Prologue
“Kuroyuki-san, I love you! Will you go out with me!?”
“Sorry, I’m not interested in dating anyone.”
The sight of a tall, handsome guy—renowned as the school’s heartthrob—getting rejected by an otherworldly beautiful girl who outshone even his presence.
Countless eyes watched the scene unfold.
“Whoa!? Even Hatori-senpai, the basketball team captain who’s crazy popular with girls, got shot down…!”
“If even that senpai can’t make it, who the heck can she date!?”
“Seriously, how many guys does that make now!?”
By now, it had become a regular spectacle—the confession theater behind the school building. The school’s most popular girl, Kuroyuki Misaki, was the target of yet another guy’s heartfelt confession. Despite countless guys pouring their hearts out, every single one had been turned away.
You’d think they’d just give up already, but… the title of the school’s most popular girl wasn’t just for show. Kuroyuki Misaki was so breathtakingly gorgeous and adorable that anyone who passed her couldn’t help but do a double-take. Rumor has it that during a middle school trip to Tokyo, she was scouted left and right by idol and modeling agencies. Apparently, some agencies still reach out to her, but Kuroyuki keeps turning them down.
And it’s not just her looks—her personality is amazing too. She’s bright, kind to everyone, and gets along with guys and girls alike without any barriers. A girl like that? There’s no way she wouldn’t be insanely popular.
“Who could date her? No, the real answer is nobody can.”
I—Shirai Raito—called out to my classmates who were gawking at Kuroyuki and the others from the window. Kuroyuki clearly said she’s not interested in dating anyone. Why can’t people just take her at her word? Holding onto faint hopes like that is just setting yourself up for disappointment.
“…Ugh, Shirai again? Nobody was talking to you.”
“Yeah, exactly! Butt out of our conversation!”
“Guys like you who never hang out aren’t welcome here!”
Apparently, they didn’t appreciate me chiming in, and a barrage of insults came flying my way in no time. Guess I’m not exactly well-liked around here. I’ve been kind of a loner since freshman year, and I’ve got a sharp tongue, so it’s not like I don’t get why.
“Alright, alright.”
Arguing would only fan the flames, so I brushed it off casually and decided to head home.
As I made my way to the shoe lockers—
“Haa…”
There was Kuroyuki, letting out a sigh as she changed her shoes. She was probably about to head back to the classroom to grab her bag.
“Looks tough, huh?”
“Oh, Shirai-kun. Heading home already?”
She noticed me when I spoke, and though she looked exhausted, she flashed a warm smile. Her tired expression vanished in an instant.
“Yeah, got some stuff I need to take care of.”
“Got it. Be safe, okay?”
“You too, Kuroyuki-san.”
We’re in the same class, so we have these kinds of harmless, surface-level chats sometimes, but we’re not close enough to dive into anything deeper. She didn’t seem to want me to bring up the sigh, so I didn’t say anything more and left the shoe lockers behind.
Under normal circumstances, someone as popular as her and a loner like me—polar opposites in every way—would never have any reason to get close. We’d probably just graduate without ever crossing paths in any meaningful way. At least, that’s what I thought back then.
And yet, the idea that fate would play a prank on me—that we would end up as a couple? Back then, I didn’t have the slightest clue.
