MAJOR RELATIONSHIP HELP

so recently I’ve been talking to this guy. ( I’m a freshman and he’s a juinor), but we’ve been talking for weeks, hugging tight in the hallways, he’ll grab my ass when we’re alone and squeeze it even tho I’m flatt😂 but w.e🙄. But lately we’ve been getting a lot of hate from upper classmen🖕🏽. Telling us to leave each other alone and things along that line. And honestly it’s been getting to me.

One day after school he asked me (thru Snapchat) what our relationship was and that he wanted to be exclusive and date. I told him that I think we should just be friends, after thinking about it, he agreed. I don’t know what to do now. I SEE HIM EVERY FUCKING DAYY!! Idk what to do about our relationship. It’s like I want to be in a relationship with him but a private one because I know people won’t approve of our relationship. I still wanna be friends with him because he is a really good person. HONESTLY IM AT A LOSS! HELPP!! Plz😅