April,2012,
The bell rang, shrill and obnoxious, but Mira Tan didn't flinch. She was too busy sipping strawberry milk through a bendy straw like the world wasn't about to drag her into another painfully dull week of equations and expectations
She leaned against her locker, sketchpad tucked under one arm, eyes half-lidded as she watched her classmates scramble like caffeinated ants. Her bangs fell into her eyes, but she didn't bother pushing them aside. Chaos suited her. Routine didn't.
That's when he appeared.
Ethan Lee, president of the student council, honor student, all-around Mr. Perfect, marched toward her with that infamous clipboard in hand and judgment in his eyes. He was the type who probably color-coded his dreams.
"Mira Tan," he said sharply, tapping his pen against the clipboard. "Do you realize you scored a twenty-seven out of a hundred on the last pre-exam test?"
She blinked up at him, unbothered. "Do you realize I was sketching the whole time and still beat three people?"
"That's not the point," he snapped. "You need tutoring. Desperately."
She slurped her milk. "Nah. I'm more of a self-guided disaster."
Ethan sighed, running a hand through his perfectly neat hair—already a sign of distress. "You're impossible."
"And you're boring." She gave him a lazy smile. "Look here Mr perfectionist, you don't have to desperate this much because of this failure student here, just think"
They stood there for a beat, locked in a silent war of sighs and sarcastic glares, until a voice suddenly chimed in.
"Oh my goodness!"
Mrs. Chen, their eccentric English teacher, stood behind them grinning like she'd won a prize. "You two are so cute together! I heard from Ms. Yong that you've been… seeing each other?"
Mira choked on her milk.
Ethan looked like he'd just witnessed a crime.
"What?!" they said in unison.
Mrs. Chen giggled, patting both of them on the shoulder like a proud aunt. "Don't worry, your secret's safe with me. Young love is so sweet!"
And just like that, she was gone, floating down the hallway like a fairy godmother of chaos.
Ethan turned to Mira slowly, face pale.
"You started this rumor, didn't you?"
"I literally just found out about it with you!" she hissed. "Maybe someone saw us talking and jumped to conclusions."
"Talking? You mean you insulting me in public twice a week?"
"Exactly. We're passionate." She smirked. "Apparently that's romantic now."
Around them, students were already whispering. Some were outright staring. Mira caught sight of Jia, her best friend, peeking from behind a locker with a phone in hand and an expression that screamed, "This is going on the group chat."
"This dimwit.." Mira muttered in frustrated
[…]
By the time they reached third period, the school's official group chat had exploded. There were gifs. Memes. Polls asking if #Mirathan was real love or academic strategy. Someone had even made a fanfiction thread.
Ethan looked like he was about to have a nervous breakdown.
Mira, meanwhile, was clutching her sketchpad to her chest and muttering, "This school is seriously unwell."
Lunch couldn't come fast enough. As Mira stood at the vending machine, tapping the button for iced chocolate, Ethan stormed over, jaw clenched.
"We need to shut this down," he said, straight to the point.
"Wow," Mira said, turning to face him. "You actually sound more panicked than I expected. Good job staying composed, Mr. President."
"I am composed," he snapped.
"Sure. Keep saying that." She took a sip of her drink. "So what's your plan? Poster campaign? School-wide announcement? A dramatic press conference?"
He glared. "Don't be ridiculous."
"Then don't act like I invented this rumor. You're the one who talks to me like I owe you rent every time I breathe wrong."
"Because you treat school like a casual suggestion," he shot back. "Of course people are going to twist things when we argue in public every week!"
Mira groaned. "So now I have to be responsible for your clean-freak reputation?"
"No. We just have to make it clear that we are not—not—dating."
"Good," she said firmly. "Because I would rather fail every test than pretend to be in love with you."
Ethan looked mildly horrified "Hah! You are already failed the every test you talking about, plus! You think I want to date you?"
There was a long silence.
"Okay," Mira said flatly. "That's the most offensive thing I've heard today."
"I didn't mean it like—"
"No, no, it's fine," she said, brushing past him with her drink in hand. "Let the school believe whatever it wants. I don't owe anyone an explanation."
"But—"
She paused and looked over her shoulder. "For the record, next time you want to insult me in public, do it after I've finished my drink."
And with that, she walked off, leaving Ethan standing there with too many thoughts and no way to organize them.
Whatever this rumor was, it wasn't just going to blow over.
But there was one thing they both agreed on,
They were definitely, absolutely, never—ever—going to be a couple
To be continued..