The sunlight poured through the classroom windows, casting a warm glow over the students of Ridley House as they buzzed with excitement. It had been a week since the results of the house competition were revealed, and Ridley House was celebrating their strong second-place finish. The air was filled with laughter, high-fives, and light-hearted chatter.

Lilly Marigold, their poised and capable leader, stood at the front of the classroom, her calm demeanour unwavering in the face of all the praise. As her classmates surrounded her, offering words of admiration, she simply smiled, acknowledging their compliments without letting them go to her head.

"You're amazing, Lilly! We couldn't have done it without you!" A girl exclaimed, her arms wrapped around Lilly in a tight hug.

"You're the best! Seriously, I love you!" Another girl added, grinning brightly.

Lilly's smile softened, her expression warm but detached as she stood in the centre of it all. She enjoyed the admiration, but she was never one to flaunt her leadership. Ridley House had been successful, yes, but it was a collective effort, not something she needed to take all the credit for.

"Thank you," she replied politely, her voice steady and composed. "But we all worked hard together."

As the girls continued to shower her with compliments and praise, Lilly's phone buzzed in her pocket. Her fingers brushed against the screen, and she glanced at the new message notification.

It was from Lila.

"Hey, I got this for you. This is his number."

Lilly didn't need to read it twice to know what Lila meant. She had asked for Luck's number earlier that week, knowing that she might need it for something. The thought of it lingered in the back of her mind, and now that the moment had come, she felt her resolve tighten.

She excused herself from the group of girls, her gaze briefly meeting each of their eyes before she pulled out her phone and tapped on the message. Her fingers hovered over the screen for a moment before she carefully typed her reply.

"Come to the back of the school. I need to ask you something."

Lilly quickly pocketed her phone and waited for Break to come. With a small sigh, she made her way out of the classroom. She moved through the halls with purpose, walking at a brisk pace as her thoughts turned to the task at hand. She wasn't one for public displays of emotion, nor was she keen on making a spectacle of herself. But this situation required action—if not for her, then for the peace of mind she desperately sought.

As she passed by classrooms and hallways, she noticed a few students laughing and chatting about their recent victories. There was no time for celebration in her mind; she had a mission to carry out.

After a few minutes, Lilly reached the back of the school. The area was quiet, the sound of distant chatter from other students echoing faintly in the background. The sun filtered through the trees, casting soft shadows across the ground.

She paused, taking a moment to check her surroundings. The back of the school was secluded enough that no one would overhear them, which was exactly what she wanted.

Her fingers tapped lightly against the screen of her phone as she waited. A brief glance up revealed a shadow moving at the far end of the courtyard, and within moments, a familiar figure stepped into view.

Luck.

His usual impassive expression met her eyes, and for a moment, there was a brief pause in the air, as though the world itself held its breath. He was dressed casually, his posture relaxed but confident. His dark eyes scanned the area, and when they landed on Lilly, he gave a subtle nod of acknowledgement.

"Yo," he said, his voice steady but with a hint of curiosity. "What did you text me for?"

Lilly met his gaze without hesitation, her own expression as calm as ever. "I needed to talk to you."

Luck raised an eyebrow, clearly expecting something more, but said nothing. Lilly took a deep breath, gathering her thoughts.

"Lila gave me your number," she began, her voice unwavering. "And I need you to do something for me."

Luck didn't react, but his gaze sharpened, and the quiet intensity behind his eyes never wavered. "Right, go on."

Lilly felt a brief moment of hesitation, but she quickly pushed it aside. She'd already come this far, and there was no backing out now. "There's someone at school who's been bothering me, and he is in your form. He won't stop pestering me, asking me out, and following me around. I need you to pretend to be my boyfriend."

Luck's expression remained unreadable as he processed her words. He didn't speak for a long moment, and Lilly's gaze remained steady, unwavering from his.

"A fake boyfriend?" he finally asked, his tone level but tinged with a hint of amusement. "And why would I do that?"

"Because I don't want to deal with this anymore," Lilly replied, her voice quiet but firm. "You know how I am—I don't like attention. I just want him to stop. This way, he'll get the message."

