"Oh hell no! You're not using me as cover-" Ryuu nearly choked on the answer, it was wrong on so many levels, even ushering the sentence itself was enough to make his lips twist violently at the thought. "Use someone else! I am not going to be your little boy toy."

"I am sorry, did I ask for your opinion again on this matter? No, I did not." Akoya twirled a lock of pink hair around his fingers, as if asking this favour, no this demand was the most normal thing he could ever do, a day-to-day task. Ryuu groaned to himself, fumbling his fingers in his hair, sprayed, sprawled and wild, just how he was feeling, he couldn't do this, this was the most humiliating thing he could do in his life.

"I am not going to be your boyfriend for the sake of some stupid popularity contest; nobody cares about this more than you. Damn you piss me off." Even saying the words made him inwardly shudder with disgust, the equation, the situation screamed the very word 'awkward', and standing here, was violating every belief Ryuu had ever had about his fellow pinkette.

He couldn't believe this was even proposed to him, let alone Akoya was speaking to him.

"Do I really have to break it down for you? Begrudgingly, you're the most popular student among some of the lesser class males shall we say? Your popularity combined with mine, leads to one conclusion, me winning the elections of who's more popular in the student council." And there we have it, why this entire thing even started; somehow, the student council wanted to have an election on who was more popular, ie, by votes by the poor saps who got sucked into the whole competition. While Ryuu wanted nothing more than to avoid this subject in particular.

"I have a reputation-"

Akoya held up his hand, as if sensing the lame excuse about to tumble from Ryuu's pouting lips. "We both know that's a farce, your womanizing is an exaggeration. You have no reputation to save, but rather, uplift it. I know that won't be enough." Akoya paused, licking his lips. "I will buy your services, in exchange, you will be my boyfriend for the next month, committed lover, you must be convincing."

Ryuu shook his head, protesting in utter disbelief, and a little insulted, he wasn't some dog, to be collared or lured away with a promise of some benefit. That wasn't him, and he wasn't even going to dignify the rest of his comment either with a reply, mustering up a half-pointed glare.

"Why do you care so much about beating them? You were happy to follow Kinshiro-San." Ryuu pointed out, in an effort to sway this to the no go zone. "You're always hanging off his every word, his every demand."

"And why does everyone else insist I like being second best? I am more than my own position; I am more than the Student Council. I am neither his shadow nor his own personal minion. Kinshiro-San is certainly influential, refined, and obviously of higher calibre than most around here, but even someone like myself wishes to separate from that." Once Akoya was done speaking, Ryuu blinked in surprise, he didn't think Akoya could be… What was the word deep? Human? It was like seeing another layer to Akoya, one he didn't think he'd ever see.

He was seeing an entirely new side, a lot more humane one, someone he could relate to in some aspect; he didn't feel suddenly there was hundred miles between the pair. Even so, the idea itself was still pretty much insane. "And before you say anything else; your dads shop has recently hit a blunder, has it not? With the extra bit of money, he'd be able to pay rent and a certain increase in customers would no doubt help him."

Ryuu's eyes creased into a glare, and back to the devil, almost so quickly, snapping away from the vulnerability he was seeing. "You've done your research." Ryuu scoffed, placing a hand on his hips in defiance; he shouldn't care, he couldn't sell his soul, no his dignity like that..

"One does not come prepared without a plan." Akoya spoke softly, for someone who shared a resemblance to an angel; he acted a lot more like the devil in disguise. "We both have something to gain, both have some kind of benefit, why wouldn't this be a good idea?"

'I don't know, spending time with you, acting to be gay, practically destroy my whole dating pool, my reputation- and bastard, I have one! Betraying my best friend, the group….. everyone I ever knew existence, just a few reasons why it wouldn't.'

Ryuu was biting his cheek, having an internal debate, warring over what was better or what wasn't. He needed the money, asking Io.. not like he didn't think about the option, but his friend was so determined to save every penny, he felt guilty for even thinking about the idea. Besides, he'd be earning the money himself, wouldn't be some hand-out payment, but he wished.. so fucking was for another reason. Ryuu gritted his teeth, it was a small favour, a month, equalled to solving his dads problems, with that mind, he nodded.. with every fibre in his being forced to.

"Alright, what are the boundaries your highness?" Ryuu's entire sentence was riddled with sarcasm, rolling off his tongue.

"Ah, eager, a nice side to you, other than you whining or complaining." Akoya smirked, feeling more at ease, visibly relaxing under the intense weight of the atmosphere. "Should be noted, you cannot and shall not tell your friends. They must remain oblivious to our agreement. I don't trust them enough to keep their mouths shut, and this election is important to me. You can't even tell Io, so don't bother asking for wriggle room."

"Hand holding, mild-kissing, peck on the lips are the extent of this agreement only. I am not here for your pleasure." Ryuu rolled his eyes, nodding along, slowly, just to piss off the damn angel that was twitching in anger. "After the election ends, we will stage a break-up fight, and thus, effectively ends our agreement. You will accompany me on dates, public school events, and you will be invited over to have lunch with me, occasionally. The next month, you'll be catering to my very need, you'll need a new set of clothes.. and hair."

