Today, as usual, the weather was clear but carried a slight chill that hinted at the coming change of seasons.Ren Kuroda (ML) arrived at the high school he had joined only three months ago. The clock showed 7:40 AM—five minutes before the school gates officially opened at 7:45.
While most students entered in groups, laughing and chatting with easy familiarity, Ren walked alone, his face blank and unreadable. It was as if his thoughts were locked away in a place no one else could reach.
Just before he stepped inside, a stunning girl, renowned throughout the school for her beauty, passed by. Almost every student's gaze was fixed on her, yet Ren didn't even glance—he treated her like she wasn't there.
It wasn't coldness or rudeness; rather, it was the barrier he built around himself. Because of his personal reasons, Ren avoided deep interaction with others.He was a student of class 1F—Year 1, Class F—in a grade divided into ten classes.
Upon entering, the classroom was already alive with students clustered into groups or absorbed in their own worlds. They briefly noticed him, then returned to their conversations as if he were just background noise.Without a word, Ren moved silently to his desk near the back of the room by the window, a quiet observer rather than a participant.
Just before homeroom began:"Hey, isn't that…?""Yeah, it's her.""Another confession? Could be interesting. Let's watch!""Count me in."
The boys pressed close to the window facing the hallway, whispering eagerly, while a few girls also watched with quiet interest.Ren's eyes flicked briefly to the scene. A beautiful girl, calm and poised, faced a boy unfamiliar to her.
This was a classic confession scene: the girl summoned to a specific spot to hear the feelings of someone who admired her.Such scenes were common, as Reika Tachibana(FL) was one of the four legendary beauties of Shirakawa High School. Almost daily, boys poured out their hearts to her—but none had won her favor.
The boys found thrill in the spectacle, expecting yet another rejection. Their amusement was tinged with a tiny, almost imperceptible hope (0.00001%) that this time, things might be different. The confessor was a notable figure himself—the rising star of the football club.The girls watched with different eyes—some to admire Reika's graceful refusals, others intrigued by the well-known suitor's courage.
Ren muttered under his breath, "What a drag…" but his words dissolved in the noise of the room, unheard by anyone.
He returned his gaze to the window, his thoughts elsewhere as homeroom began.Reika glanced briefly at him, but what she saw was a mystery, unreadable like the rest of him.
Ren wasn't interested in the lessons and instead stared out the window, lost in thought. Teachers occasionally prodded him about his inattention, but he answered when spoken to, frustrating their attempts to engage him. The class ignored him entirely.
At recess, Ren sought refuge on the school rooftop, where he lay down for a silent nap.
Suddenly, a loud commotion pulled him from rest. Looking down from above, he saw a crowd gathering by an ancient neem tree at the school's northern end. This tree was one of the "7 Legends" of the school, said to grant a 99.01% success rate to those who confessed beneath its branches.
Reika Tachibana stood there, serene and composed.Her presence was magnetic—elegant, academically brilliant, artistically gifted, and a natural leader.She had grown accustomed to the ritual since the beginning of high school, waiting quietly for her suitor.
A boy appeared—a first-year student, slightly handsome and the up-and-coming ace of the football club. He had chosen this legendary spot, hoping to bend fate to his will.
"Umm, Reika-san…" (Haruki Takeda)"Yes?" (Reika)"I've liked you since the first time I saw you. Will you go out with me?" (Haruki)
A hush fell over the crowd.
After a pause:"No. I can't go out with you." (Reika)"Why not?" (Haruki)
"Because I don't really know you." (Reika) spoke calmly, like stating a simple fact.
"Do you have a boyfriend?" (Haruki)"No." (Reika)
"But… can't you just give me a chance? We can start by getting to know each other.""No. I don't think it will work. Let's end this here. Thank you for your time." (Reika)
Reika was painfully honest—she refused to give false hope.(Ren, watching silently from the rooftop, felt something stir inside him—mesmerized despite himself.)
"Hahaha…" (boys' crowd)Laughter erupted, partly out of relief and partly at the misfortune of a rival who was still more popular than most of them.Some boys watched silently, nursing their own secret hopes.
"Sigh…" (girls' crowd)Some girls felt sympathy for Haruki, while others saw Reika as cold and unapproachable.
Ren's eyes remained blank, absorbing the scene without judgment.
After a moment:"If you're done, I'm leaving. Thanks." (Reika)
She turned to leave.
"Why you bitch?! Why didn't you accept me? Why me?!" (Haruki Takeda)
Suddenly, his face twisted in anger and something dark began to gather around him—black-blue fumes flickered like sinister flames, spreading from his body as if fueled by the crowd's energy.
"This is…" (Reika & Ren)
Both sensed that something unnatural was about to unfold.
To be continued in Chapter 3…