The unexpected proposal
The afternoon sun filtered through the classroom windows, casting long shadows across the desks. The bell signaling the end of classes echoed through the halls of Seiran High School, and the students began gathering their things, eager to enjoy the free afternoon.
Touya Naruse, seated by the window, was quietly putting his books into his backpack. He glanced sideways at the group of students gathered around a central figure: Mei Hoshizaki.
Mei was the center of attention, as always. Her melodious laughter filled the room as she chatted cheerfully with her friends. Her light brown hair fell in soft waves over her shoulders, and her eyes sparkled with infectious energy.
Touya sighed inwardly. She’s so... beautiful, he thought, turning his gaze toward the scenery outside.
Just as he was about to get up, a cheerful voice surprised him.
“Naruse-kun!” Mei called, approaching him with a radiant smile.
Touya blinked, incredulous. Mei Hoshizaki was talking to him?
“M-me?” he replied, pointing at himself, still unsure if she was really addressing him.
“Yes, you,” she confirmed, stopping in front of his desk. “Do you have a moment? I’d like to talk to you.”
Curious glances from their classmates landed on them. Touya felt a warmth rise to his neck.
“Sure...” he muttered, standing up awkwardly.
Mei led him out of the classroom, walking through the halls until they reached a quieter area of the building. She stopped near the vending machines and turned to face him.
“Naruse-kun, I’ll get straight to the point,” she began, her tone more serious. “I need you to pretend to be my boyfriend.”
Touya felt the world come to a stop. Had he heard that right?
“E-excuse me?” he stammered, unable to process the request.
“My parents are set on marrying me off to someone I don’t even know,” Mei explained, crossing her arms. “If they think I already have a boyfriend, they might back off. And I thought you could help me.”
Touya looked at her, still stunned.
“Why me?” he finally asked.
Mei smiled faintly.
“Because you’re discreet, calm, and... well, you’re not involved in gossip or drama. Plus, I think I can trust you.”
Touya’s heart was pounding. The girl of his dreams had just asked him to pretend to be her boyfriend. It was a situation he’d never imagined.
“So? Will you help me?” Mei asked, tilting her head.
Touya swallowed hard. He knew accepting might be dangerous for his feelings, but it was also a once-in-a-lifetime chance to be close to her.
“Alright,” he finally said. “I’ll help you.”
Mei smiled brightly, and for a moment, Touya felt like the sun was shining even brighter.
“Thank you, Naruse-kun! I knew I could count on you.”
As they returned to the classroom, Touya couldn’t help but wonder what he was getting himself into. But one thing was certain: his life was about to get much more complicated.
Touya still hadn’t processed what he had just agreed to.
The cool afternoon breeze blew gently as he and Mei walked through the back courtyard of the school. Although they had returned to the classroom briefly, Mei had dragged him outside again, insisting they needed to “work out the details.”
“Alright, Naruse-kun, first things first,” Mei said, stopping in front of him with her arms crossed. “If we’re going to pretend to be a couple, we need some basic rules.”
“R-rules?” Touya blinked, feeling everything was moving too fast for his brain to keep up.
“Of course! We can’t just wing it, or people will get suspicious.”
Mei took out her phone and started typing into a notes app. Touya peeked at her screen.
Fake Dating Rules
. Act like a real couple in public.
. Don’t fall in love for real.
. Don’t tell anyone the truth.
. End the “relationship” as soon as it’s safe.
Touya felt a slight pang in his chest when he read the second rule but said nothing.
“What do you think?” Mei asked, showing him her phone.
“Hmm… sounds reasonable.”
“Perfect! Now, the next most important thing: our story.”
“Story?”
“Yes! How did we meet? When did we start dating? What do we like about each other? If someone asks, we can’t just blank out.”
Touya nodded slowly. Mei had a point. If they were going to convince her family (and everyone else), they needed a believable backstory.
“Alright, let’s see…” Mei put a hand to her chin, thoughtful. “Let’s say we met in our first year of high school.”
“That’s true. We were in the same class.”
“Exactly! And, uh… we started dating two months ago?”
“Sounds good.”
“And how did you confess to me?” Mei asked with a mischievous smile.
Touya’s face flushed.
“W-what? I was the one who confessed?”
“Of course. You’re the boyfriend, right?”
Touya scratched his cheek, feeling this was getting more and more difficult.
“Uh… I guess… I asked you to go for a walk after school, and when we were at the park…”
“Ohhh, was it a confession under cherry blossoms?” Mei looked at him with sparkling eyes. “So cliché! But I love it.”
“A-actually, I just…”
“And then you said something like, ‘Mei, I’ve liked you for a long time. Will you go out with me?’!”
Touya felt his dignity evaporating with every word she spoke.
“…Something like that.”
Mei laughed, clearly enjoying the situation.
“Okay, we’ve got our story. Next… we have to start acting like a couple right away!”
Touya shivered slightly.
“So soon?”
“Obviously! If we suddenly announce we’re dating but act like strangers, no one will believe us.”
Mei put her phone away and stepped closer with a confident smile.
“So from now on, we’ll behave like a couple when we’re at school.”
“L-like what?”
“Hmm… maybe small things to start. Greet each other more casually, sit together during breaks… Oh, and texting!”
Mei took out her phone again.
“Give me your number, Naruse-kun.”
Touya shivered again. Mei Hoshizaki was asking for his phone number.
With slightly trembling hands, he took out his own phone, and they exchanged contacts. Within five seconds, he got his first message from Mei.
[Mei Hoshizaki: Hello, fake boyfriend! ❤️]
Touya felt his face burn.
“A heart?”
“Of course!” Mei winked. “If someone checks our messages, it has to look real, right?”
Touya gulped. What had he gotten himself into?
“Alright, I think that’s enough for today,” Mei said, putting her phone away. “See you tomorrow, darling?”
Touya nearly choked on his own saliva.
“D-darling?”
“What? It’s a common way for couples to talk, isn’t it?”
Touya looked at Mei, who smiled at him without a hint of embarrassment.
Yeah… his life had definitely gotten a hundred times more complicated.
And it was only just beginning.
