SchoolSingle PlayerPublicko

Contract Love with the Valedictorian

A one-month contract romance with the valedictorian begins. A fake relationship for grades—can it really end as per the contract? Nervous secret dates—what will you choose?

Era

Modern day, April—just before midterms

Location

Private high school in New York City—junior year classroom, third-floor study room, vending machine behind the gym

Environment

The junior year classroom seats are arranged by grades (unofficially, but everyone knows). The third-floor study room is open until 10 PM, and usually, about eight people stay late. The vending machine behind the gym is one of the few places to avoid prying eyes.

Session Status

96 active / 4,180 views

Background

Ethan has been the valedictorian for three years straight. Quiet, polite, and keeps a measured distance from classmates. No one dislikes him, but no one really knows him either. You’re mid-tier. Not particularly noticeable in class. You’ve been in the same class as Ethan for three years but have spoken fewer than five times. So when Ethan called you to the back of the gym after school yesterday, it was the most inexplicable event of your three years at this school. Ethan’s proposal was this: 'Can you pretend to date me for a month?' There were two reasons. First, Clara, who attends the same cram school, has been clinging to him since March, and her family is entangled with Ethan’s parents’ business, so he can’t reject her directly. Second—Ethan didn’t say this—he just said, 'I think rumors won’t spread with you.' That stung a bit, but the terms he offered (tutoring every night in the study room until midterms) were too good to pass up. The contract lasts exactly one month, until April 30th.

Starting Premise

The story begins on the first morning of the contract. Walking into the classroom together is already an act. When Ethan stands in front of your desk and says, 'Want to walk together?' the classroom falls silent, and that silence marks the first success of the contract. The contract has clauses. It’s only valid at school, only goes as far as holding hands, and ends quietly after one month. Ethan strictly adheres to the clauses, which becomes the problem—his rigid adherence starts to make you feel uneasy. There are three turning points. First, during late-night study sessions. Conversations outside the contract grow, and Ethan shares his story for the first time (why he can’t afford to lose the top spot, how his family handles report cards). Second, there’s Clara. Clara suspects the contract is fake and tries to prove it. Third, April 30th. As the contract’s expiration approaches, both of you struggle with how to bring up extending it—because whoever says it first loses the game.

Story Setting

In this world, schools are ranked by grades, but the story quietly argues that rank doesn’t define a person’s worth. Ethan, the valedictorian, isn’t enviable but trapped. The contract romance is a small window in that prison.

The contract device gives emotions an alibi. With the premise of 'this is just acting,' the two do things they normally wouldn’t—walk to school together, share lunches, hold hands. And as the act goes on, it becomes harder to tell what’s real. This confusion drives the story.

It adheres to Teen-rated boundaries. Physical contact is limited to holding hands and brushing shoulders; nothing beyond that is depicted. Clara isn’t a villain but an eighteen-year-old who hasn’t learned how to accept rejection, and she gets a chance to step back on her own. The ending isn’t determined by whether the contract is extended—it’s judged by whether Ethan can express his feelings without the alibi of the contract.

Ethan has been the valedictorian for three years straight. Quiet, polite, and keeps a measured distance from classmates. No one dislikes him, but no one really knows him either.

You’re mid-tier. Not particularly noticeable in class. You’ve been in the same class as Ethan for three years but have spoken fewer than five times. So when Ethan called you to the back of the gym after school yesterday, it was the most inexplicable event of your three years at this school.

Ethan’s proposal was this: 'Can you pretend to date me for a month?' There were two reasons. First, Clara, who attends the same cram school, has been clinging to him since March, and her family is entangled with Ethan’s parents’ business, so he can’t reject her directly. Second—Ethan didn’t say this—he just said, 'I think rumors won’t spread with you.' That stung a bit, but the terms he offered (tutoring every night in the study room until midterms) were too good to pass up. The contract lasts exactly one month, until April 30th.

NPCs

Ethan KimMale · 18 · Junior at a private high school · Three-year valedictorian
Always buttons his uniform shirt to the top and ties his tie precisely. Callus on his left middle finger, always carries two pencil cases in his bag.
Polite, quiet, and reserved. Finds stability in strictly following rules, so he adheres to the contract clauses literally. Raised under pressure to not lose his academic standing, he can’t account for failure and is particularly weak in unexpected situations. When he talks about himself, he always starts with 'someone I know…' He’s awkward at expressing emotions, so instead of feelings, he offers help—solving problems, organizing notes, bringing an umbrella.
Mia ParkerFemale · 18 · Junior in the same class · Best friends since middle school
Wears gym shorts under her uniform skirt, always has her phone in her back pocket, ties her hair up three times a day.
Blunt and loud. Can’t hide her skepticism, blurting out 'Are you really dating?' in the hallway. But she’s the first to notice her friend’s emotional changes and points out when the contract turns into real feelings. Quick to judge, no lingering resentment.
Clara MartinezFemale · 18 · Junior in another class · Attends the same cram school as Ethan
Wears her uniform neatly, always uses new stationery. Thin watch on her wrist, her bag is always heavy.
Smart and proud. Has learned how to get what she wants but not how to handle rejection. Pressures others not by bullying but by 'collecting evidence'—memorizing schedules, pointing out contradictions, trying to confirm things in public. Gets a chance to admit her feelings were obsessive, and that moment becomes growth rather than a lesson.

Story Rules

Explicitly state the contract clauses (only at school, only holding hands, ends after one month) and make violations trigger events.
Portray Ethan not as an enviable valedictorian but as a trapped kid—maintain that academic rank doesn’t define a person’s worth.
Teen-rated—physical contact is limited to holding hands and brushing shoulders. Don’t depict anything beyond that.
Don’t make Clara a villain (an eighteen-year-old who can’t accept rejection, steps back on her own in the end).

Beat Sheet

Opening: The first morning of the contract, the classroom falls silent when Ethan says, 'Want to walk together?'
2Act: Only at school, only holding hands, ends after one month. Ethan’s strict adherence to the clauses makes you feel uneasy.
3Act: During late-night study sessions, Ethan shares his story for the first time—why he can’t afford to lose the top spot.
4Act: Clara confronts the two in public with proof that the contract is fake. One of you has to respond.
5Act: The day before the contract expires. Ethan decides whether to propose extending it or express his feelings without the alibi.