**Chapter 1: Prologue**
**Third Person PoV**
It was the last day of summer vacation, and Issei Hyoudou stood at the edge of a quiet beach, the waves lazily crashed against the sand.
Issei couldn't help but smile, the soft breeze ruffled his hair. It was a perfect day, the sun was hanging low in the sky, and its rays casted a golden glow over everything.
The boy had spent the last month away from Kuoh, on vacation with his parents in a small coastal town.
The time away from school had been a welcome respite, giving him a break from the usual restless work of daily life. But there was another reason this vacation had been special, her.
Her name was Akari, and she was a local girl, a resident of this coastal town. Issei had met her early on his vacation when he was exploring the beach, hoping to find some way to pass the time.
Akari had been walking with a group of her friends, and after a casual conversation about the beach, they hit it off.
Over the past month, they had spent nearly every day together, walking along the shore, grabbing ice cream, and watching the sunset.
Unlike the girls back home, who often mocked him for his "harem" fantasies, Akari didn't judge him. She'd laugh at his silly dreams with an amused smile, but she never once made him feel like a pervert.
She had listened to his stories and seemed to genuinely enjoy his company. Issei, desperate for any attention from a girl who didn't ridicule him, had quickly grown attached.
And today, he was going to confess.
Today was the day he would finally tell Akari how he felt.
He had planned it all out. The words, the timing, the location—everything was perfect. This was the moment. He thought she might feel the same way, especially given how close they had become.
With his heart racing and palms sweating, Issei walked towards her, who was sitting at the edge of the water, her back towards him.
The wind teased her long hair gently, and for a moment, she looked almost ethereal. His chest swelled with anticipation.
"Akari."
He said softly, walking up to her. She turned, her face glowing up when she saw him.
"Hey, Issei!"
She greeted him with a smile, but there was something in her eyes that seemed a little off, a flicker of uncertainty arose in his mind.
He felt his heart thump faster, hoping it wasn't nerves. This was it. This was the moment. He stepped forward, taking a deep breath, he felt energetic.
"I—I've been wanting to tell you something."
He began, his voice cracking slightly.
"Akari, I really like you. A lot. I think… I think we have something special. You make me feel like maybe I could actually be something—like my dreams could come true. I want to be with you. You're amazing, and I—"
But before he could finish, she cut him off, standing up abruptly and taking a few steps back.
"Oh, Issei…"
Her voice wasn't angry, but there was a certain coldness that made his stomach twist, but maybe he was just imagining it. He was pretty nervous.
"I really need to tell you something too."
Her eyes glanced over to her friends who had been lounging nearby, watching the scene unfold with interest.
Issei felt his chest tighten. The flicker of uncertainty became a steady flame in his chest.
'No, no, this wasn't how it was supposed to go…'
She smiled, but it wasn't the warm smile he had grown to adore. This one was different, almost as though she were humoring him.
"You really thought you had a chance with me, huh?"
She said, the words slipping off her tongue as if they were casual. Issei blinked, taken aback by the sudden shift in tone.
"What…?"
He asked, his voice faltering. The ground beneath him seemed to shift, but he couldn't figure out what was happening. He was beginning to feel nauseous.
Akari's smile widened, but it wasn't the smile he had come to expect. This one was cruel, almost evil. She turned and looked back at her friends, who were now snickering and whispering to each other.
"Let me tell you something, Issei."
She began, her voice louder now, making sure her friends heard every word.
"I wasn't interested in you, not even for a second. I just thought it was funny to let you follow me around, listening to your stupid stories about your 'harem'."
His face went pale.
"What?"
He asked, barely able to form the words.
"You're just like every other guy with a stupid, pervy fantasy."
Akari continued, her voice mocking.
"You thought you were special, that I'd actually fall for you? Please."
She laughed, the sound harsh against the soft crash of the waves.
The laughter of her friends joined in, loud and unmistakable.
"What a loser."
One of her friends called out.
"He really thought a girl like Akari would go for someone like him."
Another girl giggled,
"He's probably daydreaming about all the girls he thinks will fall for his 'charm.' How sad."
