~ PAST ~
When we arrived at school, Kenji immediately got out of the car to open the door for me. The moment I stepped out, every student's eyes turned to us.
They whispered among themselves, all talking about me and Kenji.
This was the first time they had seen us arrive at school together.
Kenji took my bag and carried it as we started walking toward the campus. I could clearly hear the students' murmurs.
"Oh my God! Why are they together?"
"Are they in a relationship?"
"Athena is really such a flirt. Even Kenji fell for her tricks."
"Could they really be dating?"
"Why did they come to school together… in the same car at that?"
I heard everything they said while staring at us. I wanted to confront the girl who called me a flirt, but Kenji held me back.
"None of this would be happening if it weren't for you," I said irritably.
"I know. That's why you shouldn't pay attention to them," he answered calmly.
"Don't mind them? Are you serious? Did you even hear the things they said about me?" My voice rose, because to him it seemed like this was just a joke.
"Calm down, Athy. Don't mind them, okay? I don't want you getting into fights," he said as he gently held my hand.
We continued walking straight to my building because he insisted on walking me to class.
"What's the meaning of this? Why are you two together?" Amy asked seriously as she looked at both me and Kenji.
"Don't tell me, Athena, you agreed to whatever Kenji wanted," Janice said with a raised brow.
"Girls, don't be like that with him. There's something I haven't told you yet—that's why you're surprised. I'll explain everything later, okay?" I tried to convince them.
Even I didn't want Kenji to hear everything my friends had to say.
"Alright, babe, you can go now. Just text me at lunch," I said to Kenji, then kissed him on the cheek.
I saw the shock on Amy and Janice's faces, but I chose to ignore it.
"Okay, good luck. Don't get into any fights. Bye, babe," Kenji said before letting go of my hand. I smiled at him before he walked away from my classroom building.
"Why were you two acting like that with Kenji? You didn't even greet him properly," I asked the two of them.
"Athena, how do you expect us to act normal when Amy and I are still in shock?" Janice said, raising her brow.
"And why did you suddenly disappear from the bar last night? Where did you go? Who were you with?" Amy asked me immediately.
Since it was still early and our professor hadn't arrived yet, I dragged them down to the back of the Business Administration building. I pulled out the pack of cigarettes I had hidden in the trash bin, lit one, and popped a candy into my mouth.
"Here's the thing, girls. The reason I left the bar last night was because I went with Kenji," I began my story. They both kept quiet, just listening.
"And last night, we became official. We're in a relationship now," I admitted shyly. I didn't feel excited at all, because truthfully, I didn't love Kenji.
"You're together? Like… he's your boyfriend now, and you're his girlfriend? How?" Janice exclaimed.
"I didn't tell you before, but he's been courting me for a long time. That's why he always annoys me and tries to get my attention. I never gave him permission to court me, but he kept pursuing me anyway," I lied.
"Then why did you say yes? If he's liked you for so long but you don't love him, how can your relationship work?" Amy asked, clearly confused.
"Don't tell me you're using Kenji to forget James? Athena, I told you that's wrong. You'll only end up hurting him," Janice said, and I could feel the sadness in her voice.
"I know… and I told Kenji I don't love him. But he said he'll do everything he can to make me fall for him. I told him that if I can't, then we'll have to break up," I admitted, though I didn't understand why even I felt sad saying it.
"Athena, we both know that even if Kenji has a reputation as a playboy, he's actually kind. People talk about how he never takes anyone seriously, but… what if his feelings for you are real? If I were you, I'd give him a chance. Maybe you two can change each other," Janice said.
I couldn't respond.
I just kept smoking until I finished my cigarette. Even I didn't know where this relationship would lead—how long Kenji would wait for me to love him back, or if I would ever love him at all.
After our talk, Amy, Janice, and I returned to our classroom, just as our professor arrived. We quickly took our seats.
Despite my attitude, I was serious about my studies. I wanted to be the one to take over my parents' company someday. My father trusted me, and I didn't want to disappoint my family, especially my grandmother. That's why, even though I was always the subject of gossip in school, I chose to ignore it.
When a few of our subjects ended, I put my pen and notebook back into my bag. While I was retouching my makeup, my phone rang. I took it from my skirt pocket and saw Kenji calling.
"Hello, Athy," Kenji's sweet voice came through. It made me cringe a little, but I had no choice—I agreed to this setup.
"Yes, hello Kenjie, my love!" I said loudly, since a group of girls were staring at me.
I could see the anger on their faces when they heard what I said.
I heard Kenji chuckle quietly. Maybe even he didn't expect me to sound so sweet while talking to him.
Kenji smirked
"You're really acting like this already? It's just our first day together, Athy. Don't rush things—let's take it slow," he said, and I couldn't tell if he was teasing me or just messing around. Either way, it was annoying.