Chapter 16 – “Rumors, Replays, and Reactions”

Riko knew something was wrong the second she stepped through the school gates.

People were staring. Whispering. Pointing.

“Morning, Tachibana!” someone called from behind. “Where’s your boyfriend?”

She blinked, confused. “Boyfriend?!”

A girl held up her phone, grinning.

On the screen was a video clip — the sports festival field, the crowd cheering, and in the center of it all…

> “Because she’s mine!”

Riko’s soul left her body.

“W-WHAT?! WHO RECORDED THAT?!”

“Everyone!” came the cheerful reply. “It’s on the school’s social page! Already got two thousand views!”

She froze, mortified, while Mina skipped up beside her, waving her own phone.

“Good morning, lovebird! You’ve gone viral~”

“Mina, delete it! Delete everything!”

“Too late,” Mina sang. “The internet never forgets.”

Riko groaned, burying her face in her hands.

Meanwhile, Daichi walked into class with his usual sleepy grin — which vanished the moment ten classmates wolf-whistled at him.

“Morning, Casanova!”

“Yo, Mr. Possessive!”

“Protective much?”

Daichi stopped dead. “...What did you all just call me?”

Kento grinned and spun his phone around. “You’re trending, man. Look!”

The video played. His face turned bright red.

“WHY IS THAT ONLINE?!”

“Because it’s comedy gold,” Mina said sweetly. “And also… kinda romantic.”

Riko slammed her head onto her desk. “Kill me now.”

Daichi groaned, slumping beside her. “This is your fault.”

“My fault?! You’re the one who yelled it!”

“Yeah, well—!”

Their bickering was cut off when Rei strolled into class, all calm confidence and perfectly disheveled hair.

He smirked. “Guess I should’ve fought harder for her, huh?”

Daichi stiffened. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Rei shrugged innocently. “Just saying… not every guy can pull off a confession like that in front of the entire school.”

Riko hid behind her lunchbox. “Please stop talking.”

The teasing didn’t end there. During PE, the coach clapped both of them on the shoulders.

“You two make a great team! The couple that wins together stays together!”

Daichi and Riko both turned bright red.

“We’re not—!” they shouted in unison.

At lunch, things somehow got worse. Mina appeared at their table with her phone and a suspicious smile.

“Alright, Riko Tachibana, the people demand answers! I’m hosting a vlog special — ‘Love Q&A: The Girl Who Stole Daichi’s Heart!’”

Riko choked on her rice ball. “WHAT—NO!”

“First question!” Mina grinned. “How long have you two been secretly dating?”

“WE’RE NOT DATING!” Riko yelled, standing up so fast her chair fell over.

“Oh? So you’re saying that passionate ‘She’s mine!’ was… what, an accident?”

Riko’s face went scarlet. “MINA!”

The entire cafeteria had gone silent. Dozens of curious eyes stared at her.

“HE’S NOT MY BOYFRIEND, OKAY?!” she shouted, voice cracking slightly. “JUST—LEAVE IT!”

She stormed out, tray forgotten, heart pounding painfully in her chest.

Daichi sat frozen, guilt washing over him.

Mina winced, lowering her phone. “...I think I went too far.”

“Yeah,” Daichi muttered, standing up. “I’ll find her.”

He searched the hallways, the courtyard, and finally spotted her behind the gym — sitting on the steps, knees drawn to her chest.

“Hey,” he said softly.

Riko didn’t look up. “You here to make fun of me too?”

“No,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck. “Just to say sorry.”

She sighed, her voice smaller now. “You don’t need to. It wasn’t your fault.”

“I kinda yelled something stupid that started all this,” he admitted. “So yeah… it was my fault.”

He sat beside her. The late afternoon sun painted the world in gold. For a while, neither of them spoke.

Riko watched the light stretch across the dirt field. “It’s just… embarrassing, you know? Everyone talking like they know what’s going on.”

Daichi nodded slowly. “Yeah. Guess we gave them a reason.”

That made her laugh a little — quiet, tired, but real.

He smiled at the sound. “See? That’s better.”

Riko turned to him, her eyes soft. “You really don’t have to say sorry.”

He blinked. “Huh?”

She looked away, cheeks pink. “I… didn’t hate it. What you said, I mean.”

Daichi froze, the world suddenly too quiet, too still.

Before he could find the right words, Riko stood, brushing off her skirt.

“Come on, idiot. We’ll be late for class.”

She walked ahead, leaving him speechless — heart pounding in his chest like it had something to tell him.

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> “You really don’t have to say sorry,” Riko said softly. “I… didn’t hate it.”