"Senior, even if you're going to reject me, don't brush me off with such a flimsy excuse," Gu Chuchu rolled her eyes. "You don't even have a sister, do you? I'm your junior—basically a sister variant! Just be my boyfriend, and I'll be your tailor-made little sister. Whatever unusual requests you have, I'll fulfill them all. Should I call you 'Oppa' or 'Brother'?"

Gu Chuchu pressed her knees together, rubbing them slightly. She tucked her half-clenched fists under her chin, eyes sparkling with puppy-like anticipation as she waited for Lin Shu's reply.

"Uh... I really do have a sister," Lin Shu scratched the back of his head, flustered by her interpretation.

"Must be one of those anime or game sisters. Real sister-complex guys never actually have sisters. Let me see how cute she is!"

Though reluctant to show off his sister, Lin Shu decided a tiny showcase might deter her confession. He pulled his phone from his backpack, unlocked it—the wallpaper was a recent photo of Lin Yiyi.

"Here."

In the picture, cherry blossom petals drifted on the breeze beneath a swaying tree. Yiyi’s dark hair fluttered as she lifted a hand to tuck it behind her ear, glancing back at the camera with perfect timing.

"That’s not your sister! She’s way too pretty—you don’t look alike at all. Don’t try to fool me with some stock photo wallpaper!"

"She really is my sister. You won’t find this exact photo online."

"Then show me a picture of you two together! I’ll believe it when I see that."

Lin Shu scrolled through his album. Plenty of Yiyi’s photos—but not a single one with him. He hated being in pictures; their group shots were all on his aunt’s or Yiyi’s phones. He shot a message to his aunt.

*Yiyi’s phone isn’t with her—she’s probably eating dinner. Auntie might...*

Reply came instantly. *What do you need Yiyi’s photos for? Admit it—you want mine. Using her as an excuse? I get it.*

"Tch. See? You can’t prove it," Gu Chuchu smirked. She planted one small hand against the wall, pinning the towering Lin Shu in a reverse *kabe-don*. The contrast was jarring.

The first photo his aunt sent was a Lunar New Year group shot: Lin Shu stood center, his aunt’s hand on his shoulder, Yiyi tugging his sleeve.

"See? She’s taking our school’s entrance exam this month. Barring surprises, she’ll be a student here next semester."

"Blood-related sister?" Gu Chuchu eyed him skeptically. "Not an adopted sister or some online ‘sister’?"

"Blood-related," Lin Shu affirmed firmly.

Gu Chuchu patted her flat chest in relief. "Phew! Then I’ll cure your sister complex. You’ve only ever bonded deeply with your sister, so you mistook that closeness for love. Once you have a real girlfriend and understand true love, you’ll be fine."

*Why do I feel like I’m digging my own grave?*

"I may not be perfect yet, but I’ll work hard to deserve you. I can even be your probationary girlfriend first!" She tiptoed, her delicate face inches from his. Her eyelashes trembled slightly with nervousness.

Yiyi often made this same gesture. A wave of disorientation washed over Lin Shu.

"I told you—I like someone else!"

A cool voice cut in from the left. Both turned. Su Nuan stood there, textbooks in hand, facing a handsome boy.

*Oh great. Class monitor Tian Peng.*

Rumors swirled that Su Nuan and Tian Peng were a couple—top students, class rank #1 and #2 trading places, a perfect visual match. Gossip-loving girls adored the pairing.

Distracted by Gu Chuchu’s sudden confession, Lin Shu had nearly forgotten Su Nuan was nearby. Had she overheard his "sister complex" rant? He barely interacted with her, and she wasn’t the gossip type—but had Tian Peng just arrived?

"Come on, Senior," Gu Chuchu tugged Lin Shu’s sleeve. "Let’s not be third wheels here."

"But who *is* the person you like?" Tian Peng pressed forward. Su Nuan stepped back, distancing herself from him while closing in on Lin Shu and Gu Chuchu.