Issei's hands trembled as the sting of humiliation washed over him. He wanted to say something, defend himself, but the words wouldn't come.
He could feel the world spin in his vision.
His chest felt tight like something was suffocating him. His mind raced, trying to process what was happening.
Akari's eyes were sharp, and she didn't even look at him as she spoke, directing everything toward her friends.
"Honestly, Issei, I was just bored. You were easy to manipulate, a perfect little toy to mess with."
She turned her back to him, walking toward her group of friends, who were all still laughing, watching him fall apart.
His heart hammered in his chest. He couldn't breathe. The words were like a heavy weight on his chest, each syllable pressing down harder than the last.
'No. This can't be real. She can't be serious. She wasn't just messing with me... she's been laughing at me all this time?'
Issei could feel the blood drain from his face, his limbs suddenly felt heavy.
He thought of all the time he had spent with her—the walks on the beach, the conversations about his dreams, her laughter at his ridiculous fantasies—and it all felt so empty now.
But the cruelest thing was that it wasn't just Akari who was mocking him. Her friends joined in, each one taking turns to heap scorn on him.
"Maybe you should just stick to your fantasies,"
Akari called over her shoulder.
"Because that's all you'll ever have."
Her friends shared the sentiment, jeering and laughing as they began to walk away. The sound of their laughter followed him, ringing in his ears like a sickening reminder of how truly foolish he had been.
They didn't even wait for him to respond, they didn't care.
Issei could barely make himself move. He stood there, frozen in place, as the pain of rejection and humiliation washed over him in waves.
His vision blurred with the sting of tears that threatened to spill, but he held them back. He wouldn't let them see him cry. He wouldn't give them that satisfaction.
They were gone now, walking up the beach toward the gathering of other tourists and locals.
Akari had been the last to glance back at him, and she was gone too, vanishing in the crowd. But the damage was done. Issei had been exposed for the fool he was.
His breath came in short, shallow gasps. The dream he'd built up in his head—of becoming the Harem King, of being admired by beautiful girls—had all been a lie.
He wasn't charming. He wasn't special. To Akari, he had been nothing more than a game. A joke.
Issei turned his gaze to the horizon, where the sun was beginning to dip below the horizon.
The world seemed so much colder now, the colors had vanished, and all that remained was the dull and monotonous gray. His stomach twisted, and he felt a knot tighten in his chest.
"I've been living a fantasy…"
The thought lingered in his mind, repeating itself over and over. He had built his entire identity around a dream of being someone important, someone special.
But now he realized just how far he was from that ideal. His fantasies had made him weak. Pathetic.
As he made his way back to the resort, he tried to gather his thoughts, but it was hard to focus. The laughter. The mocking voices.
They echoed in his mind with every step. When he finally reached his room, he collapsed onto the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling.
"Why was I so foolish?"
That night, the silence in the room felt suffocating. The emptiness inside him was overwhelming, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't shake the feeling that everything he had worked toward—every step he had taken toward his dream—had been meaningless.
He wasn't even worthy of his own fantasy.
Issei Hyoudou got the first rejection of his life, and that was one too many.
---
The following morning, Issei stood at the window, looking out at the ocean once more, the sunlight casting long shadows across the beach.
His parents were busy packing for their return trip, but he couldn't bring himself to care about anything.
He wanted to be someone different. He had to change.
His dreams of being a Harem King, of having all the girls fall for him, now seemed childish, and naive.
If he wanted anything in life, if he wanted to make his fantasies real, he would have to fight for it. He couldn't be the same person he was before.
Issei turned away from the window, determination setting in.
'This was it. The moment he would change.'
When he returned to Kuoh, he would be a different person. He would become stronger, and more confident. Someone who could stand on his own.
No more fantasies. No more pretending. He would earn everything he wanted. By his own hard work.
…
The very next morning, Issei went up to his father and asked. The family of three was back in their home, in Kuoh.
"Dad, I want to join a boxing class."
Issei said to his father at breakfast. His father coughed a bit and had to drink some water.
"W-why the sudden interest, Issei?"
