Everyone thinks I am gay

"Leon!" The sharp voice echoed across the lecture hall. Leon slowly rose from his seat, his expression as carefree as ever despite the dozens of eyes fixed on him. Professor Adams adjusted his glasses and sighed heavily. "Would you care to explain how someone scores three percent on a test with multiple-choice questions?" The class burst into laughter. Three percent. Not thirteen. Not thirty. Three. "You amaze me every semester," the professor continued. "At this point, I'm beginning to think failing is your talent." More laughter. Leon scratched the back of his neck with an awkward grin. "I guess I'm just gifted in the wrong direction, Professor." Even the professor couldn't stop himself from chuckling. "Sit down before you embarrass yourself further." "Too late for that," Leon muttered dramatically, earning another wave of laughter. As soon as class ended, the whispers began. "The i***t's at it again." "I've never seen anyone fail this badly." "He's hopeless." Leon stuffed his books into his old backpack as though none of it bothered him. He had heard worse. Much worse. Outside the lecture hall, the campus buzzed with students. Girls gathered beneath the cherry trees, taking pictures. Basketballs echoed from the outdoor court. Laughter filled the warm afternoon air. Leon stretched lazily before his eyes landed on a familiar figure walking across the courtyard. Tall. Broad shoulders. Jet-black hair. A face so handsome it belonged on a magazine cover. The moment he appeared, conversations stopped. Girls squealed. Some secretly took pictures. Others pretended not to stare. Ethan Blackwood. The famous heir to the Blackwood family. Final-year university student. Captain of the university basketball team. Assistant coach for Westbridge University's freshman basketball program. And the man every girl on campus dreamed about. Leon smiled mischievously. Perfect. A crowd of girls was already surrounding Ethan. Exactly what Leon wanted. He took a deep breath before sprinting toward them. "COACH ETHAN!" Heads turned instantly. Leon threw himself between Ethan and the girls, clasping his hands dramatically. "I missed you!" The courtyard fell silent. "I dreamed about you last night." Several girls gasped. Leon leaned closer with sparkling eyes. "You looked even more handsome in my dream." One girl covered her mouth. Another whispered, "Not again..." Ethan pinched the bridge of his nose. "Leon." His calm voice carried a warning. "What?" "How many times do I have to tell you?" Leon blinked innocently. "I'm not going to marry you." The girls erupted into laughter. Leon dramatically placed a hand over his chest. "My heart..." He pretended to stagger backward. "You've rejected me for the forty-third time." "It's actually the fifty-first." Leon froze. "You've been counting?" "I count everything." Another round of laughter spread through the crowd. Leon sighed theatrically. "I'll make you fall in love with me one day." "You won't." "We'll see." Ethan simply walked away without another word. The crowd slowly dispersed. The girls who had been surrounding Ethan moments ago also left, shaking their heads. Mission accomplished. Leon smiled to himself. No girls. No confessions. No unnecessary attention. Exactly how he liked it. "Freak." The word came from behind him. Before Leon could turn, someone shoved him hard. His backpack slipped from his shoulder. Books scattered across the pavement. "Oh, look." One of the boys laughed. "The gay i***t is chasing Coach Ethan again." "You seriously don't know when to quit." Another kicked one of Leon's books across the walkway. Students stopped to watch. No one stepped in. Leon quietly bent down to pick up his books. "I said don't touch them." A foot slammed onto the notebook in front of him. The boy smirked. "What are you going to do?" Leon looked up. "...Nothing." The answer made them laugh even harder. A sharp kick landed against his side. Pain shot through his body. Still... He didn't fight back. He simply gathered his things after they finally walked away. Dust clung to his uniform. His elbow was bleeding. Yet somehow... He smiled. "Still alive," he whispered to himself. Far across the courtyard... Ethan stopped walking. He glanced over his shoulder just in time to see Leon limping away alone. For reasons he couldn't explain... That fake smile bothered him. More than it should. --- Hidden beneath that smile... ...was a secret no one on campus could ever discover. Because if they did... Leon would cease to exist.