"The person I like..." Su Nuan spun around, her slender finger tapping Lin Shu’s forehead. "Is him. Lin Shu."

*Seriously? This is clearly a panic move. Who’d believe that?*

Tian Peng burst out laughing. "Don’t joke! You’d sooner like our basketball captain than Lin Shu—the ball boy."

*Unbelievable. But during practice, we *do* pair up—one shoots, one retrieves. Juniors like Yang Chao and me just pick up more balls. We barely play in real games anyway, only subbing in for defense when starters rest.*

"Why do you think I nag *Lin Shu* for homework every day? Does anyone else get that treatment? And today—I wasn’t waiting for *you*. I was waiting for Lin Shu to finish training so we could grab dinner together. Let’s go."

Su Nuan hooked her arm through Lin Shu’s, dragging the stunned boy toward the gate. Gu Chuchu’s grip slipped from his sleeve as she jolted back to reality and chased after them, clinging fiercely to his other arm.

Dinner hour had passed, but students heading to the cafeteria still gawked and whispered. With Su Nuan—a campus celebrity—in the mix, rumors would flood the school by tomorrow.

*This just got complicated. My head hurts.* Lin Shu didn’t dare look back at his fuming class monitor. His already delicate class standing would now be pure chaos. *Just a few more months until graduation...*

"Senior said he only likes his sister! You don’t like Senior Sister Su, right? And you, Senior Sister Su—you can let go now that you’ve chased off your pursuer! No need to keep pretending!" Gu Chuchu puffed out her cheeks, frustrated. Her near-success had been ruined.

"Brat junior," Su Nuan shot back, "just because *you* can’t compete with Lin Shu’s sister doesn’t mean *I* can’t. Understand?"

"Don’t call me ‘brat’! I’m just... not done growing yet!"

Su Nuan and Lin Shu strode quickly with long steps. Short-legged Gu Chuchu had to jog to keep up.

"Focus on growing first before thinking about dating, brat."

"You’re so underhanded, Senior Sister Su! You knew I’d confess today—you ambushed me on purpose!" Gu Chuchu gritted her teeth.

"I spoke up *after* your rejection. And wasn’t I helpful pointing out Lin Shu’s seat? You should thank me."

"Tch. I was already lurking in the corner waiting for him! Even if he missed my love letter, I had a backup copy to hand-deliver."

Su Nuan and Gu Chuchu bickered back and forth—yet their dynamic felt oddly familiar.

Finally past the school gates, Lin Shu headed for his bike. He carefully slid his left arm from Su Nuan’s grip—avoiding contact—and pried Gu Chuchu’s hand off his other arm. He swung onto the saddle, unlocked the bike with his fingerprint, and kicked down the stand.

His bike had no rear seat. *They can’t ride anyway.*

But Su Nuan surprised him by straddling the front crossbar, shifting her backpack to her chest and shoving her books inside. The tilted bar pressed her back flush against Lin Shu’s chest. For the first time, he saw Su Nuan’s back up close—her single ponytail swaying before his eyes, stray strands escaping to frame the smooth curve of her neck. A glimpse of delicate collarbones peeked below. A subtle, clean fragrance—different from Gu Chuchu’s—teased his nose.

"Senior~" Gu Chuchu cupped Lin Shu’s face, pulling his gaze down. "I don’t look so short when I’m on the bike."

She leaned in. Soft, warm pressure brushed his nose.

"I win today."

Blushing fiercely, she covered her mouth and skipped backward. "You can’t fool me. See you tomorrow, Senior~" She stuck out her tongue and vanished around the corner.

Su Nuan gripped the handlebars with one hand, the other pinching Lin Shu’s thigh. "What are you spacing out for? Drive!"

"You can get off now. Gu Chuchu’s gone."

"She’s definitely hiding nearby to watch. If I get off, she’ll pop up again. And look—your class monitor’s still glaring at us from the gate."

