Chapter 14: The Fake Date (And Kenji’s True Feelings Stirring)

  Scene 1: A Misunderstood Bet

  The classroom was in chaos.

  Kenji had no idea how things had escalated this quickly.

  One moment, he’d been minding his own business, staring out the window and ignoring whatever nonsense his classmates were on about. The next, Akari was running her mouth, and suddenly, his entire existence was being questioned.

  "You could never go on a normal date," Akari said, loudly enough for half the class to hear.

  Kenji exhaled sharply, already annoyed. "And why exactly would I care?"

  Akari grinned. "Because no girl would survive being seen with you."

  The class snickered.

  Kenji’s eye twitched.

  "That so?" he muttered, crossing his arms.

  Before he could fully retaliate, another voice cut through the conversation.

  "If he were truly reformed," Reina said smoothly from her seat, not even looking up from her notes, "he could prove it by taking someone on a respectable date."

  The room went dead silent.

  Kenji slowly turned. "Excuse me?"

  Akari’s eyes lit up. "Ohhh. That’s a great idea!" She smacked the desk excitedly. "He can take YOU out!"

  Reina froze mid-page turn.

  For the first time, she actually looked caught off guard.

  Kenji expected her to immediately shut the idea down. But instead, she adjusted her glasses and said, "That would be an effective test."

  Kenji blinked.

  What.

  The class lost their minds.

  "THE MONSTER AND THE PRESIDENT?!"

  "WHAT IF HE CORRUPTS HER?!"

  "WHAT IF SHE TAMES HIM?!"

  The teacher did not even attempt to restore order.

  Kenji rubbed his temples. "Not happening."

  Reina gave him a pointed look. "Backing down already?"

  The room fell silent.

  Akari smirked. "Oh, now you HAVE to do it."

  Kenji felt a familiar sense of doom creeping in.

  From the corner of his eye, he saw Tetsuya slowly lean toward him.

  "Boss. This is a terrible idea."

  Kenji let out a deep, exhausted sigh. "Yeah. I know."

  But there was no escaping now.

  Scene 2: Kenji and Reina… on a Date?!

  Kenji still couldn’t believe this was happening.

  Saturday afternoon. Downtown.

  He stood outside a trendy café, hands shoved deep into his pockets, waiting for Reina Takahashi. This wasn’t a date. This was a test. Or at least, that’s what she had called it. He wasn’t sure why that distinction annoyed him.

  The moment he stepped off the train, it was obvious that half the school had gotten wind of this ridiculous bet. He had already spotted at least five classmates lurking nearby, pretending to check their phones or window shop while sneaking glances in his direction. He could practically feel the group chat blowing up with rumors.

  Then, she arrived.

  Reina walked toward him with her usual composed posture, wearing a navy-blue coat over a white blouse and skirt. Her long, dark hair was pulled back into a low ponytail, and though her expression was as serious as ever, there was a careful neatness to her appearance today. Kenji squinted slightly. Was she… wearing light makeup? No way.

  She stopped in front of him, adjusting her glasses. “You’re late.”

  Kenji checked his watch. “I’m two minutes early.”

  She ignored that. “Let’s get this over with.”

  “Wow,” he muttered, smirking. “You sure know how to make a guy feel special.”

  “This is a test, not an indulgence,” Reina replied smoothly. “Do not enjoy yourself.”

  Kenji exhaled, shaking his head. “I feel like that’s an impossible rule.”

  She huffed, turning on her heel. “Follow me.”

  The moment they stepped inside the café, Kenji felt the weight of dozens of eyes on them. He lazily scanned the room. Sure enough, in the far corner, a group of students sat huddled together, whispering furiously while pretending to sip their drinks. Someone’s phone screen flashed. Kenji sighed. “We’re being watched.”

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  Reina barely blinked. “Of course. I hold an important position in the school. It’s only natural that my presence would attract attention.”

  Kenji leaned in slightly. “They’re not looking at you, Prez.”

  Reina’s brows knit together as she glanced around. For the first time, it seemed to dawn on her just how many horrified faces were staring at them. A girl at a nearby table clutched her chest as if she were witnessing an extinction-level event. Another student actually looked like they might faint.

  “They’re overreacting,” Reina said flatly.

  Kenji grinned. “Welcome to my life.”

  The rest of the “date” followed a similar pattern.

  When they walked through the shopping district, students tried (and failed) to casually bump into them. Reina ignored them, treating the entire thing like a business transaction, while Kenji ducked past a guy who was definitely trying to snap a photo.

  By the time they reached the bookstore, Kenji figured this would be the safest place to exist without chaos. That lasted all of five minutes before Reina disappeared into the legal studies section, completely absorbed in a book on constitutional law.

  Kenji leaned against a nearby shelf, arms crossed, watching her skim through pages with a level of focus that made it seem like the world outside didn’t exist. She was mumbling something under her breath, deep in thought, her fingers absently tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear as she flipped to another chapter.

  Kenji’s gaze lingered.

  She really was something else.

  He blinked, suddenly aware of himself, and turned away. What the hell was that?

  “Tch. Boring,” he muttered, hoping to shake whatever strange thought had just tried to enter his brain.

  “You lack appreciation for academic excellence,” Reina responded without looking up.

  “And yet, here I am,” Kenji shot back.

  That made her pause for a fraction of a second before she went back to her book. Kenji caught the tiniest shift in her expression, something almost thoughtful, before she pushed it aside.

  The moment passed.

  They left the store and stepped back onto the street just as a smooth, familiar voice interrupted the air between them.

  “Fancy running into you two.”

  Kenji’s mood instantly soured.

  Reina, on the other hand, smiled.

  Kenji felt something unpleasant twist in his chest.

