither seemed intent on stopping.
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