CH 1

“You’re late! How long do you expect me to wait!?”

On the way to school in the morning.

For a moment, Kyosuke glanced at a classmate who was yelling into the phone, seemingly waiting for someone’s arrival.

(“It must be tough for those with friends, having to wait for someone just to go to school.”)

Muttering to himself in his mind, Kyosuke let out a small snort.

He wasn’t envious at all. Absolutely not.

This was his first year of high school and Kyosuke had decided to blend in with the background.

During the usual self-introduction, he robotically recited the most inoffensive content possible. He fended off club recruitments and the like with a practiced fake smile, claiming he had a part-time job, and he devoted all his spare time to pretending to sleep.

As a result, his classmates didn’t force him into their groups and he earned the honorable title of ‘the quiet, well-behaved kid in the class.’

Being liked carries the risk of being disliked, and being disliked could lead to bullying or teasing. Rather than shouldering unnecessary negative feelings, it’s better to spend time alone without friends and fully enjoy each day.

“Being alone is the best.” Reminding himself of this, Kyosuke looked up at the dull gray clouds stretching across the sky and continued down the tree-lined path where petals danced in the air.

Suddenly, his attention was caught by a female student walking ahead of him.

Glossy black hair reached down to her waist. She was nearly 180 cm tall. Her straight back and walking figure were very picturesque, and it didn’t take long for Kyosuke to realize that she was his classmate, Sasagawa Ayano.

The male student walking closely beside Ayano, spoke with a sleazy grin on his face:

“No way, you’re lying about not having a cell phone.”

Kyosuke didn’t know who the guy was, but the fact that he had blond hair led him to believe he must be a delinquent, as his introverted intuition told him. It was also clear that he wasn’t Ayano’s boyfriend or friend, as she looked terribly annoyed.

(“Ah, so that’s what they call hitting on someone. It’s my first time seeing it.”)

With keen interest, Kyosuke stared at the two of them from behind.

Ayano, who boasted top-class beauty in the school and also worked as a model, was at the highest caste among the girls. It was natural that she would get approached, given her stunning looks.

“What’s the big deal? Just give me your contact info.”

“No, I really don’t have a phone!”

“You were just on the phone with someone, weren’t you?”

“Uh. Oh, that…”

The blond-haired guy wouldn’t back down. Ayano’s agitation was apparent even from just looking at her back.

“Ah! I was just talking to myself!”

Kyosuke chuckled softly. That was unlikely, even for him.

The blond-haired guy was taken aback for a moment but then said:

“My little sister admires you, Ayano-chan.”

Kyosuke knew that Ayano, due to her profession, was popular among girls of the same generation. But saying such a line in this situation was empty and meaningless.

“What a poor lie,” Kyosuke thought, smiling to himself. He’d like to meet someone who would fall for such a trick.

“Really?! Is that true!?”

“Wha–!” Kyosuke burst into laughter at Ayano’s sudden change of tone.

The blond-haired guy glanced back at him. Kyosuke quickly looked away, coughing to cover up his laughter.

“Yeah, seriously. It’s amazing, you know. I mean, I respect that.”

“Well, I’m doing my best, I guess?” Ayano flicked her hair back and snorted proudly.

(“Was she not as bright as I thought…”)

A dry chuckle escaped Kyosuke’s lips. He had thought she belonged to a different world, but maybe that wasn’t the case after all.

“So, I want to introduce you to my sister. Please, Ayano-chan. It’s not for any weird reason.”

“Huh? What?”

The blond-haired student suddenly grabbed Ayano’s wrist.

Startled by the unexpected contact, Ayano stopped walking and looked confused.

“Seriously, just tell me. I don’t have any ulterior motives.”

His sincere words, combined with his imposing stature, were persuasive.

Ayano glanced back at Kyosuke for help. However, he averted his eyes as if to dismiss her plea.

He felt sorry for her and wanted to help.

But if he had the courage to confront a delinquent, he wouldn’t be an introvert in the first place.

Feeling apologetic, Kyosuke muttered to himself, “Stay strong,” and sped up to walk past the two.

“Ah–“

In an instant, his right foot got tangled with his left, and he lost his balance.

Trying to regain his footing but unable to do so due to his lack of physical fitness, he cried out,

“Uwaaaah!!”

If he didn’t grab onto something…

With that thought, the hand he reached out grabbed the blond-haired guy’s pants.

The impact on his face, the man’s scream from above, and the surge of pain, surprise, and regret all hit Kyosuke at once, causing him to collapse without being able to stand up.

“Hey, you! Don’t mess with me!!”

The blond-haired guy spat that out and ran off.

As Kyosuke watched the hurried footsteps fade away, he slowly got up.

“Are you okay!?”

It was Ayano’s voice that made him realize his nose was bleeding. She quickly peeled the plastic off a pack of pocket tissues and handed him a bunch of them.

“Ah, thank you…”

He took the tissues with his eyes downcast.

This was bad, what should he do? Along with negative emotions, bright red blood flowed down.

Even though it was an accident, he had forcibly pulled down someone’s pants. That was a crime. There was no way he would be forgiven.

“Hey, hey…”

Ayano whispered softly in his ear.

As he raised his face, lured by her comfortable breath, he found her at a distance so close that they would touch if the wind blew. Whether it was from her shampoo or something else, the fresh scent of pears tickled his nostrils, making his heart leap.

“Uh…oh…”

A sound, more than a voice, leaked from his throat. She was even more beautiful up close than when he looked at her from afar.

Her long eyelashes framed her blue eyes, which blinked.

He hadn’t noticed at school since she always kept her face down, but she had a mole near the corner of her eye.

“It was floral, wasn’t it?”

Ayano grinned mischievously.

Kyosuke deduced that she was probably talking about the pattern on the blond guy’s underwear. He hadn’t seen it, but judging from Ayano’s tone, it must have been quite tacky.

“Thank you.”

She gently patted Kyosuke’s head with a blush on her healthy-colored cheeks, then turned around, saying, “I have to do my daily duties,” and showed her back.

“See you later, Fujimura.”

With those words, Ayano ran off.

Still holding his nose, Kyosuke stared at her retreating figure.

“…She remembered my name.”

Feeling a warmth inside him, he quietly whispered.

No, that wasn’t the issue. The fact that he had helped her in some way, and she recognized him erased his guilt towards the blond-haired guy. However, now he might be approached at school, and his quiet days could be shattered.

“What should I do…”

It might be just an overestimation of himself, but…

The life of an extrovert was unknown to him. He couldn’t predict what they would do. While hoping that it would all turn out to be unnecessary worry, Kyosuke inwardly held his head in his hands.