Evening, After School
The classroom was quiet, a breeze rustling the curtains as blood-red sunset light bathed the delicate profile of a girl.
No one else was around—just Kurashiki Rena, twirling her blonde hair, and her friend—or maybe minion—Hisagi Arisa.
"Huh?" Rena looked up, pale green eyes scanning the gloomy boy with bangs hiding his face. "Who're you?"
"I-I'm Kobayashi Satoru, from Class F. A-At the start of the term, we met… Y-You helped me pick up my reference book when I dropped it…" The boy fumbled, hands flailing faster than his words. "W-We've met…"
Arisa tilted her head. "Rena, that happen?"
Rena shook her head. "Nope. Zero memory."
"B-But…" His hands gestured wildly. "Only you helped me, Kurashiki-san. You were so kind… I thought…"
"Kind?" Rena seemed to struggle with the word. She flicked a strand of hair, scoffing. "If it happened, I was probably bored."
The boy froze, struck by lightning. "B-But…"
He stammered, desperate to say more.
Rena's nose wrinkled, her snowy chin lifting. "So, what's your point? Say it here. No reason to talk alone, right?"
"Haha, he's nervous," Arisa said, elbow on the desk, cheek in hand, watching the squirming boy like a show.
Arisa, with black hair and light makeup, fell in the "plain-to-pretty" range—nowhere near Rena's dazzle.
But to a boy unused to girls, her teasing gaze was electric.
"I-I…" The boy swallowed hard.
Under Arisa's amused stare and Rena's icy one, he mustered all his strength, bowing deeply. "I-I like you, Kurashiki-san! Please go out with me!!"
"Huh?"
Rena's tone was surprised, but her face stayed calm. She waved dismissively. "Got it. You can leave."
The boy froze. "But—"
Her answer? There had to be one—rejection or acceptance, right?
Arisa snickered. "Wow, zero experience, huh? Rena's answer's clear. She said leave. In other words… 'Scram.' Is 'scram' an answer?"
The boy's heart shattered. Arisa sighed. "Guys these days… If a girl says 'no,' they think 'no means yes.' Saying 'scram' is way clearer, right, Rena?"
Rena frowned, ignoring Arisa, and asked the boy, "You think you're worthy of me?"
Thud!
The black history hit Satoru like a truck, his head slamming onto his desk.
"W-What's wrong?!" Anji grabbed him. "You don't have to hurt yourself over a breakup!!"
"Nah, I'm fine."
Satoru lifted his head, forehead steaming, face calm.
This was Kobayashi Satoru's dark past, not his problem… Still, as an outsider, it was painfully cringe.
It started when Kobayashi dropped his reference books after bumping into a wall.
Rena, passing by, picked them up, saying, "Watch where you're going." That sparked an obsession—"She helped me when no one else did. Does she like me?"
One of life's great delusions.
Smitten, misled, and itching, Kobayashi steeled himself for days before confessing.
Satoru recalled a quote: "I hate kind girls. A word, a greeting, and I'm hooked. A few messages, my heart races. If she called, I'd smile at the call log. But her kindness isn't just for me—it's for everyone. I almost forgot that."
Rena wasn't even kind. She was just in a good mood that day, doing a random good deed.
But her unkindness made Kobayashi think he was special, leading to his doomed step.
Then, brutally rejected, his dao heart shattered, followed by three sleepless nights.
Satoru half-suspected those nights killed Kobayashi, letting him transmigrate.
"You don't look fine…" Anji fretted.
"I'm good," Satoru said.
Worthy or not, it wasn't his issue now.
Yamamoto, eavesdropping, froze.
Class rumors about Kobayashi liking Rena were just gossip—no one cared much. He was gloomy, she was a star; it wasn't surprising.
But to confess and get rejected?
Yamamoto eyed Satoru.
Satoru toyed with a 500-yen coin, flicking it up, catching it, flicking again.
Yamamoto grinned cruelly. This intel's gold. Kobayashi, my money's not that easy to take!
…
Before Dismissal
Self-study in Class F was getting rowdy.
"Kobayashi, heading to kendo club?" Anji asked.
"…Yeah, might as well," Satoru said. He had no plans and could check on Kase Masafumi's progress.
"Damn, I'm walking home alone!" Anji fake-cried. "A wall's grown between us…"
Satoru's verdict: What a moron.
"Oh, by the way," Anji added, "that Alpaca Princess novel you're reading? Saw its anime BD next to the manga shop…"
"!!"
Satoru stood, reverent.
…
…