But before the brown-headed boy could answer, a kick impacted the head of the family below the table.
"Yeah you can, Issei!"
His mother said cheerfully to him. She looked a bit suspicious but Issei didn't care and went to eat his breakfast.
Summer Vacation wouldn't be over until the day after tomorrow, so Issei went to his room and began to clean it.
He threw away the useless stuff, the corn mags, aside from a select few, and tidied his bed.
He then put up a chart on the wall and wrote a few tasks on it.
The chart would help him remember his daily goals. He also gave away any games he had, only keeping one or two for some entertainment.
He put all his anime figures in a box and put them in the attic, while the Dragon So Ball figure remained in his room.
He then took a quick shower and then began to do push-ups.
"One, Two, Three…"
Issei Hyoudou will not stop until he gets what he wants.
…
Five Years Later
**Issei PoV**
Finally, today's school ended, I was getting tormented by it for far too long for my liking.
Well, I had known in the first month of my new resolution that I wasn't the brightest when it came to studying.
I need to go to my Boxing practice and then to the Gym. Joining the gym after two years of training at home was quite a fresh change.
Brisk walking to school used to be somewhat tiring but now it isn't even a warm-up.
Reaching home I kept my bag, ate the food my mother had kept, changed my clothes, and went out for my practice.
It's been five years since I began my practice, and I am proud to finally be good at it.
I even want to try to go pro after high school. My trainer was very optimistic about my chances.
Aside from boxing, I had learned some chokes and kicking techniques for variety. It may come in handy in street fights or if I want to go into MMA.
I am a horrible Out-Boxer, but I am equally good or even better at the other styles like swarmer, slugger, counterpuncher, or even switch hitter.
It was extremely hard for me to become fluent in using my non-dominant arm but my hard work was rewarded.
My footwork is decent, I need to work primarily on it to go pro. My dodging is better than my footwork but worse than my attack so I only need to work on it alternatively.
I entered the boxing gym and went to work. A bit more till I could achieve my goals.
…
I was drenched in sweat, practice was generally like this. I still needed to take a small snack, a bath, and go to the gym.
On my way back, I intended to watch the sunset, as I rarely get to watch it, as practice generally lasts longer than today.
I stood on the edge of the bridge, the soothing breeze evaporating the sweat making me feel cool.
The sun was going down the horizon, and at that moment, I was approached by a girl.
She looked small, which school is she from? I haven't seen that uniform from around here.
Her school uniform consisted of a dark red jacket with the letter "P" embroidered in gold, a white undershirt, a red bow, and a green skirt with a thin white stripe around the lower end.
She had a blush on her cheeks and said shyly.
"Ano, are you Hyoudou Issei-kun?"
Is she talking to me? Well, it is my name.
"Yes, do you need anything?"
"Um, are you seeing anyone right now?"
Well, I could simply say no, but it brings up bad memories so let's be clever.
"Yeah, I mean I am seeing a lot. The bridge, the sun, you, the sky, and many more."
She giggled hearing that, am I suddenly good with the fairer sex?
"You are funny, Hyoudou-kun, I mean romantically."
She takes a joke well, sorry but this is too suspicious, a busty, cute high schooler suddenly asks me out? No way, this must be a trap.
"No, I am not, but you would be disappointed, I am not interested in starting a high school romance just yet."
Ending this right now is the best.
"Is that so, then? Um, can we just go on a date? Maybe you can change your mind after it!"
She sure is persuasive, well let's see how good I actually am with girls.
"Fine, you get one chance, Sunday, 2 pm, near the plaza."
"Thank you, I won't let this chance get away!"
She bowed and then ran away, like a clumsy girl. Wait, I didn't ask from which school she was.
Well, whatever, I will ask on Sunday.
…
**Third Person PoV**
Issei walked back to his home but failed to notice a white-haired little girl, who was licking her ice cream while spying on him.
"As expected, Rias-Buchou was correct."
She muttered quietly and walked away.
…
AN:- Here's the first chapter. More to come today, around five. Write them reviews. Also, there is a poll on my other two fics, so check them out.
Campione is in first right now.