Chapter 2: — Tied Together

The gym was alive with chatter and squeaking sneakers. The PE teacher stood at the front with his whistle, booming voice cutting through the noise.

“Alright, settle down! Today we’re doing teamwork drills. Starting with the classic, three-legged race. You’ll be in pairs. Don’t bother choosing, I’ll assign them. Less chaos that way.”

Groans echoed across the gym. A few students exchanged nervous glances, whispering about who they might end up stuck with. Ayaka Hoshino leaned against the wall with her arms crossed, a practiced look of boredom on her face. PE wasn’t her thing, but she was used to people staring. Even here, she felt the eyes of her classmates trailing after her, curious about how the famous Ayaka would handle something so… ordinary.

She smirked faintly. It didn’t matter who she got paired with. Whoever it was, they’d trip over themselves just to impress her.

The teacher rattled off names, forming pairs one by one.

“Hoshino Ayaka…”

Heads turned instantly, whispers rising. Everyone was curious who’d be paired with her. Ayaka brushed a strand of hair back with practiced nonchalance, her expression cool and detached.

“…and Takahashi Ren.”

The gym erupted in chatter.

“No way…”
“Wait, Ayaka with Ren?”
“They’re both… kinda intimidating, aren’t they?”
“Hot guy and influencer girl, huh? That’s unfair.”

Ayaka blinked, her smirk vanishing. Of all people, it had to be him. She clicked her tongue and muttered coldly, “What a joke.”

Ren, standing near the back with a calm expression, set down his water bottle and made his way toward her. He didn’t look surprised, didn’t look flustered—just steady, quiet, unreadable. That annoyed her more than anything.

“Guess we’re partners,” he said evenly.

“Don’t sound so happy about it,” she shot back, arms crossed.

“I wasn’t.”

Her glare narrowed, sharp as glass. He crouched down without another word, picking up the red ribbon provided and wrapping it around their ankles. Ayaka huffed but stayed still, rolling her eyes dramatically.

“Careful. Don’t tie it too loose.”

“It’s fine,” he said calmly, securing the knot.

“You better not mess this up.”

Ren finally looked up at her, eyes steady. “You’re the one I’m worried about.”

Ayaka’s jaw dropped slightly at the audacity, but before she could retort, the teacher’s whistle shrieked.

“Pairs, line up at the starting mark!”

The students shuffled into position. Ayaka and Ren ended up in the middle, shoulder to shoulder, their legs bound tightly. Their closeness was unavoidable, every step, every breath pressed them together. Ayaka stiffened, her face heating faintly, though she masked it with a scoff.

“Try to keep up,” she muttered coldly.

Ren adjusted his stance. “Funny, I was about to say that to you.”

She whipped her head toward him, ready to bite back, but the whistle blew again. The race began.

Their first attempt was a disaster. Ayaka surged forward too fast, Ren kept a steady pace, and within two steps they toppled sideways. Ayaka landed on the floor with a loud thud, hair falling over her face. Laughter erupted around them.

“Whoa! Ayaka actually fell?”
“That’s a first.”

Ayaka shot up immediately, cheeks flushed with anger. “Watch where you’re going, idiot!”

Ren rose calmly, brushing off his knees. “You rushed ahead. It’s not about speed, it’s rhythm.”

Her hands curled into fists. “Don’t blame me for your clumsiness.”

He didn’t flinch. “Then listen. Match me instead of trying to lead.”

Her lips pressed together in fury. The worst part was… he was right. And she hated that.

“Tch. Fine,” she snapped. “Just don’t drag me down.”

They reset, retying the ribbon tighter. This time, Ren stood closer, shoulders firm against hers, his hand brushing her wrist lightly as he adjusted their stance. Ayaka’s heart skipped for a moment, he was steady, strong, nothing like the awkward boy she remembered from years ago.

She bit her lip, forcing her face into a cold scowl. “Don’t lean on me so much. It’s disgusting.”

Ren didn’t even blink. “Then keep your balance.”

