Chapter 1: The Boy Everyone Loves

Ethan had always been an average guy—average grades, average looks, and an average social life. But there was one thing about him that was far from average: his massive, unshakable crush on Liam Carter, the boy who was loved by every girl in school.

Liam was effortlessly charming, with a bright smile that made teachers forget about unfinished homework and a laugh that echoed through the hallways like a melody. He was the kind of guy who could sit at any lunch table and instantly belong. Girls from different classes would always find excuses to talk to him, giggling as they passed him notes or asked him for help with homework.

Ethan, on the other hand, had spent most of high school being invisible. That was, until he fell for Liam.

Chapter 2: Stupid Feelings

It had started as admiration. Ethan told himself that he just liked how confident Liam was, how he could joke around with the teachers and still get away with it. But soon, Ethan found himself memorizing the way Liam scrunched his nose when he was deep in thought, or how his fingers tapped against his desk whenever he was bored.

By the time Ethan realized it was a full-blown crush, it was too late.

"Why him?" Ethan groaned, slamming his head against his locker.

His best friend, Noah, chuckled. "Because he's pretty, obviously. And he’s, like, the human version of a golden retriever."

Ethan scowled. "That doesn’t help."

"Are you ever gonna confess?"

"And get rejected? No thanks."

Chapter 3: The Confession Plan

Ethan had spent weeks overanalyzing every interaction with Liam. Did the accidental brush of their hands in chemistry class mean something? Was Liam’s friendly shoulder bump in the hallway just friendly?

Noah finally had enough. "Dude, just confess. What's the worst that could happen?"

"He laughs in my face, tells the entire school, and I have to transfer to another country," Ethan said dramatically.

Noah sighed. "Or he likes you back."

Ethan snorted. "Yeah, right."

But deep down, a tiny part of him hoped.

Chapter 4: The Almost Confession

One afternoon, Ethan found himself walking home with Liam. It was just the two of them, and the setting sun painted the sky in soft oranges and purples.

It was perfect.

"Ethan?" Liam turned to him, his hands stuffed in his pockets.

"Hm?"

"You've been acting weird lately. Is something wrong?"

This was it. This was his chance.

Ethan took a deep breath. "Liam, I—"

Before he could finish, a group of girls from another class ran up to Liam, giggling as they handed him a homemade cake.

"We made this for you!" one of them said shyly.

Liam smiled, thanking them effortlessly, while Ethan stood frozen, heart sinking.

Of course. Liam belonged to everyone.

Chapter 5: The Real Confession

For days, Ethan avoided Liam. Every time he saw him surrounded by girls, it reminded him that Liam was out of reach.

But Liam was persistent.

One evening, Liam caught Ethan outside the school gate. "Did I do something wrong?" he asked, looking genuinely concerned.

Ethan hesitated. Then, before he could stop himself, the words spilled out:

"I like you, Liam. And I know every girl in school probably does too, so it doesn’t matter, but—I just needed to say it."

Liam stared at him. Ethan braced himself for the rejection.

But then Liam grinned. "Idiot."

Ethan blinked. "Huh?"

"I don’t care about those girls," Liam said. "I like you too."

Ethan’s heart nearly exploded. "Wait. What?"

Liam chuckled. "You’re the only one I actually want to spend time with, Ethan. So… does that mean we’re dating now?"

Ethan turned red. "Oh my god, shut up."

But he was smiling. Because, against all odds, Liam liked him back.

Chapter 6: Are We Actually Dating?

Ethan felt like he had misheard Liam. Or maybe he had passed out and was hallucinating. Because there was no way—no way—that Liam Carter, the boy everyone adored, had just said he liked him back.

Liam, as if completely unaware of the internal chaos Ethan was experiencing, grinned. “So? Are we dating now?”

Ethan nearly choked on air. “Wh—What?”

Liam chuckled. “You confessed. I like you too. That usually means we should start dating, right?”

Ethan opened his mouth, closed it, then opened it again. “You’re just saying that to mess with me.”

Liam frowned. “Why would I do that?”

