Chapter 29 – “Public Confession Punch”

By Monday morning, the “Secret Couple” rumor had already made three full rotations around campus.

Mina, of course, wasn’t helping. She’d uploaded a blurry photo of Daichi and Riko at the park with the caption:

> “Lovebirds spotted in the wild 🕊️✨ #NotSoSecretAnymore”

Riko nearly tackled her before class.

“Mina! Delete it!”

“Too late,” Mina sang, waving her phone. “It already has seventy likes.”

Riko groaned, burying her face in her hands. “I can’t show my face anymore…”

“Relax,” Mina said cheerfully. “Half the school already assumed you were dating after the stage kiss. This just confirms the lore.”

“Lore?! We’re not a fandom!”

Daichi entered then, hair messy, tie loose, yawning like he’d just come from a battlefield instead of homeroom. “Morning.”

Mina smirked. “Morning, boyfriend.”

Daichi blinked. “Why do I feel like that word suddenly comes with danger attached?”

Riko turned scarlet. “M-Mina! Don’t say it like that!”

The bell rang, but the chaos only truly began at lunch.

---

They were eating together by the courtyard—Riko unpacking her bento, Daichi stealing her tamagoyaki—when trouble came in the form of Sato Kenji, a loudmouthed senior known for having more ego than brain cells.

“Well, well, if it isn’t the campus lovebirds,” Kenji sneered, strolling up with his friends. “Didn’t know you were into scrawny athletes, Riko.”

Daichi froze mid-bite.

Riko blinked, confused. “Excuse me?”

Kenji grinned, crossing his arms. “I mean, seriously. You could do better. He’s just the guy who barely passed midterms. Not exactly prince material, huh?”

Daichi’s expression darkened, but before he could speak—

SMACK.

Riko’s fist met Kenji’s cheek with a sound so sharp it echoed through the courtyard.

Everyone froze.

Mina, halfway through her lunch, dropped her chopsticks.

A freshman gasped, “Did she just—?”

“Yup,” another whispered. “Full power.”

Kenji stumbled back, clutching his face. “What the hell was that for?!”

Riko stood, eyes blazing. “For running your mouth about someone you don’t know!”

Daichi gawked, speechless. “Riko—”

“No, shut up, Daichi,” she snapped, still glaring at Kenji. “You can say whatever you want about me, but if you insult him again, I’ll hit you harder next time.”

Kenji’s friends started laughing nervously, pulling him away. “Dude, let’s go. You just got punched by your crush’s girlfriend.”

“G-Girlfriend?!” someone echoed.

The word spread like wildfire. Within seconds, the courtyard buzzed.

“Girlfriend?”

“Wait—did she just admit it?”

“Riko and Daichi are dating?! No way!”

“I KNEW IT!”

Riko’s eyes widened. “Oh crap—”

Daichi blinked, mouth half-open. “Uh… so, about keeping it quiet—”

“Too late,” Mina called from the side, already recording. “Breaking news: Riko defends her man!”

Riko groaned. “Mina, delete that right now!”

Daichi couldn’t help it—he started laughing. The whole situation was absurd, but also… kind of amazing.

Riko turned to him, flustered. “W-What are you laughing at?!”

“You.” He grinned, standing up. “You just punched a guy for me.”

“Well, yeah,” she muttered, crossing her arms. “He insulted you.”

He smiled softly, stepping closer. “You didn’t have to.”

“I wanted to,” she said, voice small but firm.

For a second, the world went quiet again—the kind of silence that always came before something important.

Daichi reached out and, ignoring the gawking crowd, gently pulled her into a hug.

Gasps erupted. Phones clicked. Mina squealed, “Finally some PDA content!”

Riko went stiff, then melted slightly into the hug, cheeks burning. “D-Daichi—! Everyone’s watching!”

“I don’t care,” he said quietly, his breath warm near her ear. “They should know you’re mine.”

Her heart skipped. Hard.

“Yours?” she murmured.

He grinned. “Well, unless you’re planning to punch me next.”

She snorted. “Maybe later.”

Teachers began shouting from the hallway, “No fighting on school grounds!” but no one was listening. Half the class was chanting “Riko! Riko!” while Mina uploaded a new post:

> ‘Breaking: School’s strongest girl officially claims her prince 💥👑’

As the crowd slowly dispersed, Riko sighed, rubbing her temples. “Great. Now everyone knows.”

Daichi looked down at her, still smiling. “Hey… at least now we don’t have to hide anymore.”

She met his gaze, eyes softening. “You’re way too calm about this.”

“Maybe I’m just proud,” he said.

She blinked. “Proud?”

He nodded. “That you’re my girlfriend.”

Her face turned the color of a tomato. “S-Stop saying that so casually!”

He laughed, hands behind his head. “Can’t help it. Feels nice to say.”

As they walked back toward class, whispers followed them like a trail of fireworks.

Riko sighed dramatically. “I swear, you’re such a pain sometimes.”

Daichi grinned. “Yeah, but you love me anyway.”

“Don’t push it.”

“Oh, I’m pushing it.”

She elbowed him lightly, trying to hide her smile. Despite the chaos, the attention, the embarrassment—there was something warm fluttering inside her chest.

Maybe it was pride. Maybe it was love. Probably both.

She looked up at him and smirked.

> “Yeah,” Riko said, voice loud enough for the lingering crowd to hear, “he’s my boyfriend. Got a problem with that?”

The entire courtyard erupted in cheers.

Daichi laughed, completely smitten. “Remind me never to make you mad.”

“Good plan,” she replied with a grin.