The next morning felt normal.
Too normal.
Ethan and I were walking toward the classroom when I noticed something.
A girl was standing near the hallway lockers.
She wasn't talking.
She was watching.
Her eyes were fixed on us.
Especially on me.
She had long hair, perfect makeup, and a confident posture.
I didn't recognize her.
But she definitely knew Ethan.
"Who is that?" I whispered.
Ethan glanced briefly in her direction.
"…Clara."
That was all he said.
Clara.
She walked toward us calmly.
And when she stopped, she smiled at Ethan — not at me.
"Ethan," she said sweetly. "It's been a while."
I felt something slightly uncomfortable in my chest.
Ethan nodded politely.
"Clara."
She finally turned her attention to me.
Her smile didn't change.
"So this is the girl everyone's talking about."
I stayed calm.
"Yes."
She looked me up and down briefly.
Not rude.
But evaluating.
Then she said,
"I heard you two are dating now."
The way she said it sounded… doubtful.
Ethan answered before I could.
"Yes."
No hesitation.
Clara's smile flickered for a second.
But she recovered quickly.
"That's interesting," she replied.
Then she looked at me again.
"I didn't know Ethan liked dating competition partners."
The sentence wasn't loud.
But it wasn't friendly either.
I understood immediately.
She was trying to provoke me.
Ethan stepped slightly closer to me.
Not dramatically.
Just enough to show unity.
"Clara," he said calmly, "if you have something to say, say it directly."
Her eyes shifted back to him.
"I just think it's sudden."
"It isn't," he replied.
His tone was steady.
Controlled.
Clara smiled again.
"Well. I hope it works out."
Then she walked away.
But before leaving completely, she glanced back at me one more time.
And for a second…
I saw it.
Jealousy.
Not loud.
Not obvious.
But real.
After She Left
The hallway felt quieter.
I looked at Ethan.
"Is she someone important?"
He paused briefly.
"We used to attend the same academic programs."
That was it.
No long explanation.
But something about her reaction made me think.
She didn't look like just a random student.
And the way she looked at Ethan…
It wasn't neutral.
It was personal.
Still, I reminded myself.
This wasn't real.
We were pretending.
So it shouldn't matter.
But for some reason…
It did.
Later That Day
During lunch, Clara sat at a nearby table.
And she kept looking at us.
Especially when Ethan leaned closer to explain something from the competition notes.
She wasn't subtle.
Maya noticed too.
"Is that girl staring at you?"
"Yes," I replied quietly.
Maya leaned closer.
"She looks jealous."
I didn't respond.
Because honestly…
She did.
But why?
This was just fake dating.
Right?
Ethan suddenly spoke softly so only I could hear.
"Don't pay attention to her."
I looked at him.
"She's not a problem."
His voice was calm.
But firm.
That simple sentence made something inside me feel steady again.
He wasn't distracted.
He wasn't interested.
He was focused on the competition.
Focused on us.
And that made me feel strangely reassured.
But what we didn't notice yet…
Was that Clara wasn't going to give up easily.
And this was only the beginning of the real tension.
Because fake relationships are easy.
But jealousy?
That changes everything.