I woke up with a splitting headache and a face full of grass.
"Ugh… what the…?" I muttered, pushing myself up. My arms felt weirdly weak, and my surroundings were definitely not my room. I was in the middle of a school courtyard, students in neat uniforms bustling around me.
Wait.
I recognized this place.
"No way… this is…"
Sakurazaka High. The school from Blooming Hearts, the super popular school-life romance anime I binge-watched last month. My eyes widened as I looked around, spotting familiar buildings and even more familiar faces.
And that's when it hit me.
I had reincarnated.
Not just into the anime world, but as an extra side character. Isagi Kawaguchi. The same Isagi Kawaguchi who had a total screen time of five seconds in Episode 3, delivering a single line: "Sensei's coming!"
I wanted to cry.
But then, I saw her.
May Minase. The perfect girl. Beautiful, kind, talented — and the reason I fell for this anime in the first place. My heart thumped as I watched her laughing with her friends, looking radiant and happy. But then I remembered the plot.
In the anime, despite all her efforts to stay independent, May eventually became part of the protagonist Rin Kazuki's harem. Rin — the ultimate Mr. Perfect. Handsome, brilliant, athletic, and the school's top scorer.
But not this time.
This time, I, Isagi Kawaguchi, wouldn't stay an extra. This time, I'd change my fate. I'd fix my biggest regret from my past life — wasting my youth studying and being a total introvert.
I was going to win May's heart.
Even if it meant going head-to-head with the ultimate protagonist.
—
The first class of the day was English, and I was determined to start making my mark. I slid into my seat and found myself next to a laid-back, sharp-eyed guy with messy black hair.
"Yo. You're new, right?" he asked, grinning.
"Not exactly… I'm Isagi," I said, trying to stay cool.
"I'm Kaito. Let me guess, you're gonna go after May too?"
"W-What?! How did you—"
"Dude, half the guys in this class want May. You've got competition."
My eyes flicked over to May, who was helping a classmate with their notes. A literal angel.
"I'm serious about this," I said.
Kaito raised an eyebrow. "Well, good luck with that. Especially since you're up against him."
That's when the classroom door slid open, and the room fell into a hush.
Rin Kazuki walked in.
The dude was practically sparkling. His presence alone was like stepping into a spotlight. Girls sighed dreamily. Guys glared jealously.
And of course, his eyes fell right on May.
My future rival had entered the scene.
—
After class, I decided to go big. If I wanted to stand out, I needed to stop being a background character.
So I did what any sane person would do.
I joined the Student Council.
"Welcome, welcome!" The president, a hyperactive girl named Saki, practically bounced with excitement. "We could always use more help! Especially with the Cultural Festival coming up!"
Perfect. A chance to shine.
And that's when May walked into the room.
"Oh! You joined too?" she asked, smiling.
I nearly died.
"Y-Yeah! I thought… you know… it'd be fun?"
"Great! Let's work hard together!"
She beamed, and my heart soared.
But my victory was short-lived.
Because Rin Kazuki stepped in right after her.
And so the battle for May Minase began.
To be continued…