"...I died yesterday."
No one responded.
Caelum sighed.
"And somehow today is worse."
For a moment, the classroom was quiet.
Not silent—just that strange, tense quiet that happens when thirty people are pretending not to stare while absolutely staring.
Caelum could feel it.
Eyes.
So many eyes.
From the front row.
From the back.
From the seats beside them.
Even the boy who almost choked earlier was now leaning forward like he was watching a live drama.
Caelum slowly opened one eye.
Yes.
They were all looking.
Every single one of them.
He immediately leaned toward Amoriel and whispered urgently,
"Don't say anything."
"Why?"
"Just—please. Stay quiet."
She blinked at him.
"But you haven't answered my question."
"I will! Later!"
Several students nearby leaned closer.
Caelum noticed.
His stress level doubled instantly.
"I said later!" he hissed.
Amoriel tilted her head slightly.
"But you appeared very surprised."
"Of course I was surprised!"
"Is pretending to be your boyfriend such an unreasonable request?"
A girl two desks away gasped.
Someone in the back whispered loudly,
"Did she just say boyfriend again?"
Caelum grabbed the edge of his desk.
"Please stop saying that word."
"What word?"
"You know what word!"
Amoriel seemed genuinely confused.
"But you are the one who suggested that experiencing love is important."
"I did not say it like that!"
The boy behind them whispered to his friend,
"Dude, they're totally dating."
"We're not!" Caelum blurted.
Too loud.
The entire classroom turned toward him.
Even the teacher paused mid-writing at the board.
Caelum froze.
Slowly... very slowly... he lowered his head again.
"...This is a misunderstanding."
Amoriel leaned closer.
"But you still haven't explained why."
He groaned softly.
Inside his head, a tired voice muttered:
This girl is hopeless.
She's seriously a stupid girl.
Out loud, he whispered through clenched teeth,
"People are staring because of what you said."
She looked around.
Several students quickly looked away.
Others pretended to write.
One boy gave a thumbs-up.
Amoriel turned back to Caelum.
"They seem interested."
"That's the problem!"
"So discussing love in public causes attention."
"Yes!"
"And attention is bad?"
"Right now? Yes!"
She nodded thoughtfully.
"I see."
Caelum finally exhaled.
Maybe she understood.
Maybe—
"So if we wish to reduce suspicion," Amoriel continued calmly, "we should behave more like a normal couple."
The girl in front of them nearly fell out of her chair.
Someone whispered,
"Did you hear that?!"
Caelum's soul left his body.
"...Why."
Amoriel looked at him.
"Was that incorrect?"
"Yes."
"Then please explain the correct approach."
"I can't explain anything if you keep talking!"
"Oh."
She paused.
Then nodded once.
"I will remain silent."
For exactly three seconds.
Then—
"Caelum."
He twitched.
"...What."
"What is the appropriate time to begin pretending?"
A boy in the back slammed his hand on the desk trying not to laugh.
Caelum covered his face.
"Please stop."
"You seem distressed."
"I am very distressed."
"Is it because of love?"
"It's because of you!"
That was the moment the teacher turned around.
"Enough."
The chalk tapped sharply against the board.
The classroom quieted immediately.
The teacher looked over his glasses toward the back rows.
"I believe this is a classroom."
No one spoke.
"But it currently sounds like a marketplace."
A few students quickly looked down at their desks.
"Caelum."
He lifted his head weakly.
"Yes, sir."
"If you have finished discussing... romance topics during mathematics class, perhaps you would like to pay attention."
"...Yes, sir."
The teacher turned back to the board.
The lesson resumed.
But the classroom was not truly quiet.
Soft whispers still floated through the air.
"That's definitely his girlfriend."
"How did he manage that?"
"She's way out of his league."
Caelum slowly lowered his head onto the desk again.
This time he didn't even try to hide it.
His face pressed against the sleeve of his uniform.
From the outside, it almost looked like he was crying.
He wasn't.
He was just... extremely tired.
Beside him, Amoriel observed quietly for a moment.
Then she leaned slightly closer and whispered,
"Caelum."
His voice came out muffled from the desk.
"...What now."
"Are you unwell?"
"No."
"You look like someone experiencing heartbreak."
He let out a long, defeated sigh.
"...I think I'm experiencing something worse."
"And what is that?"
He didn't even lift his head.
"...Teaching you."