Lin Shu glanced back. A small head ducked instantly behind a wall.

"Where to?"

"Just ride forward. I’ll tell you when to stop."

Resigned, Lin Shu pedaled away from school. He avoided main roads, weaving through narrow alleys between buildings. The bumpy path jolted the bike with every pothole. Each bump made Su Nuan yelp and slam back against his chest.

"That bubble tea shop ahead. Let’s sit. You must have questions."

Lin Shu braked. Su Nuan hopped off, rubbing her backside. "Ow. That hurt."

"I told you to get off earlier." He locked the bike.

"Should’ve installed a rear rack."

"Never needed one."

"You will now."

"I’ll take a coconut jelly green milk tea, 70% sugar. You?"

"Plain green tea. No sugar."

"*Wow.*" Su Nuan’s face twisted in distaste. Lin Shu reached for his wallet, but she blocked him. "Starting the boyfriend act already?"

She paid before he could insist. When he tried to transfer payment:

"Planning to use ‘paying me back’ as an excuse to add my WeChat?" Su Nuan squinted, mischief in her eyes.

*This woman’s personality is even more vicious than I imagined.* Lin Shu accepted the free drink.

They chose a corner table by the window, bags set down. Su Nuan folded a napkin absently, frowning. "Where to start... You’ve heard the rumors about me and the class monitor, right?"

"Even I know them—and I’m barely in class."

"If I stay silent, soon *I’ll* be the only one who doesn’t know we’re ‘together.’ He’s even convinced *himself*. He uses monitor duties to ‘accidentally’ chat me up. It’s annoying. I tried staying polite to avoid class tension, but he mistakes politeness for interest. Girls call me aloof—say I’m leading men on. Worst part? Some girls confessed to *me*."

Su Nuan rolled her eyes, resting her chin on her palm. "How’d you and that junior get close? I was early for duty today and saw her pacing the hallway. When I asked what she needed, she inquired about your seat. Lucky her—I know your seat better than anyone in class."

Lin Shu summarized his accidental hero moment with Gu Chuchu.

Su Nuan nodded. "Classic damsel-in-distress. No wonder she’s so attached. From today’s show, she won’t give up easily. So why reject her? She’s cute. Just a bit... loli. Because you like your sister?"

"Of course not. It’s complicated. I just don’t have time or energy for dating right now. What about you?"

"Same. Mainly—I love studying."

Lin Shu had no rebuttal.

Their drinks arrived.

"Given the situation," Su Nuan stirred her tea, "we should keep up this act. Otherwise, both the monitor and your junior will double down. What do you think?"

"What act?"

"Pretending to be a couple."

"And you’re okay with faking it... with *me*?"

"There's no better choice than you. First, you give people a strong sense of security—you can protect your girlfriend and yourself. Otherwise, if I randomly picked some guy as a fake boyfriend and he got beaten half to death, that’d be messy. Second, you rejected that underclassman’s confession. Most guys would at least try dating her first—'test-drive' before deciding—but you shut it down immediately. That makes us similar. I don’t have to worry about you crossing the line. And finally, we’ve actually known each other for a while. Weren’t we middle school classmates? I have a rough idea of your character—at the very least, you’ve stayed single this whole time."

"So you cooked up this fake-couple plan the moment you saw Gu Chuchu hand me that love letter this morning?"

"Pretty much. Otherwise, I’d never agree to the class rep’s after-school hangouts. This time I said yes and told him to come later—let him think he’s got a shot. But if you’d accepted that underclassman’s confession? I’d have ghosted him instantly."

Poor class rep, completely played.

"Any other questions?"

"Why do you collect my homework every day?"

"Because I like you?" Su Nuan shot back with a sly smile.

"Definitely not that," Lin Shu deadpanned, utterly self-aware.

"Truth is, I once skipped collecting yours and told the math teacher you hadn’t turned it in. He said you’re... special. Told me, as class rep, to cut you some slack and spare you the extra trip."