“Because—because you’re Liam!” Ethan threw his hands in the air. “Every girl in this school wants to date you. You could literally have anyone!”

Liam tilted his head. “Yeah. And I choose you.”

Ethan's brain short-circuited.

Chapter 7: The First Date (Or Something Like It)

Ethan spent the next few days walking around in a daze, barely believing what had happened. Every time he saw Liam, his heart did this stupid little flip, and his stomach felt like it was full of fireworks.

Noah, however, found the whole thing hilarious.

"So let me get this straight," Noah said, smirking. "You accidentally got into a relationship with the most popular guy in school, and you still don’t believe it?"

Ethan groaned. "It’s not that I don’t believe it. It’s just… weird."

"Sounds like denial."

Before Ethan could argue, his phone buzzed.

Liam: Movie tomorrow? Just us? :)

Ethan stared at the screen. Was this a date date?

"Uh-oh," Noah teased, peeking over his shoulder. "You’re blushing."

Ethan threw a pillow at him.

—

The next evening, Ethan met Liam at the movie theater.

The plan was simple: watch a movie, act normal, pretend he wasn’t dying inside.

But from the moment Liam arrived—dressed casually in a hoodie and jeans, his usual effortless charm making heads turn—Ethan knew ‘acting normal’ wasn’t going to be possible.

“Ready?” Liam asked, smiling at him.

Ethan gulped. “Y-Yeah.”

They sat in the middle row, and as the movie started, Ethan tried to focus. He really did. But halfway through, Liam casually leaned in and whispered, “Are you always this tense?”

Ethan almost jumped. “I—I’m not tense!”

Liam smirked. Then, to Ethan’s horror, he grabbed Ethan’s hand and laced their fingers together.

Ethan nearly combusted on the spot.

But Liam? Liam just squeezed his hand and turned back to the screen, as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

And just like that, Ethan finally realized—this was real.

Liam actually liked him.

And maybe… just maybe… Ethan was ready to believe it.

Chapter 8: Public Enemy Number One

The next day, Ethan arrived at school feeling different. Lighter, maybe. Like the world had shifted slightly on its axis.

But he quickly realized that while his world had changed, everyone else’s hadn’t.

Because as soon as he walked into class, the whispering started.

“Wait… is it true?”

“Ethan is dating Liam?”

“No way, Liam could do better.”

Ethan clenched his fists. He knew this would happen. Liam was basically school royalty, and Ethan? He was just… Ethan.

At lunch, he debated hiding in the library, but before he could escape, Liam appeared beside him, looking completely unbothered.

“What’s with that face?” Liam asked, nudging him.

Ethan sighed. “Everyone’s talking about us.”

Liam rolled his eyes. “Of course they are.”

Ethan hesitated. “Doesn’t it… bother you?”

Liam gave him a look. “Ethan, if I cared about what random people thought, do you really think I’d have asked you out?”

Ethan blinked. “But—”

Before he could say another word, Liam grabbed his hand—right there in the middle of the cafeteria, in front of everyone—and grinned.

“If people have a problem, that’s their problem. I’m happy. You’re happy. That’s all that matters.”

Ethan felt heat rush to his face. "You're insane."

Liam smirked. "And you like it."

Ethan groaned, but he didn’t let go of Liam’s hand.

Let them talk.

Because for the first time, Ethan wasn’t just the invisible guy in the background.

He was Liam Carter’s boyfriend.

And that? That was kind of amazing.

Chapter 9: The Trouble with Popularity

Ethan quickly learned that dating Liam Carter came with a lot of attention—both good and bad.

By the end of the week, he had become Public Enemy Number One to half the school.

Girls who used to ignore him now sent him glares. Some guys looked at him with disbelief, as if trying to figure out how he, of all people, had managed to land Liam. Even the teachers seemed surprised.

And then there were the messages.

Anonymous: You’re so lucky!

Anonymous: How did you do it?? Teach me!

Anonymous: You don’t deserve him.

Ethan tried not to let it bother him, but it was overwhelming. He had spent most of his school life trying to blend in, and now suddenly, everyone knew his name.

