Outside the Principal's Office. Rei Ayanagi sits silently, staring at the floor tiles with a lifeless expression — like his world just ended.
Students pass by, and the echo of their voices rings in his ears.
But he doesn't move. He just sits there, hollow, thinking…
"How could this happen to me? Why me? Why me...?"
Time passed by him like running water. Rei Ayanagi found himself on the school terrace, crying, shouting at a girl from a distance while his friend held him back, stopping him from rushing forward.
"JUST WHAT DO YOU THINK I AM?!
WHAT DO YOU EVEN KNOW ABOUT ME?!"
As Rei Ayanagi continued, his voice broke, sobbing, struggling to speak. The girl stepped back, trying to take it all in, but she couldn't. Rei Ayanagi finally held himself up, and with a final scream, he said.
"I WILL ACHIEVE EVERYTHING—YOU HEAR ME!!!"
Memories of the past—every smile, pain, betrayal, and forbidden feeling—crossed his mind. And to understand how things got this far, we need to go back—five years into the past, when Rei Ayanagi was just 14 years old.
"I was rushing to the washroom when I saw her… She was chatting with her friends."
He recalled everything that had happened to him. When he was rushing to the washroom during the break. And when he crossed a turn, he felt something. Like fate was telling him to look back, and he did. When he turned his head, he saw.
A short-haired girl looked down while her friend chatted beside her. Even with no expression on her face, those charming eyes and the faint blush on her cheeks made her look even cuter.
"And for five whole seconds... the world stopped.
All I could see was her — that adorably cute baby face.
How can someone this cute exist?"
At that moment, he had two choices:
Option A: Go talk to her.
Option B: Go to the washroom.
What did he choose?
He chose the washroom. But when he came back... She was gone. He checked every other class section — still no sign of her.
"If she's not in any of the other sections...
Then she must be either older or younger than me."
He slowly walked past each lower class, peeking inside every time and getting the attention of a few students in the process. Eventually, he found her—in Class 5th, one grade lower than him. She was sitting backward on the bench, listening to her friends. He thought....
When I saw her, I grabbed her hand and said— "Will you marry me?"
THAT NEVER HAPPENED, YOU IDIOT.
You're going off-script.
I was just messing around, okay?! I'm not foolish enough to do something like that.
If I talk to her now, she'll probably tell the teacher.
Or worse... what if she calls me "brother"?
Yeah. Friendzone is painful. But brother zone? That's straight-up hell.
And that's why he told himself
"Now's not the right time."
Rei Ayanagi moved back to his class, but he was not really planning to give up. For now, at least, he was on hold.
Later that night at Rei's house, while Rei was lost in thought, writing about his crush, his mom, Sae Ayanagi, called out to him for dinner.
"REI!! It's dinner time!"
"Coming mom! Just a second"
As Rei walked downstairs...
Suddenly, the doorbell rang. He stopped.
It can't be anyone else at this hour… Enemy alert.
He closed his eyes and prayed that his fears wouldn't come true. But fate wasn't on his side.
"It's Yuzuki."
Sae Ayanagi said out loud. And as soon as he heard her name, he knew the night would not be a peaceful one.
Why is she here?
Rei slowly moved toward the front door, where he found Yuzuki Arata wearing a hat and a backpack on her shoulder.
Meet Yuzuki Arata — Rei's childhood crush who once rejected him. But after that, she started bullying him.
Sae Ayanagi looked at Rei and smiled while saying.
"Her mom already told me. She'll be spending the night here.
Her parents have some work to take care of"
Sae Ayanagi sharped her eyes and shift the tone before continuing.
"REI! You better not cause her any trouble, okay?"
Rei look at Yuzuki Arata and thought.
She is the definition of trouble.
Yuzuki Arata looked at Sae Ayanagi and said with low voice and regretful face.
"No, he didn't do anything wrong that day."
"Aww~ You should be ashamed, Rei!"
Rei was quietly seeing all this without saying anything. Sae Ayanagi moved toward Rei, waiting for a response.
It's pointless trying to explain to Mom now...
"I'll behave, Mom."
He said it with quite tone. She seems to be satisfied and said.
"Good. He will not bother you."
Yuzuki turned toward Rei, then slowly walked toward the living room while Rei's eyes followed her. Many things crossed his mind.
Just last week, she brought over cookies she made herself. She even made a separate batch just for me.
I thought it was cute… until I tasted one. No sugar. Burnt. Like edible punishment. I told her — politely — and she said some very mean things…
Then she started crying. And thanks to that, I had to eat every single one of those rock-flavored cookies.
You've… tasted rocks before?
Rei Ayanagi:
"No! I mean — the taste was that bad!"
Hm hm. Wait, did only your set tasted like that?
Rei Ayanagi:
"Yes! Exactly! I even forgot why I liked her."
Anyways, back to the story. As Yuzuki made herself comfortable on the sofa, Rei was overthinking a bit.
What are you planning now, Yuzu…
They didn't talk much, and time passed by. This time, Yuzuki didn't seem to care about Rei, or at least for now.
Late at night, Rei was fully awake, staring at the ceiling. Yuzuki was peacefully asleep in Rei's bed while Rei lay on a futon with less space than usual. He was not happy with this agreement, but he didn't have a choice.
Why is she getting princess treatment in my house?
I knew something like this would happen...
He quietly sat up and glanced over at her sleeping face. She was cuddling the pillow with her mouth slightly open. One strap of her top had fallen from her shoulder. When Rei looked at her, he remembered the reason why he liked her.
Aww… she actually looks kind of cute when she's asleep.
Wait—what am I thinking?! She's a monster hiding behind that cute face!
If she had said yes that day, she wouldn't have become my wife… she would've become my husband or something!
Rei imagines a bizarre, childlike version of their future together, drawn in colorful crayon visuals.Yuzuki barges in, wearing a wrinkled business suit, clearly drunk. Yuzuki said with slurring voice.
"REEEEI! Where's the food?!"
Rei come out of the kitchen wearing an apron with a worried expression.
"It's almost ready! Just give me a second!"
Yuzuki crashes down into the dining chair and takes a bite of the food. Her expression twists into rage.
"What is this crap?! You call this food?!"
Yuzuki furious while Rei trying, nervously sweating the moment
"W-We'll have hotpot next time… I promise."
Yuzuki slams the dinning table with her hands before gets up. Half drunk, half angry
"Hotpot, my ass! I have to eat this garbage now?!
Ugh. Anyway, where's our kid?!"
Rei trying to force a smile before continuing.
"He's sleeping…"
For few seconds there was silence. Then she burst into anger.
"Then YOU go sleep in the garden! That's your punishment!..... Ugh Goodnight!"
She slams the door on Rei's face, leaving him speechless in the hallway.
Rei slapped himself to bring by mind back to Reality – Rei clutches his head and sighs dramatically.
No… no…
I need to sleep before I lose my mind.
He lies back down on the floor, pulling his blanket over his head, trying to erase the nightmare of his own imagination.