I'll kill him.

“Shut up and just give that baked mac to me!”

How dare he.

“But this is for miss Hec—”

I won't allow anyone to hurt Mark.

“Stop making excuses! Just give it to me. I said I'll pay double didn't I?”

I go behind him taking my small silver knife from my pocket.

I quickly stab that guy.

But somebody hold my wrist. And the grip is so strong that I couldn't move my knife any further.

How dare...

I'll kill you as well!

“Eli-chan, calm down.”

That person whispers into my ear. My brain jolts. It's Mark.

“Mark...”

“Heh. You finally spoke.”

“I...”

“I understand. But this guy isn't worth it for you to get into trouble.”

“But he—”

“I wasn't hurt.”

Mark takes the knife from me dexterously.

“Just how many knives are you hiding in your body?Fufufufu.”

“I'm sorry.”

“It's fine.”

“Who the fuck is whispering behind me?!—Uh eh? Ehh~?! M-Miss Hecate?!”

I glare at him. I want to punch him but I can't move my hand. Mark haven't released it yet.

“Hiih! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to shout at you. Oh— hey kid! What are you doing to miss Hecate?! Let go of her or I won't forgive you!”

He punch Mark.

You!

I walk in between them preparing to break his jaw with my free arm.

But Mark hold my shoulder from behind.

That guy looks astonished but he immediately stops his momentum.

“Wha— HEY KID! How dare you hide behind a defenseless girl!”

“Eli-chan, he won't stop so kindly use your authority. Don't hurt him.”

Mark whispers to me.

“Stop.”

You're lucky Mark doesn't want to harm you.

“But he... ”

I glare at him.

“Hiih! Y-Yes of course miss Hecate.”

“.........”

“Uh. Anyway, uh... miss Hecate... err... I wanted to treat you with bake mac!”

“This isn't yours boy.”

"Shut up. Can't you see this is for miss Hecate?!"

“It is indeed.”

“Then hurry up.”

“But not from you. That boy over there behind her bought this specifically for miss Hecate.”

“Huh? ...Him...? Why?!”

“Well she's my girlfriend.”

Eh?

He called me his girlfriend in public.

Ehh~?!

My face is getting hot.

“Huh?”

“Boy, what are you...?”

“Pfffft— hahahahahahaha!”

“What are you laughing at?”

“Hahahaha! That was a great joke. Hey everyone, he said miss Hecate is his girlfriend!!What a shameless joke!”

The murmurs of the crowd gotten stronger.

“What?”

“He's lying right?”

“Of course he is. That's just impossible.”

“What if it's true? I once heard that miss Hecate was with a guy last month. What if that's him?”

“Wait. Is that true?”

“Yeah. There's a rumor like that.”

“But we're not sure if he's that guy.”

“What? Wait wait wait what?! Miss Hecate was what?! That's— Hey! Is that guy they're talking about was you kid?! M-Miss Hecate, is he really your boyfriend?”

“No.”

Why... Why did I say that...?

“Eh?”

Mark sounds dumbfounded too.

“What? So it's a lie? Ha! You're just being shameless after all! Disgusting! Such a clown. No— You're not. YOU ARE THE WHOLE CIRCUS!!”

“So it's just a brag.”

“Hahh~ I'm glad. That scared me for a bit.”

“Why would he joke like that though? It taints the name of miss Hecate. What if this joke cause a misunderstanding bringing forth rumors that will also potentially harm her?”

“Waah. So disgusting. Couldn't he be more shameless?”

“I dislike this kind humor. Not funny. Just offensive and gross.”

“He's just probably riding miss Hecate's coattails. Wanting fame or something like that. Yuck! He's being disgusting.”

“And he hasn't even let go of her shoulder since earlier. He's still hiding behind her. What a cowardly scum!”

“Wait I wasn't lying! Nor joking. It's the truth.”

“So pitiful. He's being desperate.”

“I feel sad for him. I also wanted to be miss Hecate's boyfriend but that's a wishful thinking.”

“I sympathize with him but he shouldn't get miss Hecate involved like this. He should just keep his delusions to himself.”

They're mocking him... I.. T-This isn't my fault.. no...

“But miss Hecate doesn't seem to be in disagreement.”

“Because she's kind. And it seems he and miss Hecate know each other.”

“But still... he's being disgusting lying like that.”

“Boy, just stop with this. It's inappropriate. And you're making yourself a subject of bullying.”

I'll kill anyone who will do that.

“Uwaah. Why nobody believes in me?”

Because you're liar Mark.

You even lied to me.

Why would they believe you when they haven't even known you?

“What kid? Gonna cry? You deserve it. And let go of miss Hecate at once!”

“Mark let's go.”

I whisper to him. It's getting stuffy here.

“Alright. Well then, hey kuya. Please give me my bake mac now. We're leaving.”

“Okay.”

“What?! That's mine!”

“What are you talking about? He bought this first. And this is for miss Hecate.”

“Uh. Fuck!”

“Let's leave now.”

I nod to Mark.

“Eh why? Why are you coming with this bastard miss Hecate?!”

“It got nothing to do with you.”

Mark takes the bake mac and then we walk away.

—We finally got away from those nosy people. So I let go of Mark's hand.

“Eli-chan, why did you lie earlier?”

“Eh?”

“What do you mean ‘eh’? I asked why you said I'm not your boyfriend earlier.”

I...

I don't know...

“Is it to keep our relationship secret from public? Because you're in the SSG? But it isn't really a problem.”

I shake my head.

“Then why?”

“........”

“Fufufufu. Very well. Don't answer it for now then. Anyway we should go and sit there. It looks clean and is also shaded by a tree.”

We sit on a stone bench facing one another. Mark then offers a paper plate of baked macaroni.

“Here eat this. We only have six minutes before our break ends. Let's finish this for at least within five minutes. Even if we take longer than that, seven minutes late for our next subject is still not that of a big deal. It's sir's subject after all. He's pretty easy-going.”

“...........”

I take a twenty peso bill from my wallet and hand it over to Mark.

“What's this for?”

“My payment for this.”

“For this baked mac? It's my treat you know. You don't need to pay for this.”

He didn't take my money.

“No take it!”

“I won't.”

“Why?”

“You're my girlfriend. It's that simple.”

Y-You're just deceiving me... If you really treat me as your girlfriend, why would you hurt me like this? Why did you lie to me?

Everything you said was a lie.

Because you don't trust me or because you just.... You...

Because.... Y-You.. You don't want me... anymore...