Liam, however, remained completely unbothered.

"People are just nosy," Liam said casually as they walked home together.

Ethan sighed. "Easy for you to say. You’re used to the attention."

Liam grinned. "True. But you’ll get used to it too."

Ethan wasn’t so sure.

Chapter 10: The Jealousy Problem

It wasn’t just the random stares or messages—there were also the girls.

Ethan knew Liam was popular, but he hadn’t realized just how many girls had been waiting for a chance to confess to him.

"Hey, Liam!"

Ethan turned just in time to see Sophia Martinez, one of the prettiest girls in school, walking up to them. She twirled a strand of her hair around her finger, flashing Liam a sweet smile.

"I was wondering… Are you free this weekend? We could go to the arcade together!"

Ethan froze.

Liam, however, barely blinked. "Sorry, I have plans."

Sophia pouted. "Oh, come on. Just a little while? I’m sure your plans can wait."

Liam sighed, clearly bored. Then, to Ethan’s absolute horror, Liam reached over, grabbed Ethan’s hand, and intertwined their fingers.

"My plans are with my boyfriend," Liam said casually.

Sophia’s eyes widened. "Oh. Oh." She looked at Ethan, then back at Liam. Her face twisted for a moment before she forced a fake smile. "Well, okay then… See you later."

As soon as she walked away, Ethan yanked his hand back, his face burning. "What was that?!"

Liam smirked. "What? You are my boyfriend."

"But did you have to hold my hand like that? In front of her?"

Liam laughed. "Ethan, I could kiss you right now if you want. That would get the message across even better."

Ethan nearly died on the spot.

"You’re the worst," Ethan muttered, shoving Liam lightly.

Liam just grinned.

Chapter 11: Doubts and Insecurities

That night, Ethan lay in bed, staring at the ceiling.

It had only been a week since they started dating, but everything felt… surreal.

Was this really happening?

Or was Liam just having fun?

Ethan didn’t doubt that Liam liked him. But was it real? Could Liam—someone who could have anyone—actually want someone like him?

Before he could spiral any further, his phone buzzed.

Liam: Are you awake?

Ethan hesitated before replying.

Ethan: Yeah.

Liam: Come outside.

Ethan blinked. What?!

Ethan: It’s literally midnight.

Liam: So? Hurry up.

Shaking his head, Ethan threw on a hoodie and snuck out of his house.

Sure enough, Liam was

Chapter 12: The Aftermath of a Kiss

Ethan barely slept that night.

How could he?

Liam had kissed him.

It wasn’t just some forehead kiss, or a playful peck—it was a real kiss.

Ethan had stood frozen outside his house, brain completely malfunctioning, while Liam had walked away like it was nothing.

Was it nothing?

By the time morning came, Ethan was exhausted and highly unprepared to face Liam at school.

He considered skipping, maybe pretending to be sick, but Noah immediately shot down the idea.

"You are not running away from your own boyfriend," Noah said, dragging Ethan by the arm.

"He kissed me," Ethan whispered harshly.

"And?"

"And I don’t know what it means!"

Noah sighed. "Maybe it means he likes you?"

Ethan groaned. "No, because—Liam flirts with everyone. What if it didn’t mean anything?"

Noah smacked him lightly on the back of the head. "Dude. He literally confessed to you last week. He held your hand in public. He kissed you. If that doesn’t mean anything, then I’m a unicorn."

Ethan wanted to argue, but he had run out of excuses.

When he got to school, Liam was already waiting for him at his locker, leaning against it with his usual lazy smirk.

"Morning, boyfriend," Liam greeted casually.

Ethan choked on air.

"B-Boyfriend?" he stammered, voice higher than usual.

Liam tilted his head. "Uh, yeah? We are dating, right?"

Ethan opened his mouth, closed it, then opened it again. "But—"

"But?" Liam raised an eyebrow.

Ethan sighed. "Never mind."

Liam chuckled and leaned in, whispering, "You're cute when you overthink things."

Ethan groaned and shoved him lightly. "Shut up."

Liam just grinned.