There was a pause, and the only sound between them was the distant rustle of leaves in the breeze. Lilly could see the wheels turning in Luck's mind, but he gave no indication of what he was thinking. His face was as unreadable as ever.

"So you want me to play pretend for you?" Luck said, his voice even, almost bored. "And what's in it for me?"

Lilly didn't flinch. She had expected this. "You get to be left alone. No one will bother you, and no one will ask questions. We'll keep it simple."

Luck's gaze narrowed slightly, as though weighing the situation. "And you're sure about this?"

Lilly nodded without hesitation. "I'm sure."

Luck didn't seem to flinch. He stared at her with that same unreadable expression, as if he were pondering her words but not particularly invested in the outcome. His voice was casual, but there was a certain sharpness to it as he suggested, "You could just date him. That would stop the problem right away."

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Lilly frozen, her brows knitting together in disbelief. She had expected many suggestions—strategies, plans, maybe even some advice on how to deal with the situation—but this? This was unexpected. "What? Date him?" She let out a laugh that was more disbelieving than amusing. "Are you serious?"

Luck's gaze remained as neutral as ever, unfazed by her reaction. "It would resolve everything. He'd back off immediately if you were with someone else. It's simple."

Lilly couldn't believe what she was hearing. Her arms crossed instinctively, a sign of her rising irritation. " Why would I date him just to get him to stop pestering me? That's... pathetic."

Luck raised an eyebrow, as if challenging her logic. "So what's your solution then? Let him keep bothering you."

Her frustration simmered. Lilly wasn't one to let her emotions show easily, but this was pushing her limits. She had been handling the situation with patience and careful distance, but now she was being told to solve it by doing something so... simple and yet so distasteful. "I've been handling it just fine, thank you," she said, though her words felt hollow even to her own ears.

In truth, she'd been silently suffering from his constant attention. It was getting old, and she had to admit she was tired of it. But dating him? That just seemed wrong on so many levels.

Luck leaned forward slightly, as if his calm suggestion was the only logical conclusion to her problem. "I'm not saying you should fall for him; just date him temporarily. It'll solve your problem. Or just report it to the school."

Lilly stared at him, her mouth slightly ajar, not sure whether to be more irritated by his suggestion or by the fact that it made an unnerving amount of sense. "You make it sound so easy, but it's not that simple, Luck. I'm not going to just date him because it's convenient, and I don't really want to ruin someone's education."

Luck's tone was even as he pressed on, like a strategist presenting a move on a chessboard. "It's simple in theory. You don't have to like him. It's a temporary arrangement to keep things smooth. And it won't really bother you in the long run, as it was his fault for pestering you in the first place."

Lilly sighed deeply, her fingers brushing against her temple as if trying to ward off the headache that was starting to form. Her thoughts were spinning. She hadn't been entirely honest with herself about how annoying the constant pestering had become. She didn't want him near her, didn't want him in her space, but the idea of using him like this made her stomach churn.

"I don't know... it feels kind of fake," she admitted, her voice quieter now, the irritation fading just a bit. She looked away, struggling to find the right words. "But you're right. I don't want him to keep making things uncomfortable for me."

Luck watched her carefully, his expression unreadable. But something about the way he observed her made Lilly feel like he was seeing through her, as if he knew she was close to making up her mind, even if she refused to admit it.

"Think of it as a strategy," he said, his voice smooth, almost coaxing. "If you don't want to deal with him anymore, you have to do something."

Lilly closed her eyes for a moment, breathing in through her nose, weighing the idea. It was practical, no doubt. But the thought of faking something so... personal, even for a short time, felt strange. Still, she couldn't deny that it was the simplest solution.

After a long pause, she opened her eyes and met his gaze. "Fine," she said, her tone still hesitant but resolute. "I'll report him."

Luck nodded slightly, his gaze still steady. "If that's what you want. I'm just saying it's an efficient solution."

Lilly rolled her eyes, her lips curling into a small, reluctant smile. "You're ridiculous, you know that? But fine, I'll play along. I guess I owe you one for this."

Luck's lips twitched, almost as if he were holding back an actual smile, but his expression remained neutral. "Don't thank me yet. Let's see how this will end."

