BY THE TIME I CHANGED BACK INTO MY UNIFORM, COLLECTED MY BELONGINGS, AND STROLLED OUT THE MAIN DOORS, I WAS MET WITH SILENCE.

All the commotion caused by Seo, Juri, and Botan, including the squealing fans and burly security guards, were long gone. With their exit, they'd taken the chaos with them, leaving the area a ghost town.

I shook my head as their three faces came to mind.

What a bummer of a day.

Oh, well. At least I had this.

As I raised my cheque to my ray of sight, my lips peeled into an ear-splitting grin.

I was rich, baby! This could sustain me for the next three months. Let alone food splurges, I could buy all the otome games on my wish list.

This was probably pocket change for those stuck-up models. But, for your average Jane—especially a high schooler hailing from a low-income household—you had to at least pour a month of full-time work to make this much.

Humming with glee, I skipped down the steps with a huge smile.

And to think, this was only 50% of it! Sure, I might've been badmouthed, degraded, and treated like trash, but for this amount? I'd happily experience it again!

Life couldn't get any better than this.

"4:15PM meeting with the company president. . ."

As a faint whisper caught my ear, I absentmindedly glanced up.

At that exact moment, a gust of wind swept through, and in its wake, a streak of sun-kissed blond hair filled my view. My brain stuttered, the recognition hitting me faster than I could react.

Nanase.

What was Nanase doing here?

Instinctively, I whipped my head left and right, and practically leapt behind the nearest bench. A horrible hiding place, but at least it was low enough where he wouldn't spot me.

Technically, Nanase worked here, but wasn't he supposed to be at school? Hastily, I scrambled for the time. My eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.

How was it already 4PM? Had I really lost track of the day that much?

If it was this late, that meant he must've come straight from school. Which explained why he was here, in his uniform.

"4:30 PM, head to wardrobe. . ." His voice droned as he swiped through his phone screen, clearly depicting his schedule. "Mr. Tanji to replace Ms. Miho. . ."

Thankfully, he hadn't seen me. But, to be honest, I still hadn't quite figured out what to do about this whole modelling situation I'd gotten myself into. The last thing I expected was for it to take place at the agency he worked with, yet here I was.

On top of that, I'd scrubbed off all my makeup, stuffed that fake wig into my bag, and threw on my uniform back to the way I was used to wearing it.

I assumed I wouldn't be running into anyone I knew on the way home, but clearly, fate had other plans.

If it were Kohana or another fan club member, I could maybe play it off. But, Nanase?

I couldn't let him see me like this—not after I'd already made my grand debut as a ditz in his fan club. It'd be an immediate GAME OVER!

With every step Nanase took toward the building, I crawled through the grass, careful not to make a noise. Once I made it to the gate, I'd be home free. I could do it. I was almost there. . . !

Just as the thought crossed my mind—while I struggled with all my might to wriggle to safety—the sharp click of heels against pavement snagged my attention.

Trailing close behind Nanase, beaming from ear to ear, was a stunning girl. Sleek ebony hair spilled down her back from beneath a stylish beret, and her sharp features were accentuated by the thickest layer of makeup imaginable.

But none of that was the real problem.

The real problem was her outfit.

Our school uniform. With a Nanase4Life blazer to complete it.

I froze, scrambling to catch a better look.

A fan club member?

"Na-na-se~!"

With great big hops, she closed the gap between them within seconds and locked her arms around him from behind.

I wasn't sure what I expected, but Nanase springing into the air like a startled cat, was not it.

Successfully escaping her hold, he stumbled for balance, bug-eyed.

"M—Meruko!" he shouted the name. "Wh-wh-what are you doing here? You should not be here."

Meruko flashed a playful smile, ignoring his comical confusion. "I followed you, silly. What? You think something like my after-school remedial classes can keep the two of us apart?"

"I—It really should! Education is super important!" His voice came out high-pitched, and I swear I could see the nervous twitch in his hand as he fumbled with his phone. The poise he typically strutted the world with was nowhere to be found. "Why don't you head back? I can call you later tonight."

Her mouth pushed into a frown. "You always resort to phone calls or texts. Can't you see I wanted to be with you—in person?"

Indescribable emotions contorted his once flawless face. Then, he edged a few steps backward, like he was trying to put some distance between them. Except, his foot caught on the steps leading into the building, and with a yelp, he wiped out, landing hard on his back.

Ouch. That looked like it hurt.

Meruko didn't seem bothered in the slightest. She merely loomed over him, her smile widening as she crouched down at his side.

