Rooftop - Midday,
Shirakawa Shiroha, having only had a single bread with milk for breakfast, climbed the narrow steps to the school rooftop as she doesn't not have anything better to do.
The sun hung bright and warm above, casting a gentle glow across the concrete expanse.
The wind rustled lightly through her long, snow-white hair.
She was not alone—
A familiar male figure already stood there, looking down at the schoolyard below.
Short brown hair, a strikingly handsome face, standing around 1.8 meters tall—the perfect height for a high school boy.
Oga Haruto, ace of Sobu High School's baseball team, her classmate, exuding the confidence of a natural athlete.
He turned at her arrival, arms casually folded over his chest, eyes lighting up like the morning sun itself.
"You called me?" She asked, his tone blunt.
Shiroha's gaze assessed him coldly. Height? Good enough. Build? Athletic. Face? Above average. Overall? 8 out of ten—purely as a classmate, of course.
In her mind, this was strictly the score for being classmates at Sobu High, nothing more.
Hearing her soft, almost dreamy tone, Oga quickly turned around, excitement sparking in his eyes.
"Shirakawa-san… I'm Oga Haruto. Just call me Oga," he said, smiling his signature, radiant smile. It was the kind of smile that could make a room light up. A smile that had gained him countless fans among the girls of the school.
Shiroha, however, remained unimpressed. That grin, though sunny and dazzling to most, felt entirely hollow to her.
"I know you. Haruto-san, a second-year, ace of the baseball team…" she said flatly, almost reciting facts rather than expressing interest.
At this, Oga smile widened, almost painfully bright. As he pretend to not notice her way of addressing him.
Truthfully, he had harbored a soft spot for a "big sister" type figure in junior high, but she had left without a trace, no contact info exchanged. That absence had left a small, hollow ache in him.
But yesterday, seeing Shiroha, he felt a strange déjà vu—the same gentle aura, the same elegance. It reminded him of that long-lost admiration, and his heart started racing.
"That… gentle personality," he murmured under his breath. 'It's like her…'
He had done some stalkin—Ahem detective work yesterday after school—following her discreetly to learn where she kept her indoor shoes—and, after gaining her address, had secretly place a love letter.
"You read the letter, Shirakawa-san?" he asked eagerly, stepping closer, eyes sparkling.
Shiroha instinctively took a few steps back, maintaining her composure, but he didn't seem to notice or he deliberately ignore it. He leaned forward with sincere affection.
"I like you, Shirakawa-san! Please… be my girlfriend! I promise I'll treat you well!" His voice was earnest, full of youthful intensity.
Most girls would melt at such sincerity. Most girls, yes—but Shiroha was not most girls.
"Sounds… really good," she replied flatly, her tone calm but carrying an edge.
Haruto heart leapt. Ecstasy threatened to crack his wide grin.
Finally, some positive response!
But then Shiroha continued, her words cutting like cold steel:
"However… I refuse."
"…Huh?"
"I said, I am not interested."
Her words were precise, almost surgical in their bluntness.
He froze, utterly confused.
This was not the reaction he had prepared for. Hadn't she seemed gentle with everyone? Was she so cold? Was someone else controlling her body?
A faint trace of indignation flashed in his eyes. Shiroha, for her part, exuded a cold, detached aura, one that made Oga enthusiasm falter just a little.
"…Forget it, Haruto-san. I don't want to date or fall in love in high school," she said finally, her voice returning to its usual flatness.
"But—but—" Sun stammered, desperation creeping into his tone. His eyes narrowed, longing flashing through them. "I really… like you, Shirakawa-san."
(Note: Shirakawa is her first name and shiroha is her family name)
He let his voice rise, calling her by a name reserved for those who were closest.
Shiroha's eyes flickered, her usual gentle demeanor fading. For a brief moment, the sharpness in her gaze made it clear: she wasn't playing around.
"Are you foolish, classmate?" she said, her voice laced with a venomous edge. "I told you, if I don't want to fall in love, I don't want to fall in love. Why do you have to pester me? Is your brain underdeveloped or something?"
Oga's expression twisted, caught somewhere between shock and disbelief.
This was… the same Shirakawa-san who treated everyone kindly? Surely this has to some sought of mistake.
A trace of disgust flickered across his eyes, for a moment.
But before she could turn to leave the rooftop, hurried footsteps echoed behind her.
TAP-TAP-TAP.
Oga lunged forward, attempting to block her path, trying to wrap his arms around her. "Wait! Just hear me out!"
Shiroha's body tensed, but her reflexes weren't fast enough to dodge. Just as he moved to hold her closer— a pair of strong, pale hands suddenly intercepted him and push him back.
"Oh? As soon as I arrive, someone's already trying to harass my cute student?"
Gojo Satoru stood there, tall and commanding, his pale blue eyes narrowing slightly. His presence alone radiated authority and danger, the kind that made ordinary teenagers flinch.
Shiroha's face lit up with relief, her heart soaring. She had never expected that Gojo-sensei would appear just in time.
Her thoughts raced—Oga Haruto, forcing her to stay against her will… disgusting.
Haruto collapsed backward with a grunt of pain, his attempt thwarted by Gojo's intervention.
"Sensei… I just… I just wanted to pursue Shirakawa-san," he protested, rubbing his chest where Gojo had lightly shoved him. "I like her… I really really like her…"
Gojo's gaze didn't waver. "I don't want to listen. I am too lazy to hear excuses. Step aside."
Haruto's protests died in his throat.
Despite his reluctance, he bit his lip, staring at Shiroha with longing before retreating to the edge of the rooftop.
Downstairs, he muttered under his breath as he left: "It is all because of him… if only he weren't here!"
Even as the words left him, a twinge of unease stirred inside.
In the exorcist world, the darkness one harbors can attract Kegare (Filth) into the soul—a dangerous truth Haruto had learned only yesterday.
Shiroha watched quietly as Oga Haruto disappeared from their view. The wind brushed her hair, her pulse slowly returning to normal.
Gojo's eyes flicked toward the corridor where Haruto had vanished, a hint of sharp amusement in his pale blue eyes.
"Hmm… that kid? He's still learning, I guess," Gojo murmured softly, shaking his head.
Shiroha let out a small, relieved sigh.
The sun continued to shine, and the breeze felt unusually pleasant, carrying away the tension that had just occur before.
The day stretched ahead, but for now, she felt a strange sense of satisfaction.
Gojo-sensei had shown up just in time, not only protecting her but also teaching Haruto a quiet, unforgettable lesson about boundaries.
And though she rarely admitted it aloud, Shiroha felt the faintest warmth toward the teacher who always seemed to appear at exactly the right time.
Above the city, the rooftop remained calm, a brief peace amidst the chaos of high school life and supernatural shadows that lurked just beyond sight.
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