Lilly gave him a mock glare. "You're really enjoying this, aren't you?"

Luck didn't answer. Instead, he simply gave a small, unreadable shrug.

The decision had been made, and now she had to face the awkwardness that would surely follow. There was no turning back now. Lilly's eyes lingered on Luck for a moment, the weight of the decision heavy on her mind. Reporting him to the school felt like an easier option, but the consequences were never clear-cut. She'd chosen her path, and now she had to follow through.

"Alright," she said, her voice firm despite the gnawing discomfort in her chest. "I'll report him."

Luck nodded, but his gaze remained unreadable. "If that's what you want. It might not stop him immediately, though." His words were practical, and his tone didn't waver. "You know how the school can drag its feet when it comes to these things."

Lilly clenched her fists at her sides, fighting the urge to snap back at him. She knew he wasn't wrong. The bureaucracy at AMSB High was notorious for being slow to act, especially when it came to personal issues like harassment.

"I don't care," she said, trying to convince herself as much as him. "He needs to be dealt with. And if the school won't do anything, I'll take matters into my own hands."

Luck's eyes narrowed slightly. "Don't overestimate your ability to control things. If you handle this yourself, you might make things worse for him. Or for you."

Lilly didn't flinch at his words, but the uncertainty crept in again. It had been easy to think of the report as a simple solution. Now that she was closer to making it happen, it felt more complicated than she'd anticipated.

She hesitated for a moment, but then steeled herself. "I'll handle it," she repeated, more firmly this time. "It's the right thing to do."

Luck gave a small, noncommittal shrug. "Whatever you say." He didn't offer further advice, but there was something in the way he watched her, something that made her feel like she was playing a game with no clear rules.

"I'll go to the headmaster's office after lunch," Lilly decided. "I'll have a conversation and see what can be done."

Luck nodded slowly, then turned to leave. "Good luck with that," he said, his tone still neutral.

Lilly's eyes narrowed. "Don't think I'll forget this," she called after him, feeling the need to assert herself even in the face of his indifference.

Luck didn't look back as he walked away, his pace unhurried. "I don't think you will," he replied quietly, almost as if he were already certain of the outcome.

She stood there for a moment, staring after him, the weight of her decision still settling in. There was no turning back now. The path she had chosen was in motion, and she could only hope it would bring the resolution she sought without costing her more than she was willing to pay.

As Luck's words hung in the air, he stopped for a moment, his gaze flicking back toward Lilly. His expression remained unreadable, but there was a slight shift in his posture, as if he were weighing his next words carefully.

"You know," he said, his tone still even but with an edge of quiet contemplation. "It would bring the resolution you seek without costing you more than you're willing to pay. But there's one thing you should remember."

He turned slightly more, just enough for Lilly to catch the hint of something deeper in his eyes, something that didn't quite match the usual indifference.

"Love isn't a transaction," he continued, his voice low but firm. "You don't just give something of yourself to get something in return. It's not about controlling the situation or manipulating it to your benefit. If you start thinking of it that way, you'll lose sight of what it really means."

Lilly blinked, momentarily thrown off by the subtle weight of his words. She had expected practicality, a suggestion that would solve her problem without complications. But this? This was different.

"Then what do you suggest?" She asked, her voice quieter now, a faint trace of uncertainty creeping into her usually steady tone.

Luck didn't immediately respond. He stood there for a moment longer, as though considering her question carefully. Finally, with a slight shrug, he spoke again.

"Sometimes the best solution isn't the simplest one. But if you want real peace, you'll need to make a decision that doesn't leave you with regrets later."

Without waiting for her to reply, he turned and began walking away, his steps steady and deliberate. As he moved farther from her, the space between them seemed to grow, but his last words lingered in the quiet, still air.

Lilly stood still for a moment, processing his words. Something about them didn't sit right with her, yet they struck a chord deep inside. She had come to him for a quick fix, an easy solution. But now, she couldn't shake the feeling that maybe the real resolution wouldn't come from avoiding the problem but from facing it head-on.

With a quiet sigh, she turned and headed back toward the school, her mind racing with questions she hadn't expected to ask.