Chapter 13: Love Notes and Sabotage

Ethan had hoped things would settle down after his very public relationship with Liam became official.

He was wrong.

Instead of people leaving them alone, the attention only got worse.

By the second week, Ethan started noticing mysterious notes slipping into his locker.

Some were sweet.

"You're so lucky. Take care of him."

Some were weird.

"Liam is so pretty. Does he smell good?"

And some… were not so nice.

"You don’t deserve him."

"Break up with him before he gets bored."

"Enjoy it while it lasts. It won’t."

Ethan tried not to let them get to him, but doubt crept in.

Was it true?

Would Liam get bored of him?

One afternoon, Ethan was at his locker, staring at one of the notes when Liam appeared behind him.

"What’s that?" Liam asked, peering over his shoulder.

Ethan panicked and crumpled it in his fist. "Nothing!"

Liam frowned. "Ethan."

"It’s fine," Ethan said quickly, stuffing the paper in his pocket.

Liam narrowed his eyes, then snatched the paper from Ethan’s hand before he could react.

"Liam—!"

Liam unfolded the note, read it, and his expression darkened.

"Who wrote this?" Liam asked, voice low.

Ethan hesitated. "I… don’t know."

Liam clenched his jaw. "I don’t care what people say about me, but if anyone thinks they can talk about you like this—"

"It’s not a big deal," Ethan mumbled, looking away.

Liam grabbed his chin gently, tilting his face back toward him.

"Hey," Liam said, voice softer. "It is a big deal. And I don’t want you doubting us because of some coward with a pen."

Ethan swallowed. "But what if—what if it’s true? What if one day you—"

Liam cut him off. "I’m not going anywhere, Ethan."

Ethan stared at him, searching for any hint of doubt. He found none.

Before he could say anything else, Liam leaned in and kissed his forehead.

"Trust me?" Liam whispered.

Ethan closed his eyes, heart pounding.

"Yeah," he whispered back. "I trust you."

Liam smiled. "Good. Because you’re stuck with me."

Ethan sighed, but deep down, he was okay with that.

Chapter 14: Holding On

Despite Liam’s reassurance, the rumors didn’t stop.

Ethan kept getting looks, and some people still whispered behind his back.

But there was one thing that never changed—Liam.

Liam never hid their relationship.

He held Ethan’s hand in the hallways. He leaned against Ethan’s locker like he belonged there. He shut down any girl who tried to flirt with him.

Most importantly, he always looked at Ethan like he was the only person in the world.

And slowly, Ethan started believing it.

Maybe Liam wouldn’t get bored.

Maybe this wasn’t just some high school thing.

Maybe… just maybe… this was real.

And that?

That was enough.

Chapter 15: The School Festival Chaos

The annual Spring Festival was a big deal at their school. Clubs set up booths, students wore costumes, and—unfortunately for Ethan—there was always a Love Confession Event.

Ethan hadn’t thought much about it. He was planning to avoid it entirely.

But then, on the morning of the festival, Noah ran up to him, breathless.

“Dude!” Noah gasped. “Did you hear?”

Ethan blinked. “Hear what?”

Noah gave him a look. “The Love Confession Stage! Someone’s planning to confess to Liam!”

Ethan froze.

“…What?”

“Yeah, some second-year girl. Apparently, she’s been waiting all year for this!” Noah grinned. “Damn, your boyfriend’s popular.”

Ethan’s stomach sank.

He knew Liam was popular. He knew people liked him. But the idea of someone publicly confessing to Liam in front of the whole school?

Not great. Not great at all.

“Are you okay?” Noah asked.

Ethan sighed. “I don’t know. I mean… what if he—”

Noah smacked the back of Ethan’s head.

“OW—what was that for?!”

“For being an idiot.”

Ethan scowled.

“Listen,” Noah said. “Liam literally flaunts your relationship. You think he’s gonna dump you just because some girl confesses to him?”

Ethan hesitated. “…No?”

“Exactly! Now stop freaking out and enjoy the festival!”

Ethan tried. He really did.

But as the day went on, the upcoming confession weighed on his mind.

And then—

It happened.