  Takashi Hanekawa stood a few feet away, hands in his pockets, wearing that same effortless grin. His eyes flickered between them, lingering just long enough to make Kenji irritated.

  “Didn’t expect to see you out and about, Fujimura,” Takashi continued, sounding entirely too amused. “And with such excellent company.”

  Kenji rolled his shoulders. “Yeah? You stalking us or something?”

  Takashi chuckled. “No need. Word travels fast.”

  Kenji clenched his jaw, already wanting this conversation to be over.

  Reina, as usual, was completely oblivious to the tension. “Hanekawa-kun, do you frequent this area?”

  “Now and then,” Takashi replied, gaze flicking toward Kenji. “I have good timing, don’t I?”

  Kenji narrowed his eyes.

  From behind a store window, Akari watched, sipping her drink, barely containing her grin.

  “Oh, this just got interesting,” she muttered to herself.

  Scene 3: Unspoken Tensions and Unwelcome Company

  Kenji’s jaw tightened as Takashi stood before them, effortlessly smooth, like he had planned this entire encounter.

  Reina didn’t seem to notice anything off about his sudden arrival. If anything, she seemed almost pleased to see him, as if Takashi’s presence made the entire "date" more respectable.

  Kenji, however, wanted to punch something.

  He wasn’t sure why.

  “You’re out shopping?” Takashi asked, his sharp eyes flicking between the two of them. “I have to say, I didn’t expect this from you, Fujimura.”

  Kenji shoved his hands into his pockets, eyes half-lidded in annoyance. “Didn’t expect what?”

  Takashi’s smirk was barely noticeable, but it was there. “You, of all people, out on what seems to be a very public date.”

  Reina straightened beside him. “This is not a date,” she corrected quickly. “It’s a test of Fujimura’s ability to conduct himself in a respectable manner.”

  Takashi chuckled. “Is that so?” He tilted his head slightly, gaze settling on Kenji. “And how’s he doing so far?”

  Kenji really, really wanted to hit something now.

  Reina exhaled. “So far, I would rate his behavior at a C-plus.”

  Kenji gave her a flat look. “A C-plus?”

  “You can improve.”

  “I haven’t even done anything wrong!”

  She adjusted her glasses. “You could carry yourself with more refinement.”

  Kenji scoffed. “Right, because I should be copying Hanekawa over here, Mr. Perfect.”

  Takashi raised a hand in mock humility. “No need to compare yourself to me, Fujimura. I’m sure Reina sees potential in you.”

  Kenji had never wanted to throw hands more in his life.

  Reina, still somehow unaware of the nuclear-level tension, looked at Takashi with genuine curiosity. “What brings you here?”

  “I had some errands to run.” He gestured vaguely at the surrounding shops. “But now that I’m here, why not join you two?”

  Kenji’s entire body tensed. “Hard pass.”

  Reina, however, nodded. “I don’t see why not. It would be beneficial to have an additional perspective.”

  Kenji turned to her in disbelief. “Are you serious?”

  Reina gave him a disapproving look. “This is an opportunity for you to prove that you can interact properly in a social setting. You wouldn’t want to fail, would you?”

  Kenji gritted his teeth. “Oh, you’re enjoying this.”

  “I’m simply following through on my responsibilities.”

  Takashi smiled, clearly amused. “I’ll try not to interfere too much. Think of me as a neutral observer.”

  Kenji could already tell there was nothing neutral about him.

  From the other side of the street, Akari had fully abandoned any pretense of subtlety. She was leaning against a store window, sipping her drink, watching the entire thing unfold like a live drama.

  “Oh, this is gold,” she muttered to herself.

  Kenji, still fuming internally, turned back to Takashi. “Fine. You wanna tag along? Let’s see if you can keep up.”

  Takashi simply smiled. “I was about to say the same thing.”

  Scene 3.5: Kenji’s Private Reflection

  The city buzzed around him—lights flashing, conversations blending into a low hum, the scent of street food drifting through the air.

  Kenji barely noticed any of it.

  His hands were shoved deep into his jacket pockets, his steps slow and unhurried as he wandered aimlessly through the streets.

  He had just dropped Reina off after their so-called "date," and now, for the first time all day, he was alone with his thoughts.

  And he didn’t like it.

  Everything about today should have been annoying. The forced outing, the judging stares, Takashi showing up like some smug third wheel.

  And yet…

  Kenji exhaled, tilting his head back slightly, staring up at the neon-lit signs above.

  He had fun.

  That realization alone made his stomach churn uncomfortably.

  He shouldn’t care. He didn’t care.

  Except he did.

  And that was a problem.

  Reina was supposed to be an obstacle. A stubborn, infuriating girl who got in his way and forced him into ridiculous situations.

  She wasn’t supposed to be…

  Whatever this was.

  Kenji stopped walking, catching his reflection in the glass of a convenience store window.

  His own eyes stared back at him—tired, but sharp, as if trying to pick apart the truth.

  "Who the hell am I even pretending to be anymore?"

  For weeks, he had been playing this role. Acting like it didn’t matter. Telling himself it was just a game—that none of this was real.

  But Reina’s words from earlier echoed in his mind.

  "This is a test. Do NOT enjoy yourself."

  Kenji let out a bitter chuckle.

  He failed that test spectacularly.

  Shaking his head, he took a step forward—then suddenly stopped.

  A prickling sensation crawled up his spine.

  It wasn’t much. Just a fleeting feeling.

  But it was there.

  Kenji subtly glanced at the glass window again, this time not looking at himself, but behind him.

  The street was busy, but nothing unusual. No one staring at him, no one following too closely.

  And yet…

  The feeling wouldn’t go away.

  He exhaled sharply, rolling his shoulders as he turned the corner.

  If someone was watching him, they weren’t ready to make a move yet.

  But they would.

  And when they did, Kenji had no idea if he’d be ready.