Fake Couple or Real Couple

For a moment, the air between the two felt somewhat off, but neither spoke; one had nothing to say, and the other didn't know what to say.

After a long while, Kei Karuizawa finally gathered the courage to speak up.

"Hey, Katsuya-kun, could you... be my... boy... boyfriend?"

"I..."

Before Katsuya could finish, Kei hurriedly whispered an explanation:

"It's not for real! Actually, I... you should be able to tell, right? I used to be bullied a lot, so I pretended to be like this to protect myself. But I know it's all an act, and I lack the confidence... I just thought if I had a boyfriend, maybe..."

This was the first time Kei had told anyone about the past she never wanted to reveal, whether it was because of their similar fates or the time they had spent together.

Or perhaps it was because this boy had truly protected her from a group of delinquents just moments ago!

All of this was enough to prove that Katsuya Shinjo was someone Kei Karuizawa could trust.

However, when she looked up to see his expression, she found him muttering something to himself:

"Fake... huh..."

"You were definitely disappointed, weren't you?! Katsuya-kun!"

The blank look on Katsuya's face vanished instantly, replaced by his usual smiling expression:

"It would be a lie to say I wasn't, but it was mostly just to tease you."

"You! You're so mean..."

Her soft, gentle tone sounded more like she was acting spoiled, the first time the young girl had felt something that might be called love.

And for Katsuya, wasn't it the same?

"So, can you agree to my request? I know it's a bit much to ask..."

"Well, to be honest, I guessed you might have a past like that the first time we met. Alright, I can agree to it, but I'm going to need some payment for your request!"

Kei's face lit up with joy, then turned awkward:

"But, you know my financial situation well enough. I really don't have any points left."

"No, it's not money I want. It's..."

Not money? Then what else did she, Kei, have?

!!!!!!!

She jumped up, one hand covering her chest while the other pointed at him:

"You... you don't mean you want my..."

"What kind of person do you take me for? Actually, I want you to join my Odd Jobs Agency."

Odd Jobs Agency?

Realizing she had misunderstood, Kei hurriedly apologized to Katsuya, though it was clear she was still having trouble understanding this new term.

"Simply put, it means taking on paid requests to help clients complete certain tasks. To put it bluntly, it's doing things for people in exchange for money, but since a club needs three people to be established and I'm currently the only one, it's just that simple."

"Oh! I get it! It's like the private detective from Conan, right!"

"Uh, something like that."

Kei nodded, "The payment you want is just that simple?"

To Kei, this actually carried a different meaning. Since it was just joining a club, it was nothing more than picking up a pen and signing her name.

But in return, he would provide her with constant protection and even attend certain events to maintain their facade as a couple.

No matter how she looked at it, he was giving her a huge favor.

Thinking back to Katsuya's disappointed expression earlier, she understood!

This man must like me!

But if that's true, should I accept... or be forced to accept... No! Kei! You're a girl, how can you be so frivolous?! At the very least, we should go on a few dates first...

Katsuya clearly had no idea what she was thinking, and even if he did, it wouldn't matter, because he seemed to be thinking the exact same thing right now.

"Ah, if possible, it would be best if you could help me find a third person. Anyone will do, since they just need to be a name on the roster. If you can do that, I'd be truly grateful!"

"I can do it!"

The promptness of her reply actually caught Katsuya off guard.

The reason she could guarantee this was because she had already planned to force her two best friends to sign the club application form!

"Then, since we're a couple... is it better if I call you Karuizawa, or should I call you... Kei?"

!!!!!!

Just... calling me by my first name!!! Isn't that a bit too intimate? But I guess couples do call each other by their first names... so, I should agree...

Kei nodded as if possessed: "If that's the case, then can I call you, Katsuya?"

"That goes without saying."

Although Shinjo was unwilling to admit that he had been a virgin until recently, the other party seemed even more innocent than he was.

Afterward, to celebrate their new status as a couple, Shinjo bit the bullet and treated her to a big meal before taking a stroll through the shopping district.

Even though both of them acknowledged that they were a fake couple, whether in the eyes of outsiders or in their own hearts, they had already tossed the word "fake" to who knows where.

"Oh, right! Katsuya, who is... Ayanokoji?"

"Huh? Don't tell me you haven't even memorized the names of your own classmates after a whole month."

Although that guy Ayanokoji had the presence of thin air, and it seemed like he was intentionally downplaying his own existence, it was still absurd to not know him at all.

But looking at Karuizawa's blank expression, she truly didn't know.

"You're saying this Ayanokoji is a student in our class?!"

"But if that's the case, why did you give his name to that Ryuen?"

Should this be called an occupational hazard?

Shinjo rarely used his real name when out and about, especially when he knew someone might be looking for trouble. Even if giving a fake name might be useless, he had still made a habit of it.

"Uh, that guy is really something! If Ryuen actually tries to mess with him, it'll definitely be Ryuen who ends up unlucky!"

Shinjo brushed it off with a vague excuse, but in reality, what he said was true.

Karuizawa couldn't be bothered to care about someone she had no impression of, so she sensibly didn't press the matter further.

That night, the two parted ways with great reluctance and spent another half hour on the phone. Although most of what they said was meaningless drivel, to the two of them, every single punctuation mark felt significant.

Karuizawa also took the opportunity to embellish her story, trimming away a few "minor details" before sharing it with her two good friends, Matsushita and Sato.

Both of them chimed in simultaneously: "I knew it!"

Class C, "Ayanokoji! Good, what a fine piece of prey!"

"Ryuen, that guy might be playing you for a fool."

?????

Ryuen, who had been laughing maniacally, suddenly stiffened, signaling Manabe with a dangerous look to continue.

"Because, I heard Karuizawa calling that guy Shinjo-kun earlier..."

"I don't care what he calls himself! Whether it's Shinjo or Ayanokoji! I won't let either of them off the hook!"

Meanwhile, Ayanokoji, who was busy gnawing on a piece of hard bread, suddenly let out a sneeze.

"How strange, can I even get sick?"