End of August.
A gray, cool aura lingered among the lonely leaves and weeds.
A girl sat in a pavilion in the park, reading a book with one hand.
She was completely different from how she usually appeared online; at this moment, she seemed quiet and intellectual.
A white headband, long black hair, and red eyes like a rare Bordeaux wine collected in a grand estate.
It was intoxicatingly beautiful.
She crossed her left leg over her right.
Her long, slender black-silked thighs pressed against each other.
Her plump leg flesh seemed to flow outward like squeezed marshmallow.
Since the first year, she had never lost her place as the top student in the school—a prodigy.
The unattainable flower admired by all students at her school—Utaha Kasumigaoka.
The easiest place for a person to get lost isn't a vast jungle, but a bustling crowd.
From childhood, no one had ever caught Utaha Kasumigaoka's attention.
To those who approached her merely for her looks, she could, in minutes, crush them with ruthless words, leaving them utterly humiliated.
The body will eventually decay; only the mind and soul endure forever.
She did not acknowledge superficial affection.
Utaha sometimes felt lonely, realizing that the people around her thought completely differently from she did.
Occasionally in her dreams, she imagined herself standing alone on a mountain peak.
Ahead, a bottomless cliff, and on the cliffside, a wildflower bloomed alone, breaking through the rocks.
Sometimes she wanted to take a step forward to touch that flower but vaguely heard someone calling her name from behind.
Looking back, there was only the roaring, relentless mountain wind.
For more than a decade, she had lived like this, in a world that belonged only to herself.
Just when she thought her life would be spent growing old amidst solitude,
A light novel opened the door to her inner world.
Though filled entirely with lies, the novel allowed her to feel the truest resonance of the soul.
It was a bittersweet story of a boy and girl growing together, saving each other.
"Spring is about to come. The spring that made us meet is about to come. The spring without you is about to come."
Whenever she thought of this line, Utaha couldn't help but shed tears.
From the moment she finished that book, she became a devoted fan of the author, Ryou-sensei.
In school, Utaha treated everyone plainly, without affectation.
Online, she acted like a little fangirl, sending messages to Ryou daily.
Closing the book, Utaha let out a soft sigh, her wine-red eyes reflecting a faint sense of loss.
"Ah, unfortunately… compared to 'Sword Art Online,' I still prefer works like 'Your Lies in April.'"
This signed copy of Sword Art Online Volume 2 was something she had queued overnight at the bookstore to buy.
Over ten days ago, she had received her first reply from Ryou-sensei online.
She had hoped for a new work, but this book wasn't really her taste; she bought it just for collection purposes.
She put the book down, opened a package of cookies on the bench.
Then holding a piece of cookie, she parted her red lips and extended her delicate, pink tongue.
Crunch.
Half the cookie was bitten, the remaining half still bore her teeth marks.
After finishing her snack, Utaha gazed at the distant sky.
She didn't like cloudy days; the gray sky felt like blurred eyes, always revealing only confusion.
Stretching her arms and enjoying a leisurely yawn, her fully developed figure, far beyond her age, was fully revealed in the empty pavilion.
"Time to go home. I hope Ryou-sensei's next book is a delicate, emotionally nuanced work like 'Your Lies in April.'"
Utaha Kasumigaoka stood alone on the train platform.
She faintly heard a crisp, clear voice like a yellow oriole.
But the speaker was complaining all the while.
"Ryousuke, what do you mean by Machida? I drew exactly what the fairy asked for. What do you mean it's too risqué to be an illustration? The fairy's previous book illustrations were far more daring than mine!"
Eriri, wearing black leather shoes, clicked her way along the ground.
Hands on her hips, she walked angrily beside Ryousuke Hiratsuka, venting all her frustrations.
"Ah!"
Eriri suddenly shouted.
She hadn't noticed the road ahead and collided into something soft, then instantly bounced back.
The stranger she hit only stepped back two paces and didn't fall.
Ryousuke Hiratsuka reacted quickly, steadying Eriri before she could fall.
Though warm and soft in his arms, Ryousuke had little thought for Eriri's body.
He tapped her on the head and quickly scolded: "I told you to watch where you're going. Why are you always so careless? Go apologize!"
Eriri rubbed the spot where she was hit, realized she had bumped into someone, and immediately bowed her head apologetically.
"I'm very sorry! Excuse me for bumping into you."
Utaha Kasumigaoka, steadying herself, first glanced at her hands.
Seeing that the signed book was still there, she breathed a quiet sigh of relief.
"It's okay," Utaha waved lightly and replied calmly.
The other party's apology was sincere, and since it was a small girl, Utaha decided not to make an issue.
Utaha turned to glance at the boy beside her, feeling his voice was somehow familiar.
She searched her memory but realized she had never met him before.
Finally, she shook her head, giving up the thought.
Probably a hallucination from staying up all night in line yesterday.
Having been forgiven, Eriri lifted her head, her blue eyes meeting the black-haired girl across from her.
Utaha Kasumigaoka happened to look at Eriri at the same time.
Their eyes met—blue clarity and deep wine-red—and for an instant, a strange illusion struck both of them.
It felt like they had returned to a Taiga drama set in the Bakumatsu era.
The sun setting, autumn wind whistling, the two standing in an open field, swords drawn against each other.
One word arose simultaneously in their minds—rivals.
They didn't understand why, despite meeting for the first time, they felt this strange sensation.
"Eh? Kato, what a coincidence, you're here too."
With Ryousuke Hiratsuka's shout, the two girls returned from that subtle state to reality.
"Mm, quite a coincidence, Hiratsuka-kun." Kato Megumi turned, smiling slightly.
Having been long ignored, Megumi had grown accustomed to it inwardly.
Though she sometimes felt sad when people said she had low presence, she didn't know why.
But Hiratsuka-kun noticed me again… that's kind of nice.
"It's Megumi! Long time no see~" Eriri ran up smiling, greeting her.
The reason was simple: previously, her mother had tutored her, and young Eriri realized just how many competitors she had.
For the ultimate victory, she intended to follow her mother's advice and gather every possible ally.