That morning, I walked into class and immediately saw something…
disturbing.
Anto.
But a weird version of Anto.
He was leaning back in his chair at the back of the room.
No shouting.
No wide grins.
No dorkiness.
He just gave me a slow nod as I passed by.
A nod.
That wasn't Anto. I felt a literal chill down my spine.
"To… are you sick?"
Anto shot me a 'cool' look straight out of a K-Drama.
"Nah. I'm good."
I'M. GOOD.
Who is this?? Where is Anto??
Tey winked at me from behind him.
Today's Mission: > Anto becomes the DRAMA-STYLE COOL BOYFRIEND.
I immediately buried my face in my hands.
😐 Anto Cool = National EmergencyDuring Math class.
Usually, Anto would ask something stupid like:
"Ma'am… what is calculus for? Is it for calculating our relationship??"
But today, he sat in silence.
Arms crossed.
Staring intensely into the distance.
I started to panic.
"To… why are you so quiet?"
He glanced at me briefly.
"It's nothing."
WHAT IS WITH THIS COLD ACT?!
Eli nudged me.
"Rina, you're looking restless. You... miss the dorky Anto, don't you?"
"I DO NOT."
"You do."
I slammed my book shut.
🔥 Break Time — The 'Bad Boy' FailIn the canteen, I sat with Eli.
Anto approached us…
BUT SLOWLY.
Both hands in his pockets. Shoulders slightly hunched. A fake 'brooding' expression.
"To… why are you walking like you're in a perfume commercial?"
He sat down while flipping his hair (which isn't even long).
"I'm just… more mature now."
Eli and I stared at him like he was a lost goat.
Anto grabbed his own drink—
He DID NOT buy one for me.
I was stunned.
"To… you didn't get me a drink?"
Anto gave a nonchalant shrug.
"If you want one, just say so."
Eli covered her mouth.
"OH MY GOD, RINA, HE'S DOING THE COOL POUT!!!"
I glared.
"To. Usually, you bring five drinks to the table until it almost collapses."
"Well. That was the old me."
I almost had a seizure.
🔥 Rina Gets Jealous… AccidentallyWhile I was busy processing Anto's behavior, a girl from the next class walked by.
She smiled at Anto.
Anto nodded—COOL.
The girl giggled as she walked away.
Eli immediately looked at me.
"Did you see that?"
"See what?"
"You're jealous."
"I am—NOT."
"You're scowling."
"I have a headache."
"A headache caused by jealousy."
"ELI!!!"
But I was annoyed.
Why was Anto being cool to other people too?! Why wasn't he focused on me?!
Ugh. I'm losing it.
💣 Anto Cool = The Literal FallTey told Anto to:
"Lean against the wall, hands in pockets, cold gaze."
Anto obeyed.
The problem was…
He leaned against the sports storage door.
The door was unlocked.
Anto fell backward into the shed along with buckets and basketballs.
CRASH—!!!
The entire canteen turned to look.
I covered my face.
Eli: "Cool, but that was a hard landing."
Tey facepalmed: "Mission: Cool is a 97% failure."
🌸 An Accidental Sweet MomentI rushed to the shed.
Anto was sitting there, rubbing his head.
"To!! Are you okay?!"
He looked up at me softly.
The 'cool' act was gone. He just looked… innocent.
"Are you… worried?"
I froze.
"Of course! I'm afraid you have a concussion!"
He gave a small smile.
Honest. Sincere.
"If I have a concussion, the first thing I'll say will definitely be your name."
My face instantly felt like it was on fire.
"A-Anto…"
He winced while grinning.
"Rina, you're turning red. Is it hot in here? Or… do you like me a little?"
I stood up immediately.
"I'm calling the PE teacher. BYE."
Anto let out a small laugh. A laugh that made my chest feel warm.
Dammit.
⚠️ The Secret Almost Outs — Via AdrianOn my way to the corridor, I ran into Adrian.
He looked at me.
"Were you in the storage room? What happened?"
Before I could answer, Anto's squad came out, pushing Anto while making a scene.
Tey suddenly blurted out loudly:
"It's because Anto made this bet because—"
My eyes widened.
Adrian stopped in his tracks.
"A bet?"
Tey froze.
Everyone froze.
Anto slammed his hand over Tey's mouth.
"Not a bet!! It's… it's…
A B-ET…iquette! Yeah! A new etiquette tradition!!"
I buried my face in my hands.
Adrian just smiled thinly, looking ambiguous.
"Hm. Interesting."
He walked away.
Anto slumped to the floor.
"I AM GOING TO DIE."
❤️ Rina Realizes She's In DeepWalking home after school, I let out a long sigh.
Anto today was:
acting cool
falling into a shed
making me jealous
making me smile
and almost getting caught about the bet
And I realized…
There was one thing Anto said that kept echoing in my head:
"If I have a concussion, the first thing I'll say will definitely be your name."
I stopped by the side of the road.
The plastic flower on my bag shook slightly with my breathing.
I covered my face slowly.
"I…
oh my god…
I actually like him…"
And that was terrifying.
But also…
sweet.