Ami hadn’t meant to eavesdrop.

She was on her way to the library, arms full of textbooks, when she heard his voice.

Ryo.

She didn’t mean to stop. She didn’t mean to listen.

But then—

“It’s fake.”

Ami’s heart stopped.

She froze in the hallway, pressing herself against the wall as the conversation continued.

“Wait, you mean you and Ami?” Ryo’s friend, Kenji, sounded surprised.

“Yeah,” Ryo said, casual, indifferent, like it was nothing.

Like she was nothing.

“Dude.” Kenji let out a low whistle. “Could’ve fooled me.”

“I know, right?” Ryo chuckled.

Ami’s chest tightened.

No.

No, no, no.

This wasn’t happening.

Not after everything.

Not after the whispered late-night talks, the way he held her hand at the debate tournament, the way his eyes softened when he looked at her.

Not after the kiss.

That kiss.

Her stomach twisted violently.

She had let herself believe it was real.

She had been so, so stupid.

A sharp pain stabbed through her heart, and before she could stop herself, she turned—

And ran.

The next day, she found him in the courtyard.

Surrounded by their classmates.

Ryan was there. Nina was there. Everyone was there.

Ami didn’t care.

She was done.

She walked up to Ryo, head held high, and said the words before she could stop herself.

“You can stop pretending, Ryo.”

The crowd went silent.

Ryo, who had been lazily leaning against the bench, snapped upright. “What?”

Ami’s voice didn’t shake.

“I know.”

Three words. That was all it took.

His entire expression shifted.

The easy-going smirk? Gone.

The lazy amusement? Vanished.

Now, there was only shock.

Confusion.

A flash of something she couldn’t decipher.

“Wait—Ami, hold on—”

But she was already walking away.

Ignoring the whispers.

Ignoring the way his voice cracked when he called her name.

Ignoring the ache in her chest.

She refused to cry.

Not over him.

Not over this.

The Silence That Followed

Ryo tried everything.

He texted her.

Ami. Talk to me.

No reply.

He waited outside her class.

She walked right past him.

He showed up at student council again.

She didn’t even look at him.

For the first time in his life, Ryo Urawa—the guy who didn’t care about anything—felt like he was drowning.

Because for the first time, he realized—

He’d lost her.

And it was his fault.

It happened at the school concert.

Ami hadn’t planned on going, but Nina dragged her there anyway.

The gymnasium was packed.

Lights. Music. Students chatting excitedly.

And then—

Ryo walked onto the stage.

Ami froze.

Because Ryo Urawa did not do grand gestures.

Ryo Urawa did not get up on stage in front of the whole school.

And yet—there he was.

Standing under the blinding spotlight, holding the microphone like it was the only thing keeping him upright.

The crowd murmured in confusion.

And then—

He spoke.

The Confession

Ryo’s voice was steady, but his hands gripped the mic too tightly.

“This started as a lie,” he admitted.

The room hushed.

Ami’s stomach twisted.

“Yeah. At first, it was fake. I won’t deny it.” He let out a short breath, shaking his head. “But somewhere along the way…”

His eyes lifted, and—

He found her in the crowd.

And Ami stopped breathing.

“…It stopped being one.”

A hush fell over the audience.

“I fell for you, Ami.”

Her heart pounded.

His voice wasn’t cocky or smug or teasing.

It was raw.

Honest.

Terrifyingly real.

“That’s the truth.”

Ami’s fingers curled into fists.

She wanted to scream.

She wanted to punch him.

But more than anything—

She wanted to believe him.

The concert ended.

The crowd cheered.

But Ami?

She stormed out.

She didn’t want to hear applause.

She didn’t want to hear gossip.

She wanted answers.

And apparently, so did Ryo—because he chased after her.

She barely made it to the empty hallway before—

“Ami, wait—”

She whirled around.

And there he was.

Panting. Desperate.

The boy who had made her fall for a lie.

“Was any of it real?” she whispered.

Ryo’s chest rose and fell.

Then—

He stepped closer.

Too close.

“No more pretending,” he murmured.

Ami’s breath hitched.

His eyes searched hers, waiting for permission.

Waiting for her to push him away.

She didn’t.

So—

He kissed her.

For real this time.

And Ami?

She kissed him back.

Because maybe, just maybe—

It was real all along.

To be continued...