Mei Ling's eyes were wide, her mouth opening in disbelief. "Remind me never to piss him off."
By the time Ren and Noelle left the corridor, the buzz had already started.
"Did you see that? He nearly decked Daniel."
"Daniel couldn't even look him in the eye."
"So… Noelle's the one? Seriously?"
"Man, Ren's on a whole other level…she's so lucky, I wanna die."
The whispers followed them like a current, tugging at Noelle's nerves. Her cheeks burned; she hated the way people stared, weighing her against Ren as though they were measuring what didn't add up. She tugged lightly at Ren's sleeve, her pulse racing.
Ren, however, was the picture of calm. His stride unhurried, his gaze steady, as though none of it mattered. He leaned close enough that only she could hear: "Ignore them."
Easy for him to say. Noelle's chest squeezed, caught between a flicker of pride and the uncomfortable heat of being under so many watchful eyes.
Mei Ling suddenly darted up beside them, eyes sparkling with disbelief. "Well… I guess you don't need to worry about Daniel anymore. Ren practically branded you in front of the whole school."
Noelle nearly choked on air. "Mei Ling!" she hissed, mortified, but her voice came out too sharp, too flustered.
Ren only smirked, not denying a thing. That smirk made Noelle's heart lurch, leaving her caught between two truths: the fierce thrill of being wanted so openly… and the terrifying vulnerability of being seen.
Once they slipped away from the murmuring crowd, Ren guided Noelle toward the quiet stairwell at the back of the school building. The echo of their footsteps bounced off the walls, a soft reminder that here, away from prying eyes, it was just the two of them.
Ren stopped, turning to face her. Even in the dim light, his 1.85m frame loomed over her but instead of intimidation, she felt an odd mix of safety and fluttering excitement. "You okay?" he asked, voice low, careful.
Noelle swallowed, suddenly aware of how close he was. "I… I just get embarrassed sometimes," she admitted, her hands fidgeting at her sides. "All those whispers, the looks… it's overwhelming."
Ren reached out, lifting a hand to gently tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. His fingers lingered against her skin, warm and deliberate. "You don't have to think about them," he murmured. "Only me. I want you to feel how much I—" He stopped, realising that words could never quite capture it. Instead, he took her hand, their fingers intertwining naturally.
The gesture, simple yet intimate, made Noelle's chest tighten. She let out a small laugh, shaky, breathless. "You make it sound so easy."
Ren tilted his head, eyes softening. "Maybe I just want it to be easy… for us." He stepped closer, his hand still holding hers, pressing her palm gently against his chest. "I want you here. I want you to know it's only ever been you."
Her heart swelled at the weight of his words, at the earnestness in his eyes. Without thinking, she leaned forward, pressing her lips to his in a tender, lingering kiss. It was a kiss that said more than they could put into conversation, full of the relief of privacy, the exhilaration of belonging and the quiet certainty that they belong to each other.
When they finally pulled apart, just enough to breathe, Noelle rested her forehead against his. "I… I know," she whispered. "I just… get scared sometimes."
Ren's arms wrapped around her gently, a comforting anchor. "It's okay," he murmured, pressing a kiss to her temple. "I'll be here. Always."
For the first time that day, Noelle felt the world narrow to just the two of them, whispers and stares fading into irrelevance, leaving only their shared heartbeat echoing in the quiet stairwell.
They lingered in the stairwell, the muffled sounds of the school around them fading into the background. Noelle's hands grazed his chest, and Ren's fingers found their way to the nape of her neck, tugging her gently closer. Their lips met again, slower this time, teasing, tasting, searching.
Noelle's pulse raced, every brush of his lips and fingertips sending shivers down her spine. She leaned into him, pressing her body against his, and felt his warmth radiate through her. Ren's hands moved with deliberate care, holding her close but never letting the kiss become too obvious for anyone who might pass by.
He pulled back just slightly, his forehead resting against hers, breathing ragged. "If we keep this up…" he murmured, his voice low and teasing, "I'm going to do something much worse."
Noelle blinked up at him, heart hammering. "Worse?" she whispered, breathless and intrigued.
Ren chuckled softly, brushing a stray lock behind her ear. "You're going to give me a bad reputation for being hopelessly distracted," he teased, eyes sparkling with mischief.
Noelle shot him a playful glare, still pressed lightly against him. "Distracted? Me? You're the one who's causing all this," she whispered, voice trembling just enough for him to notice.
He leaned in again, letting his lips hover near hers. "Oh? And what exactly am I causing?"
"You know exactly what," she murmured, heart hammering. Her hands traced the line of his shoulders, teasing, hesitant, daring.
Ren's grin widened, though his eyes softened, more intent than teasing this time. "I do. And I'm not even sorry." His hand slid down to lightly rest at her waist, pulling her just close enough to feel the heat radiating from her.
Noelle giggled, half-nervous, half-excited. "You're being ridiculous," she said again, though she didn't step back. She wanted to but a small, inexplicable part of her wanted him closer.
"Maybe," he admitted, tilting his head so their foreheads touched. "But only for you. Nobody else gets this version of me."
A long pause stretched between them, heavy with unspoken words and desire, before Ren's grin returned, teasing. "Alright, I should probably get to class before someone catches me… though, I'd rather get caught here with you."
Noelle laughed, the tension breaking just a little. "You're impossible," she said, letting herself lean in once more for a soft, lingering brush of lips.
Reluctantly, they pulled apart, both aware that this stairwell moment was their little secret, the flirty energy lingering like electricity in the air. Noelle stepped back, her pulse still racing, while Ren ruffled his own hair and smirked.
"Class waits," he said lightly, but his fingers brushed hers once more as he let go, leaving a small, private thrill that neither could forget.