"Are you all right, darling? Here. Let me help you—"

"No need!" He extended a hand to keep her back, chuckling for emphasis. "Princesses like you shouldn't have to lift a finger, let alone for someone like me. That's what I'm here for."

"Aw, Nanase!" she squeed with glee. "You called me a 'princess'!"

Taking advantage of her elation, he rolled over in one smooth movement, leapt up, and waved over his shoulder. "Well, I have work now, so if you'll excuse me—"

"Not so fast!"

She swiftly chased him. Like a predator caging in its prey, she blocked off his one and only route inside and seductively fluttered her lashes.

"Aren't you forgetting something?"

Nanase's jaw fell slack. "I. . . am?"

"Jeez, don't make me beg for it." Pursing her lips, Meruko leaned in. "I'm not moving until I get my goodbye kiss. Ready when you are, darling."

The colour fled his skin, like the moment before a storm turns the sky to ash. ". . .What?"

"Aw, don't be a tease," she whined, her voice sugary sweet. "You've been putting it off since we started going out yesterday. C'mon. Nobody is around to see us."

Wrong, actually. I was here. Seeing all of this.

I could practically feel the tension in his muscles tighten as she closed the space between them, her lips dangerously close. She cupped the sides of his face in her palms, wobbling with how high she'd propped up on her tippy-toes. Nanase's mouth flapped robotically, his body stiff as steel.

Even from my distance, I couldn't mistake it. The sickly green of his complexion. The visible buckets of sweat pouring from his brow.

It was exactly like this morning. When I accidentally pinned him to the floor.

Back then, I couldn't quite put my finger on it, but now—now—the truth coiled around my throat, tightening until I could barely breathe.

It couldn't be. . .

Meruko's mouth stretched; one last push.

There was no way. . .

"All I need is one, simple kiss—"

"—I SAID NO!"

The maddened yell flung the world upside down. It exploded from Nanase's vocal cords, leaving him heaving, his lungs clawing for oxygen.

Meruko's eyes fluttered open and closed, completely shell-shocked. "Nanase?"

"We're through," he finalized, teeth chattering. "Our relationship is over. Done. Finished!"

He burst past her, scrambling down the flight of steps he'd previously climbed. Wobbly on his feet, as if the ground beneath him was made of mush, he circled the side of the building, out of Meruko's sight.

"No!" she wailed after him in a heap of tears. "This can't be! Nanase!"

My jaw hit the ground, hanging limply from its hinges.

Nanase's sudden flight—this over-the-top breakup—was just the beginning.

"Sh-she touched me."

Nanase's hiding spot was perfectly visible from where I lay, making his every movement impossible to forget.

". . .She touched me. She touched me. She touched me. She touched me. She touched me. . ."

It started with the agonizing murmurs. Soon after followed the hysterical scrubbing of his face. Almost as if he was trying to erase Meruko's touch from his skin.

One by one, tiny red bumps started to appear, blotching his skin; his cheeks. He was breaking out into hives. Not just a few, but dozens.

And he scratched at them. Itched and clawed and scraped at his his neck, arms, legs, torso, eyelids, cheeks. Everywhere possible. Wincing with the kind of pain one could only wish away.

"Whoa, what's going on? Are you okay, young man?"

A passing staff member, clearly in the area for a smoke break, approached him in haste.

Nanase squeaked.

"Another one. . . !"

The woman's eyebrows furrowed in concern.

His eyes widened in panic. He took frantic steps back, his hands in the air to ward her off.

"It's not what it looks like!" His voice was shaky; shrill. "Girl's perfume—I'm allergic to the scent! That's all it is!"

He kept stepping back, his feet stumbling, as though the very idea of another girl getting near him was enough to send him into a full-on meltdown.

"Stay—" Nanase squeaked, his voice almost breaking. "Stay away from me!"

The staff member was left standing, utterly speechless, as he hightailed it out there with the speed of an Olympic runner.

All that remained was a mere afterimage.

My mouth primmed.

With this, everything clicked.

The cold sweats.

Him keeping an abnormal distance.

And now, literal hives.

The truth was obvious.

So obvious it made my head spin.

Meguru Nanase. . . Kanome High's infamous playboy. . . had gynophobia.

An irrational—and practically morbid—fear of girls.

__________

Finally, the secret is revealed. Did any of you expect this? Any predictions for what's to come?

Also, so sorry for the late update. Still not super happy with it either but no use overthinking it when I've got the rest of the book to write xD

Let me know your thoughts on the chapter!

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