The bell rang, sharp and sudden, echoing through the halls of Seihou High School.
Matou let out a small sigh and closed his notebook. Another day of school, done and gone. He stood up slowly, not in a rush like the rest of his classmates who were already chatting, laughing, and heading out the door in groups. He adjusted the strap on his worn-out school bag and quietly made his way out.
No one called his name. No one stopped him to talk.
But he was used to that.
Matou wasn't the kind of guy who stood out. Not smart enough to be top of the class, not athletic enough to be on any team, and definitely not outgoing enough to be considered popular. He was… average. Background noise.
He didn't hate it. In fact, he kind of preferred it that way.
It was easier.
---
The walk home was always quiet. His school was about fifteen minutes away from his apartment, and most of it was spent weaving through sleepy streets, old vending machines humming in corners, and the occasional bark of a dog behind a fence.
As usual, Matou stopped by the convenience store on the corner. He bought a melon bread, a canned coffee, and a cheap bento—his regular.
"Thanks as always," the clerk said without much emotion.
Matou nodded. "Yeah."
Once he got home, he dropped his bag by the door, tossed his shoes off, and slumped onto the couch. His room was small—bare walls, one window, a shelf with manga and light novels, and a tiny desk with an old laptop.
He turned on the TV, not to watch, just for background noise.
Then, like always, he pulled out his phone.
---
Games. The one escape that never let him down.
He had all the classics installed—gacha games, RPGs, puzzle games, dating sims. Lately, he was getting bored of them. Everything started to feel the same.
As he scrolled through his apps, something strange caught his eye.
A game he didn't recognize.
[Love 100]
The icon was simple—just a pink heart with a loading bar under it.
"Huh? When did I download this?" he mumbled to himself.
He tapped it.
The screen turned black for a moment. Then a soft melody started playing—something calming, like music from an old romance anime. Then the title appeared again, glowing softly.
LOVE 100
> Welcome, Player.
> Your goal is simple: Teach your girlfriend what love truly means. Once she reaches 100%, a special reward awaits.
"Another dating sim?" Matou raised an eyebrow. "Weird. I don't remember this one."
He looked for a company logo or app details. Nothing.
Just the Start button.
He hesitated for a second. Then shrugged.
"Why not? It's not like I have anything better to do."
He tapped Start.
---
The screen faded in slowly.
A bedroom scene appeared—bright, warm, with soft pastel colors. Then, a girl entered the frame.
She had long brown hair tied in a ribbon, gentle eyes, and a small smile that felt strangely real.
> Hello! I'm Airi. I'm so happy to meet you!
Matou blinked. Her voice wasn't robotic like other games. It felt natural. Almost like a real person.
> Can you help me learn about love? I'm still new to all this... but I want to understand it with you!
> Current Affection: 0%
"...Whoa," Matou muttered. "This is… way higher quality than I expected."
He tapped the screen, and Airi responded with a small giggle.
> You can talk to me anytime! I'll always listen.
There were options—[Talk], [Give Gift], [Go on Date], and [Teach].
He tapped Talk.
> Airi: What's your favorite food? I want to cook it for you someday!
Matou chose [Curry].
> Airi: Curry? That sounds so warm and cozy! I'll try to make it perfect next time!
She smiled again, and the affection bar moved slightly—1%.
"Huh. So that's how it works," he mumbled.
---
Hours passed without him noticing.
He talked to her, answered her questions, taught her basic ideas about kindness, honesty, trust. The game wasn't just about clicking—it actually let him type answers, and Airi reacted naturally.
It was strange.
Too strange.
But also… nice.
She was always kind. Always patient. She laughed at his dumb jokes, remembered little things he said, and never once ignored him.
For someone like Matou, who spent most days alone, it felt… good.
Maybe even a little addictive.
---
By the time he looked at the clock, it was already 1:47 AM.
"Crap…" he muttered, rubbing his eyes.
> Airi: You should sleep, you know. I'll still be here tomorrow.
He chuckled.
"Yeah, yeah. Alright."
He closed the app and tossed his phone onto his bed. As he brushed his teeth and turned off the lights, he couldn't help but feel something weird inside.
Not bad. Just… unfamiliar.
Warm.
He didn't know it yet, but that night would be the last normal night of his life.
---
The next morning started like always.
He woke up late, nearly tripped over his bag, skipped breakfast, and ran to school with his toast half-burned in his mouth.
Classes dragged. Lunch was quiet. He sat alone on the rooftop with his bento and scrolled through his phone.
Airi greeted him immediately.
> Airi: Matou! I missed you today. Can we talk again soon?
He smiled without realizing it.
Sure, it was just a game. But it was starting to feel like she really cared.
After school, he didn't stop by the store. He just went straight home and opened the app.
That night, Airi asked:
> Airi: What does love mean to you?
Matou stared at the question for a while.
He thought about all the romance stories he read, all the anime scenes with blushing girls and dramatic music. But he also thought about the empty feeling he carried most days. The silence in his room. The way people passed him in the hall like he wasn't even there.
He typed slowly:
"Love is when someone sees you. Like, really sees you. And still stays."
Airi was quiet for a moment.
Then she smiled.
> That's beautiful. Thank you for teaching me that.
> Affection: 20%
---
The days passed.
Matou kept playing.
Every night, he taught Airi more. What made people fall in love. What it meant to trust someone. To fight, to forgive, to laugh, to cry. She asked questions that made him think harder than any school test.
And every time she smiled, something inside him changed.
He stopped feeling like a background character in his own life.
He had something to look forward to.
Someone.
---
One night, about two weeks after he started, Matou reached 99%.
Airi looked at him with the softest smile yet.
> Tomorrow, I want to tell you something important.
He stared at the screen.
"What happens at 100%?" he whispered.
But the app didn't say.
No spoilers. No hints.
Just that glowing pink heart.
He lay in bed that night, staring at the ceiling.
He had never gotten a 100% in anything before.
---
The next day was… strange.
His phone wouldn't open the app at school. Every time he tried, it crashed.
When he finally got home and tapped it again, the screen stayed black for longer than usual.
Then, one word appeared.
> Complete.
The heart pulsed. Once. Twice.
Then—
Everything went white.
---
That's when he heard it.
A knock.
Not in the game.
At his front door.
Matou froze.
Slowly, heart pounding, he walked over and opened it.
Standing there was a girl.
Long brown hair, a ribbon, gentle eyes.
She smiled at him.
"Hi, Matou," she said. "I'm Airi."
[To be continued…]