How should I describe it? It was like being cornered in a small cage with a hungry lion. Or like swimming with cramped muscles in an ocean full of sharks. Yeah, I was in the same room as a voracious predator with no opportunity of escape, considering how Baekhyun looked at me ravenously.

“How should I deal with you?” His controlled voice startled me more than an enraged shout would. He tilted his head and crossed arms. After thinking about something for a while, he sighed as if in defeat, “Your annoying friends told me that you wanted to break up with me. Any explanations?”

Scared as hell, I looked around to see if there was anyone I could shout at for help. Surprise and gratefulness flooded me when I saw people gathering near the entrance to my classroom. Did someone spread the gossip about Baekhyun having a ‘talk’ with me? But that was my chance, right? He couldn’t do anything when there were people watching us.

Never thought I would find safety in those swarming spectators.

“We have an audience,” I faced him with a small smile beginning to form on my face from relief. “Be careful and don’t destroy your image.” Nerve suddenly filled my body and I mimicked his pose: resting against the back of the chair with crossed arms, I tried to show him that he wasn’t in the place to intimidate me anymore.

But he only grinned, stubbornly unmoved by my words. A small scoff left his lips when he saw my pose, so confident and so unlike my usual temperament. “You’re so amusing when you’re trying so hard to bluff up and act smarter than you really are.”

“W-what did you say?” I almost choked hearing his insult. I could no longer grasp the situation anymore. We were surrounded by other people and Baekhyun had to maintain his image of top student with a kind personality to top it all off. So then, why was he still so confidently rude? “Aren’t you afraid that others will find out that you fouled everyone? You and that woman were caught on my cam—”

“No, you don’t,” he cut me off and I blinked a few times before I realized what he said. He knew I had no proof right from the beginning? Wait, then why would he agree to be my boyfriend? My eyes widened when he leaned closer and his face was just a few centimeters away from mine. A wave of jealous and amused sighs from behind reached my ears. People standing out of the classroom were watching our every move. But there was one big problem—they couldn’t actually hear us, so he could still threaten me in whatever way he wanted. Baekhyun looked at them, then back at me and his lips curved in a grin. “Want to hear a secret?” Without waiting for my answer, he put covered his mouth with his hand so as to prevent any of the other students from seeing and guessing what he was about to say, “I don’t give two cents about whatever rumors you begin about me.” With that, he settled back into his chair, face still plastered with that gosh-darned sweet smile. “Want to know why?”

I gulped, not particularly wanting to hear his answer, but the curiosity controlled my words without me realizing, “W-why?”

“Because no one will believe you,” he stated simply with a light shrug. With a jerk of his head towards the people inspecting the situation from outside, he prompted me to look at them. The group of students watching us and whispering to each other was already two times larger than before.

“They all view me as a role model,” Baekhyun said with satisfaction. “Top student, great personality, and a willingness to help others. But you have little reputation to your name prior to being my girlfriend. More than half of those people didn’t even know of your existence before I spilled our relationship.” He swept a hand through his combed and placed locks. “They won’t believe someone who just cropped up in their worlds, especially if said someone was trying to tear down her supposed boyfriend and their model.”

I turned my face to away from the crowd unable to hide my irritation while taking in his every word. I gritted my teeth unconsciously, trying to shake off the sudden anger I felt when I realized how truthful his words were. I was no one here. I was no one in my five previous schools as well. Knowing that his words were in no way exaggerated hurt me through a sting of reality.

“Then why?” I snapped back, looking down at my shoes. Somehow, I was really scared of making direct eye contact with him. My voice was shaking even though I tried my best reconfigure an unaffected and aloof attitude. I gripped my fingers on the edge of my shirt to prevent them from shaking as well. “Why did you let me be your girlfriend if I’m just no one? Weren’t you scared that I will rui—” I paused when I felt his touch under my chin. He lifted my face and forced me to look at him. My heart started beating rapidly because of the sudden contact.

“The question is…” He lowered his voice and paused for effect, “what do you actually want? First you beg me to be your fake boyfriend, then you go around spreading that you want to break up with me.” Baekhyun released his hold on me when girls outside started screaming with anger and excitement. They probably assumed we had some private and romantic moment. I let out a deep breath, realizing that I hadn’t properly breathed the entire time he was touching me.