The whistle blew again. This time, their steps were awkward but improved. Left, right, left, right, they stumbled but managed to keep from falling. Halfway across the gym, Ayaka tripped slightly, catching herself against Ren’s shoulder. His body was solid, his arm firm as he steadied her. For a moment, she felt how close they were. Her face grew hot, and she immediately pushed off him.

“Gross. You’re sweaty.”

Ren exhaled through his nose, a faint smirk tugging at his lips. “It’s PE. Everyone’s sweaty.”

She glared, but her stomach twisted in a way she didn’t like.

As they reset for another round, voices rose from the sidelines.

“Go, Ren-kun!”
“You’ve got this!”
“Look at him carry her, haha!”

Ayaka froze, glancing over. A few girls from class were openly cheering for Ren, giggling with hands over their mouths.

Her blood simmered unexpectedly.

Pathetic, she thought to herself. Absolutely pathetic. Cheering for him like he’s worth it.

She clicked her tongue loudly, muttering just low enough so only she could hear. “Wasting their time on him.”

Ren didn’t react, his focus on their steps. That somehow irritated her even more.

By their third attempt, something clicked. Their movements synced, their pace even. Together they strode across the gym with surprising smoothness, crossing the line faster than most of the other pairs.

Cheers and whistles filled the gym.

“Whoa, Ayaka and Ren nailed it!”
“They actually make a good team!”
“Unexpected duo, huh?”

Ayaka’s eyes narrowed, her pride stung. She untied the ribbon quickly, stepping back as if burned.

“Don’t get the wrong idea,” she snapped, flipping her hair over her shoulder. “I’m the reason it worked. You just got lucky.”

Ren crouched to untie his shoe calmly. “If that helps you sleep at night.”

Her glare could have pierced steel.

The teacher clapped his hands, dismissing the class as students spilled out of the gym, still chattering. Ayaka grabbed her bottle and stalked toward the lockers, fuming.

But halfway there, she slowed. Her heart was still beating faster than it should. She touched her cheek absentmindedly, it was warm.

No. She shook her head, muttering sharply to herself. “No way. Not him. Never.”

And yet, the memory lingered. The feel of his steady arm, the rhythm of his steps beside hers, the calm way he didn’t flinch under her sharp words.

—

The locker room buzzed with chatter as girls peeled off their sneakers and wiped sweat from their foreheads. Ayaka sat at the far end of the bench, dabbing her face with a towel, her posture cool and untouchable as always.

That didn’t stop whispers from floating her way.

“Did you see her? Ayaka actually got carried by Ren.”
“Right? He practically saved her from falling flat on her face.”
“I thought she was the one in control… guess not when a hot guy’s involved.”

The words were playful, but they cut sharper than Ayaka liked. Her cheeks warmed without permission, and she immediately clenched the towel tighter, masking her expression with a scoff.

One of the girls leaned closer with a teasing grin. “Ayaka, you looked kinda… red when you bumped into him. Don’t tell me the great Ayaka Hoshino was embarrassed.”

A tiny spark lit in Ayaka’s chest. Embarrassed? Her? No. Impossible.

She lowered the towel, her glare freezing the air. “Say that again,” she said, voice low and dangerous.

The group of girls tittered nervously, though one pushed on, half-laughing. “C’mon, it’s cute! Influencer queen gets carried by the hottest guy in class, like a romcom scene!”

Ayaka’s lips curved into a cold smirk. She raised her phone casually, the glow of the screen reflecting in her sharp eyes. “Keep talking and I’ll block every single one of you. Then you can kiss my videos goodbye forever.”

The room went silent. Panic flickered across their faces.

“W-Wait, you wouldn’t—”
“Hold on, we were just kidding!”
“W-Woah wait... d-don’t block us, Ayaka! Please... we’re your biggest fans!”

Ayaka’s smirk widened. She rose smoothly to her feet, slinging her bag over her shoulder, radiating smug satisfaction. “That’s what I thought.”

As she strode toward the exit, the girls scrambled behind her with frantic apologies, but she didn’t spare them another glance. She pushed the door open, leaving them behind in silence, the echo of her cold dominance trailing in her wake.

Inside, though, beneath the mask, her heart was still beating just a little too fast.