Ah, the "privilege" of being a jock. Math was Lin Shu’s last defense—on lucky days, his scores could even crack the top ranks. No wonder the teacher doted on him.

"Decided yet? Fake couple? Comes with free tutoring now. This offer won’t last."

"Really?" Grades were Lin Shu’s Achilles’ heel. He’d fulfilled his sister’s wish to attend the same high school, but if she aimed for the same university next? Forget it.

"Of course. Tutoring you doubles as my review. Way easier than swatting away confession-seeking flies. Tempted?"

What a fox spirit, manipulating hearts.

Lin Shu nodded. As a student, he’d swallow this absurd proposal for his grades. He’d already pissed off the class rep—might as well get something out of Su Nuan’s scheming.

"Honored to serve. Looking forward to your guidance." Su Nuan extended her hand. Lin Shu shook it for a second—maybe two—then yanked his back. Her palm was soft, smooth, almost cool to the touch.

"Coward," she muttered under her breath.

"What?"

"After school tomorrow, meet me here to sign the contract."

"Contract?"

"Mm. Paper, ink, signatures—the real deal."

Probably rules like "no extra physical contact." Handshakes only. That sort of thing.

"Lin Shu," she leaned in, "do you even know what couples *do*?"

"No clue."

"Me neither. Guess we’ll learn together. I’m a fast learner."

"Is your ‘green tea’ tasty?"

"Disgusting."

"Let me try yours. I’ll trade you a sip of mine." Su Nuan gripped her green tea cup and slid her milk tea toward him.

"No." Lin Shu clutched his cup tighter.

"It’s practice! Couples share drinks all the time. Kissing’s routine—this is just an indirect kiss."

"No audience right now."

"If we freeze up like this when we *do* need to perform? Total giveaway. Gotta rehearse. If you can’t even handle this much embarrassment, how can we pull off fake dating? Zero flaws allowed."

Su Nuan snatched his cup, took a gulp, and gagged. "Ugh! Is this even drinkable?"

"Swallow it. Don’t spit it back in!"

"I didn’t! It’s yours now—you finish it. No trading for my milk tea."

Lin Shu drained the cup.

They left the bubble tea shop as dusk fell, stomachs growling. The KFC sign across the street blazed brightly.

"Crazy Thursday treat? You game?"

"Once won’t kill me." Lin Shu wasn’t strict about his diet.

"Yay!" Su Nuan raised her hand like a kid celebrating a win.

The area buzzed with middle and high schoolers in uniforms. Boldly, Su Nuan ordered a whole chicken—then predictably couldn’t finish it. After a few bites, she pushed the greasy box away, picked the meat and veggies out of her burger, and left the buns untouched. She leisurely munched fries, sipping cola.

Lin Shu’s appetite, however, was legendary. Burning through carbs, he polished off her discarded buns—waste not, want not.

"Having a boyfriend’s the best," Su Nuan sighed, chin propped on her hands. "I’ve always wanted to try this place but was scared to order too much alone. No close girlfriends, you know?"

"Feels more like being a dog eating leftovers."

"Food tastes better after my lips touch it, right?"

"Don’t say gross stuff right after I eat. I’m gonna hurl."

"Shattered your image of me? Pretty girls poop too. And pick their noses."

"Not shattered. Just... seeing another side of you."

"You think this is the *real* me?" Su Nuan tilted her head.

"At least a piece of it."

"Don’t move." She grabbed a napkin and wiped the corner of Lin Shu’s mouth. "Doesn’t this feel couple-y?"

"...Yeah."

Lin Shu unlocked his bike. Su Nuan slung her backpack across her chest and plopped onto the front bar.

"I thought your butt hurt?"

"I’d rather sore butt than sore feet."

"You’ll get fat."

"Let me ride."

"I’ll handle it." Lin Shu couldn’t picture himself perched on the bar, snuggling into Su Nuan’s chest like some delicate bird.