Late in the afternoon, the sun covered the university courtyard in a warm, golden-red color. The wind blew softly in the background, yet to me, the world felt utterly silent.
My right hand tightened into a fist at my side. I could feel my heartbeat pounding in my ears, louder than my own breathing.
"Aoi-san…" I began, my voice barely a whisper. She turned toward me, her curious eyes catching my expression.
"I…" My throat tightened, but I pushed the words out. "I'm in love with you. Please… go out with me."
I kept my head bowed, unable to look at her face, afraid of what expression I might see. The atmosphere between us was heavy, each second stretching into eternity.
For a few more minutes, there was nothing. No reply, no movement, just the sound of the wind and my own unsteady breathing.
Then… footsteps.
She came closer, each step making my chest tighten. My fingers curled even harder, my nails digging into my sweaty palms. Still, I couldn't lift my head.
"Hey…" Her voice was gentle, almost teasing. "Why aren't you looking at me?"
I swallowed hard. "Because… I'm scared."
A small laugh escaped her lips, and then, warmth. Her fingers brushed against mine, tentative but real.
When I finally looked up, her eyes were more watery than I had ever seen them, and the corners of her lips curved into a small smile.
"You're such an idiot," she said, shaking her head slightly. "But…" She paused, just long enough to make my heart nearly stop. "…I like you too."
For a second, I actually forgot how to breathe. Her words replayed in my head again and again. "I like you too."
"…Y-you do?" My voice cracked, embarrassing me instantly.
Her cheeks reddened, but she didn't look away. "Don't make me repeat it, okay?"
She then let go of my hand. My heart dropped for a second, but then I noticed her reaching into her pink bag.
From inside, she pulled out her phone, a red and blue iPhone 16. She held it out to me with a little smile.
"Here," she said casually, though the bright red blush on her cheeks betrayed her attempt to act calm. "Give me your phone number. Since we're going to be dating, I should have it."
My brain short-circuited. Dating… we're actually… dating?!
I fumbled to pull out my own phone, my hands trembling more than I wanted to admit. "R-right. Of course. Here, let me…"
She giggled at my clumsiness as I typed in the numbers, my fingers slipping once and forcing me to backspace. When I finally handed her phone back, she tapped the screen, then tilted it toward me.
"See? Saved under 'My boyfriend.'"
The words hit me like a school bus. My entire face went completely red. "B-boyfriend?! Y-you didn't have to save it like that right away!"
Her grin widened. "Why not? It's true, isn't it?"
I covered my face with my hands, groaning in embarrassment while she laughed softly beside me.
Just as I was about to say something else, her phone rang. She glanced at the screen, and her expression quickly changed.
"Ah, sorry, I need to take this." She stepped a little away, holding the phone to her ear, her voice dropping lower as she spoke.
I waited patiently, pretending not to overhear, my heart still racing from everything that had just happened. A few minutes later, she returned, slipping the phone back into her bag.
"Sorry about that," she said with an apologetic smile. "I've got to run to my history class now. I'll see you later, okay?"
She gave me a quick wave before turning down the path leading away from the courtyard, her figure slowly disappearing into the street.
And just like that, I was left standing there, still trying to process the fact that I had actually confessed… and she had said yes.
I'm sure you're wondering how all this happened, how someone like me ended up in a situation like this.
Well… let me explain.
My name is Yuto Sato. I'm twenty years old. And yes… I'm still a virgin.
That's right. A 20-year-old virgin.
It all started with a stupid game I played with my friends. We were messing around, and I ended up losing a bet. My punishment? To "rizz up" the most beautiful and popular girl in our university, Aoi-suzuki.
To be honest, I thought it would be impossible. I mean, me? Of all people? But to my shock… she actually liked me back.
Crazy, right? A nobody like me, a 20-year-old virgin, actually managed to make the goddess of our campus smile.
I thought I was the luckiest guy alive.
Or at least… that's what I believed back then.
[Breaking News Broadcast]
"Good evening. We interrupt this program to bring you urgent news from Shibuya.
Just hours ago, chaos erupted in the heart of the city when a homeless man was seen violently attacking a high school student in broad daylight. Witnesses report that the man appeared 'unnaturally aggressive,' ignoring attempts to restrain him and even biting the student's hand during the struggle.
Thankfully, nearby security personnel managed to intervene quickly. The attacker was subdued and pinned down until law enforcement arrived on the scene. The injured student has been taken to the hospital for immediate treatment.
At this time, officials have not released details on the attacker's condition, though bystanders described his behavior as 'feral' and 'inhuman.' Authorities urge the public to remain calm as investigations are underway."
[End]
Yuto pushed open the door to his university dorm room. With a heavy and tired sigh, he let his bag slip from his shoulder and drop to the floor.
The TV was already on, filling the room with the voice of a news anchor. Her voice was serious, words like "attack," "bitten," and "inhuman behavior" echoing faintly in the background.
For a moment, Yuto's eyes lingered on the TV screen. The shaky footage replayed, showing the unhinged homeless man thrashing wildly as a security guard forced him down. It was unsettling, almost like an animal.
"…Weird," Yuto muttered under his breath.
But the words of the news couldn't pierce through the warmth in his chest. He was still grinning like an idiot, a moron, replaying Aoi-san's words in his head. "Since we're going to be dating…"
He shook his head, brushing the scene on TV aside. No way was he going to let some random, creepy guy from the news ruin this mood.
Flopping down onto his bed, he pulled out his phone and stared at the new contact glowing on the screen. My Girlfriend. Just seeing it made his heart race all over again.
"The world could fall apart outside for all I cared," he murmured before resting his face deep into his pillow.