Chapter 0 – Prologue

The period of second year in high school.

Could it not be considered the most fitting time to embody what we call youth?

It’s the point when one has grown accustomed to high school life and starts to take on a central role in activities like clubs. While exams and other major tests may linger in the distance, they haven’t yet come into full focus.

Truly, it’s a time where one can wholeheartedly embrace and enjoy daily life to the fullest.

And during such a time, what tends to occupy the minds of students most?  

“Hey, Satoru. Have you heard?”

“Huh? About what?”

Under the unusually harsh UV rays of April, Satoru Takashima sipped on a vegetable juice while half-listening to his friend Nishino Seiya’s words on the rooftop.

“You know that Narimiya girl who was in the same class as us during the first year?”

“Oh yeah, I remember. Didn’t she start chatting with us more around the third semester?”

“Exactly. Well, guess what… She’s into you.”

“…Is that so?”

“Hey, that reaction is way too lukewarm! Narimiya is pretty cute, you know?”

“Yeah, I guess she is.”

It was the kind of thing you hear often—stories about who likes who. But when you become the subject of such gossip, it’s only natural to feel a bit flustered.

Especially when the person in question is a cute girl, admired by other boys.  

The girl named Narimiya, the one mentioned above, was undoubtedly one such girl—bright, lively, and undeniably charming. Satoru had even heard rumors about boys in her class having crushes on her.

Yet, despite this, Satoru responded with an air of indifference, as if it didn’t concern him at all.

“Come on, at least act more interested! You’re not into her or something?”

“Well… I don’t know.”

“…Ah, whatever. Honestly, your lukewarm reactions whenever it comes to romance are so you. But still, don’t you think more girls have started paying attention to you lately? I mean, stuff like this, or girls trying to approach you—it’s clearly been happening more often.”

“Yeah, even I’ve noticed. Back in the beginning of first year, I was the ultimate introvert. I didn’t even have girls talking to me. Do you think I’ve really changed that much?”

When Satoru posed the question, Seiya rubbed his chin and began examining Satoru’s face from different angles, as if deep in thought.  

Even though they were friends, the act was unsettling enough to creep Satoru out. Before he could voice his discomfort, though, Seiya gave his answer.

“Since we’re talking about it, I’ll be honest—you’ve changed a ridiculous amount. Your looks, like your hairstyle, are one thing, but it’s your whole vibe. You don’t seem like just a regular introvert anymore.”

“What’s with the ‘just a regular introvert’ thing? Are there advanced versions or something?”

“No, no, that’s not what I mean. It’s more like… You don’t talk much, which hasn’t changed, but there’s this… ‘good kind of cool’ atmosphere about you now. I don’t even know how to say it, but that’s how it feels.”

It was true that, compared to the beginning of first year, Satoru’s hairstyle and outward appearance had changed somewhat. However, he himself didn’t feel any inner change like the one Seiya described.

He thought he had been living his life the same way as always.

“If you’ve changed this much, there’s no way it wasn’t triggered by something, right?”

“Well, that’s…”

Seiya pressed him for an answer. Satoru, caught off guard, pulled his lips from the straw of his vegetable juice carton and hesitated.

“Fuu….”

At that moment, the sound of someone exhaling drew their attention.  

A girl emerged onto the rooftop through the door leading from the school building, letting out a small sigh as she stepped outside.

Her long, straight black hair, neatly styled, swayed in the rooftop breeze. Her well-defined features and elegant figure were stunning enough to make even Satoru and Seiya, who were used to seeing her, momentarily taken aback.

“Ha-Hatsune-san!?” Seiya called out instinctively.

“Ara, are you two having lunch here together?”  

Noticing Seiya’s loud exclamation, the girl turned toward them and began walking in their direction.

Her name was Reika Hatsune. She was a girl in the same class as Satoru and Seiya, and one of the most prominent figures in their year.  

She was widely admired, often considered the most beautiful girl in their grade—or perhaps even in the entire school. Her popularity among the boys was unparalleled.

With her calm demeanor, exceptional grades, and striking looks, she seemed like the very embodiment of the phrase “beauty and brains.”

Despite her cool and composed way of speaking, she had a surprisingly approachable side, able to converse smoothly and amicably with anyone.

This made many boys think, Maybe there’s a chance, and she received no shortage of confessions and invites.  

However, none of those attempts had ever succeeded so far.

And with just a single phrase, “Not interested,” she always responded.  

If that were all, it wouldn’t be so bad.  