"You're demanding." Ryuu muttered under his breath, scratching his neck.

"I'm in, just don't go giving me any weird vibes, you are practically drowning in them." Ryuu sighed, Io was going to be a problem, a minor hiccup he'd like to admit, but sadly, Io was over-protective, hearing his new 'relationship' was going to send the group into a frenzy. If it wasn't for the money, he wouldn't have even given this agreement an ear to listen to.

"Perfect, shall we go tell your circus of our new status? I'd rather just get it out of the way." And Ryuu's shoulder sunk back at the suggestion, nodding with a restrained frown. "Don't look at me like that, the quicker they know the better." Akoya frowned, walking away, in tow with a very depressed Ryuu.. oh why him, why him, what did he ever do, to deserve this kind of fate?

"No way!"

"Since when?!"

"I can't believe it!"

"Think of all the cuddles you could get!"

Ryuu swore he was in a high school drama, granted his life could probably adhere to one, he was expecting shocked faces, widened eyes, and hanging jaws, but he didn't think the entire club would be driven into a chorus of gasps.

Io, Ryuu was the worst friend right now on the planet, Io looked stunned, shocked to his very core, almost unable to even understand or comprehend what was being said. 'We are dating now' probably wasn't the best approach, but Akoya was blunt, more so than Ryuu could handle right now. He wanted the news to be broken gently, a subtle fact, not flaunted.

"Since when?" The question was repeated, hinted with a darker tone, making Ryuu flinched towards Akoya, who raised an eyebrow, seemingly unfazed by the anger boiling in Io's eyes. "The details are unnecessary to the likes of you all, but we both felt, Ryuu-kun and I." Akoya jerked with his thumb to his supposed 'boyfriend'. "To come out, and he wanted to tell you first, before anyone else came to know such a fact."

"Oi, don't treat them like your servants." Ryuu chided with a disapproving glance, and Akoya sighed, not paying much attention. "Ryuu-kun, I'll see you at lunch, standing here.. is mostly unpleasant, this club room is drawl, and dreary." Akoya waved, before bowing in practiced elegance, befitting of someone of his wealth and status. "Uh.. yeah." Ryuu waved, a lot more awkwardly, watching the door open and shut behind Akoya.

"So, are you going to tell us?" Io pressed, and Ryuu nearly stumbled backwards in surprise, blinking, trying to readjust himself. Everyone was staring, burrowing their curious eyes into his skull, it was unpleasant, making him shrink and slink back, much like a frightened child.

"Jeez, no need for the third degree, it just happened. It wasn't some movie romance." Ryuu brushed the comments aside, sitting down, on the opposite end of the table where Io was seated. "Things like that don't just happen Ryuu; there must be more to it than that." Damn Atsushi and his intelligence, wasn't the time to pick flaws in this so poorly-crafted love story.

"I guess it makes sense, you two were always fighting, sexual tension?" Yufuin-senpai asked lazily, trying to fit the pieces together.

'Sexual tension...?

"No! Absolutely not! You're drunk, high even- Yufuin-senpai." Ryuu nearly had a fit at the idea, sexual tension? There wasn't anything remotely true about that sentence, sure, they argued, a lot, but that didn't mean he wanted to literally screw Ryuu into the mattress-, wait, did he just refer to himself as the bottom? He endured too much stress today; his brain was nearing its limit.

"I think you may be right En-chan, the two can never stop fighting."

"Can we just stop? Akoya.. confessed to me, said he liked me, and fought with me all the time 'cause he wanted my attention." Ryuu babbled the lie, keeping his eyes solely focused on the table in front of him. "I.. had some feelings." No, never, he wanted to scream, but continued the story. "I.. liked him, and I said that; not love, just that he was a cool guy, and we agreed to start dating, was a week ago."

"Ryuu! This is a bad idea! Akoya is using you for something!" Io pointed out, and Ryuu wanted to mouth; 'I know jack ass' but kept the line to himself, shaking his head. "Io.. just stop? You trust me right? Trust me when I say this, I got this."

"You don't." Io paused, lifting himself up from the chair, grabbing Ryuu's collar. "You haven't got this, Akoya is a manipulative asshole, will do anything to get his own way. Don't you understand that?! He tried, no nearly succeeded in getting me away from the Defence Club, what if that's his angle? We cannot afford to be down another member; Ryuu.. please, don't do this." Ryuu felt his insides churning at the request; Ryuu sucked in a bit of breath and shook his head once more. "I need to do this Io.. trust me alright? I got this, really I do."

"Ryuu.. I.." Ryuu blinked at the sudden diversion in conversation; Io looked pained, haunted by something, his lips were twitching, his eyes wavering. "Need to. I need to go Ryuu. I was going to tell you before you came, that my family have an emergency."

"Wait Io!" Before Ryuu could even move, Io picked up his stuff, dashed out the door and slammed it shut, leaving a very confused Ryuu in the wake of his sprinted dash, admist trying to gather all his things. Why did he run like that?

Ryuu flopped his head down on the desk, a niggling feeling, was telling him he may have just perhaps complicated everyone's lives.