These Dangerous Girls Placed Me Into Jeopardy

The news that Lillian Ji now had a boyfriend spread throughout the entire school in just two class periods. Actually, rumors had already started quietly circulating since yesterday afternoon. After all, for someone like Lillian—an overwhelmingly famous beauty known by basically everyone at Riverside High—suddenly getting a boyfriend after constantly rejecting confession after confession? Of course it would cause a stir.

Especially in high school, where relationship gossip spreads faster than the flu. Even if it’s just someone in the next class dating someone else, the whole grade hears about it. So a story involving Lillian Ji? Absolute wildfire.

But this time, the attention wasn’t just on Lillian. It was also on me—the boyfriend.

By the end of third period, our classroom was completely blocked off. People were cramming into the hallway just to get a glimpse of “Lillian Ji’s boyfriend.” Ironically, the weirdos in our class with all the bizarre titles didn’t react much. I seriously suspect it’s because to them, something like this doesn’t even count as strange.

These normies, on the other hand, all wore expressions of curiosity as they crowded around me, tossing comments and judgments like it was a # Nоvеlight # live-streamed freakshow.

“Who is it? The guy sitting in front of Lillian Ji?”

“Who the hell is that?”

“He looks super average...”

“Damn it, so Lillian likes bottom-tier losers? Why am I stuck being a rich, handsome elite!?”

Sorry I’m a bottom-tier loser, okay!? And you’re clearly here to flex, not complain!

All this sudden attention wasn’t exactly pleasant. It felt like I was being bound by invisible ropes made of eyeballs. Super uncomfortable. But ironically, that attention was now my greatest weapon. Yeah—so long as I had all these eyes on me, Lillian Ji couldn’t make a move.

...That’s what I told myself. But honestly, I was starting to feel like I’d get killed by her deranged fanboys before she could.

Most of the gawkers were boys. Of those, around 80% had gray title tags, and 10% were black. That was already bad enough—but what worried me the most...

...was spotting a few red ones.

Are you serious!? There are actually people jealous enough to want to kill me!?

That’s terrifying!

But the most terrifying gaze of all came from behind me—to my left.

Lan Hua was staring at me with bloodshot eyes so intense it felt like she could murder me with her stare. Her title was now a pitch-black void.

...Did I make the wrong decision somewhere?

Come to think of it, Lan Hua’s title was [Stalker (Novice)], right? She’s not seriously going to start stalking me now that I’m dating Lillian... is she?

Please no. You can have Lillian. I’ll gift-wrap her and send her to your doorstep. Just leave me alone!!

“Hey hey, Xiaohua, stop glaring at Ethan like that. Do you even realize how scary your face looks right now?”

“Eh?”

Thankfully, Cherry Gao—Lan Hua’s best friend—patted her on the shoulder and snapped her out of it.

“Ohh, so Ethan An really did say yes... See? I told you, Lan Hua never stood a chance.”

“Hey, don’t provoke her anymore!”

Leon Luo and Cherry Gao—both of them were Lan Hua’s close friends. You could always find the three of them chatting together. I used to wonder if they were in some weird love triangle or something... But now it doesn’t seem like that’s the case.

“Sigh... You’ve got it rough from all angles, huh, Ethan?” Leon said, giving me a sympathetic pat on the shoulder.

“......”

I knew he wasn’t talking about being targeted by Lillian specifically—but still, it made me want to cry. You’re the only one who understands my pain, Leon. You’re a good guy, even if you are a voyeur.

Lillian just smiled meaningfully from the side... Her smile was still gorgeous—and creepy as hell.

At lunchtime, I walked out of the classroom with my lunchbox in hand. Lillian followed right behind me.

“Not going to the cafeteria today, Ethan~?”

“...I packed my own lunch.”

“That’s wonderful~ Then let’s go somewhere quiet and enjoy a sweet lunch date together~”

What kind of nightmare are you trying to set up!?

If I go somewhere isolated with her, she’s definitely going to try something!

But I really didn’t feel like going to the cafeteria either...

Normally, for high school couples, the rooftop is the go-to lunch spot. But I wasn’t about to go there. Lillian and I weren’t even a real couple. The rooftop’s always crawling with actual couples, and I don’t need a front-row seat to that kind of emotional carnage.

Just then, I looked out the window and saw someone sitting in the pavilion behind the science building.

Oh! Must be that emotionless girl, Snowy Jiang. Perfect. As long as there’s a third person around, Lillian shouldn’t try anything.

However...

When I actually reached the pavilion, Snowy Jiang was gone.

“Ara~ You really brought me to such a secluded place... Are you trying to do something to me~?”

This is bad. This is so bad!

Can I run?

“Don’t worry. I’m not going to make a move yet. The teaching building still has a clear line of sight to this place, right?”

That’s true. I did spot her from the window just now, so it’s definitely visible. Meaning Lillian won’t do anything—for now.

I quietly sat down in the pavilion, making sure to take the seat facing outwards. That way, if she tried anything, I could scream at the top of my lungs.

Lillian sat down beside me all sweet and innocent, calmly opened her bento, and started eating.

...She really isn’t doing anything?

Still, there might be a hidden blade in her sleeve or something... Yeah, I’m scooting farther away.

“You didn’t eat my bento yesterday. Aren’t you going to try some today~?”

“Eat it and I’ll go meet the Grim Reaper.”

“Oh, don’t be silly~ Someone as nice as you would go meet God instead~”

“I don’t want to meet either of them!”

I scowled and stabbed an egg roll with my chopsticks, stuffing it into my mouth.

“With a girlfriend this cute, you should try to look a little happier~ Otherwise people might get suspicious~”

“Suspicious?”

“They’ll start thinking you’re just a stand-in boyfriend, and once that happens, all the attention will disappear—and then...”

Then I’d be back to the way I was before. Honestly, that wouldn’t be so bad—but not yet. I can’t let that happen. Not for the next three days, at least!

“So what should I do?”

“At the very least, we need to act natural when we flirt~ Come on, let’s practice some couple behaviors right now~”

“...Mm.”

So-called “couple behaviors,” huh? Basically, PDA. But I have no clue how to do any of that.

As someone who’s been single since birth—up until this very morning—I had zero experience with flirting or being lovey-dovey.

If Lillian and I were an actual couple, maybe we could pull it off naturally... But we’re not. If anything, our dynamic is like a boss and her terrified contract employee.

“Just like what I did earlier—that feeding gesture was super intimate~”

“......”

“I told you yesterday, remember? My bento was made by my family’s maid. There’s no way it’d be poisoned~”

She said that while picking up a piece of fried chicken and eating it herself. Chewing with an innocent, satisfied expression.

“...Fine.”

If she’s eating it too, then it should be safe... right?

“Here~ Ahhh~”

After hesitating for a moment, I couldn’t resist. The fact that it was a maid-made bento had some appeal.

Lillian smiled as she raised the chopsticks toward my mouth, a piece of fried chicken nestled between them. Just as I was about to bite down—

Smack!

The chopsticks and chicken went flying.

I blinked. Standing behind me with a blank expression was Snowy Jiang.

“Uh?”

I turned to her in confusion.

Snowy shook her head and said:

“Poisoned.”

“...Huh?”

Thinking I didn’t hear her, she pointed at the dropped chopsticks and repeated:

“Poisoned.”

Every hair on my body stood on end.

She actually poisoned it.