However, that standard response often came packaged with an additional phrase: “in you.” A lethal combination that cut deeper than necessary.  

Since she was someone who could engage smoothly with anyone—even boys—during normal interactions, her final, stabbing rejections carried even more sting.  

Perhaps for that reason, while the number of boys attempting to approach her had decreased significantly compared to their first year, there were still some who dared to try.  

“S-So, yeah. This guy isn’t really into noisy places. Right, Satoru?”  

“…?”  

“H-Hey! Satoru!”  

“Huh? Oh, yeah. That’s right.”  

Distracted by her presence, Satoru realized too late that Seiya had directed the conversation to him, and he gave a somewhat half-hearted reply.  

Noticing Satoru’s reaction, Seiya’s face suddenly lit up as if he had figured something out.  

“Wait, don’t tell me… you’re interested in Hatsune-san?”  

“What?”  

“Don’t play dumb! You’ve been staring at her with that dreamy look in your eyes! I get it now—so that’s why you’ve been changing. You like Hatsune-san and have been working on yourself for her, haven’t you?”  

“I-I…”  

“Don’t even bother denying it! That explains why you’re not interested in Narimiya or any of the other girls!”  

“W-Wait! Let me—”  

“Now that we know, there’s no way I’m letting this chance slip by! Sure, it might be like chasing the clouds, but as your friend, I have to support you. Go for it, man!”  

“H-Hey!”  

Ignoring Satoru’s protests, Seiya got to his feet.  

“You two, I just remembered I’ve got something to take care of! I’ll head back first. You should stick around here for a bit longer!”  

With that, he briskly left the rooftop, leaving Satoru and Reika alone together.  

“…Shall we continue our conversation, as he suggested?”  

“…Fine, but stay far enough away so the door and shadows hide us. Who knows if he’s pretending to leave and planning to eavesdrop.”  

“Heh, you’re so cautious.”  

Satoru had meant his comment seriously, but to her, it seemed more amusing than anything else.  

“Whose fault do you think it is that I have to be so cautious…?”  

“Ara, I’ve told you before, haven’t I? ‘I don’t care about anything.’”  

“Then fine—let’s say I’m the only one bothered here.”  

“Oh really?”  

Reika covered her mouth and chuckled lightly at Satoru’s words.  

Soon enough, they moved to a position further from the door and out of sight, just as he suggested.  

“I’ve heard some rumors,” she began. “Apparently, you’ve been getting pretty popular lately.”  

“…So I hear.”  

“Fufu, does it make you happy?”  

“To be honest, I don’t really know. I’m not even aware of it most of the time.”  

“You’re certainly honest. I thought you’d at least retaliate with, ‘Yeah, it makes me happy,’ just to spite me.”  

“Even if I said that, I wouldn’t win against you anyway.”  

“Oh dear. I may have claimed you as my man, but I wasn’t trying to train you into submission, you know?”  

“Same difference…”  

“Hmm, could that be your subtle way of taking a jab at me?”  

“Sure, let’s go with that…”  

“Fufu, you’re adorable.”  

After just a short exchange, she’d already set the pace of the conversation.  

“But, I wonder what they’d think.”  

“What do you mean?”  

“Those girls who’ve fallen for you—what would they think if they knew their crush had already had his body and heart taken by another girl?”  

As she spoke, she leaned in closer, lightly grazing her hand against his chest.  

Satoru knew all too well what she was implying. After all, this wasn’t the first time she’d eaten him.  

“S-Stop it! At least not here! What if Seiya comes back and sees this?!” 

“Oh my, didn’t I already say? ‘I don’t care about anything.’”  

“…”  

“So, if you think this situation is dangerous, your only option is to push me away and run.”  

Her words were true. She had no intention of stopping. If he wanted to escape, he would have to take the initiative.  

But if he were capable of doing that, he wouldn’t have ended up in this position in the first place.  

Hesitation left him frozen, and in that brief moment, she closed the distance between them, pressing her lips against his.  

How did things even end up this way?  

It all began simply because he happened to meet her earlier than everyone else.  

From that point on, the events that followed gradually warped their relationship into something far from ordinary.  

But even if he regretted it, it was too late now.  

No, perhaps he didn’t regret it at all.  

Though undeniably dangerous, this connection was intoxicatingly sweet for someone who had once been a mere “mob character.”  

And no matter how hard he tried, there was no way out of it anymore. 

(TL: Moshi Moshi, Shinigami-san desu~ I hope everyone doing well. I picked this up cause of the heroine. I really like her. I excited to see her jealous or yan side. Hope you guys like this)