Between The Rumors

Prologue

The rumors started with a picture.

One blurry photo. One accidental moment. One hand wrapped around another wrist in the middle of the crowded school hallway.

By lunchtime, everyone already had a story.

“They’re dating.”

“I knew it.”

“Since when?”

Neither of them bothered correcting anyone at first.

Maybe because it sounded easier than explaining the truth.

For him, the rumors became a shield against endless questions from his teammates and classmates. For her, it was the perfect distraction from the whispers that followed her ever since the start of the semester.

So they made a deal.

A simple one.

Pretend until people lose interest.

Walk together sometimes. Sit beside each other during events. Reply with vague smiles whenever someone asked questions. Nothing serious. Nothing real.

That was the plan.

But rumors have a strange way of turning into expectations. And expectations slowly become habits.

Soon, the fake good mornings no longer sounded forced.

The accidental touches started lingering longer than they should.

And the space between pretending and feeling became harder to recognize.

Because somewhere between the rumors, the stares, and the lies they created together—

something real quietly began to grow.