I Was Falsely Confessed to and Exposed in Front of Everyone, so I Jumped off the Roof - Chapter 1

The girl who once lied to me with a fake confession is now singing and dancing at the center of the stage.

She’s Japan’s number one idol now and was holding her very own concert in this giant dome.

““““Rui! Rui! Rui! Rui!””””

Her stage name is her real first name, written in cute hiragana letters. But I know the truth. She may look like a pure and long-haired beauty, but she’s no angel spreading smiles.

“Everyone! Thank you so much! I could only make it this far because of all of you!”

She forms a heart with her hands, showing off her cute charm. Everyone in the dome is completely captivated. No, they were enchanted. She has overwhelming charisma. She used to be part of a big idol group, but even among them, her beauty, singing voice, and expressiveness stood out. And she ran all the way to the top of the entertainment world. Once, for a short while, she was the girl beside me. Now, no matter how far I reach, I can’t touch her anymore.

“But… there’s something I need to apologize for.”

Suddenly, Ruika smiles sadly. The crowd stirs in confusion.

“This last song has never been released before. I saved it for today. Not for all of you… but for you.”

Who is she talking about? A quiet and solemn intro begins. It’s heavy and cold. It was nothing like a typical idol song. But the atmosphere in the dome changes completely. No, it’s she who changes it. Her expression is sorrowful yet delicate, ethereal yet strong, her sweet voice filling the space.

Goodbye, me.

The me who only cared about appearances.

The me who chased the spotlight and blocked out the light of others.

Goodbye, me.

The me full of mistakes and empty showmanship.

The me covered in layers of makeup and memories.

I’m sorry. For making you cry.

I can’t stay by your side anymore.

It hurts. To be close, and yet only hold what’s left of you.

Everyone listened and was lost in her voice. But for me, her song only brings back memories of the past. Her stage slowly rises higher into the air. And when I look up, our eyes meet. Just like that day. The day I jumped from the rooftop.

♢ ♢ ♢

They say there are a few times in life when you suddenly become popular. Right now, there’s a really pretty girl standing in front of me who is fidgeting nervously. Her name is Shibuki Ruika. She has blonde hair and that flashy gal look that honestly feels a little intimidating.

“I like you, Amaha. Go out with me.”

We’d barely talked before. She’s one of the top girls in class. The leader of the popular group. And I’m not even part of the lowest group. Just… alone. So what am I supposed to do in a situation like this? I want to say yes, but if I answer too fast, will she think I’m desperate or creepy?

“Uh, ah, y-yes. Please take care of me.”

I end up bowing like I’m in some kind of formal meeting. It’s so awkward, I want to make a joke about it to myself. But Ruika just gives a small laugh.

“Are you nervous? That’s kind of cute. Please take care of me, too.”

And just like that, we started dating.

♢ ♢ ♢

I don’t think life is that interesting. Nothing exciting ever really happens. Today, I went to karaoke with the usual group from class. We sang random songs, wasting our youth together like always. In our group, all the other girls have boyfriends from the same circle. The only ones not dating anyone are me and our leader, Watajima. Though he’s different. He already has an ex-girlfriend.

Lately, I feel like everyone’s trying to set me up with him. He’s kind of good-looking, and he’s decent at soccer too… But he doesn’t honestly make my heart skip a beat.

As I sing, adding useless vibrato to my voice, I think about how meaningless it all feels. Maybe he’d be fine as a first boyfriend, but is that really what love is supposed to be?

“Ruika! We decided on the punishment game!”

“Huh? Punishment game? What did I even do?”

“We decided that this time, the person with the highest score gets punished!”

So they’re clearly targeting me. Even though I know I’m the best singer in the group. Looks like I’ve been chosen for the punishment.

“Do I have to treat everyone to food or something?”

“That’s not a punishment! Ruika’s punishment is a fake confession!”

Mirika laughs as she shows me her phone. On the screen is a secretly taken photo of a boy. A really good-looking one. Pale skin, soft features… almost too perfect.

“This guy! His name’s Amaha Jose! He’s in our class. He’s always alone, so he’s perfect for this! You’re gonna fake-confess to him and prank him! Fun, right!?”

Mirika laughs out loud.

“His name’s Jose? That’s hilarious.”

Still, his name kind of fits him. It sounds pretty, like his face. Jose. Jose-kun?

“Right? Such a weird and flashy name! I wanna meet his parents! Anyway, since he’s a total loner, he’ll definitely say yes if you confess. Then we’ll give you a bunch of missions to do!”

“Don’t make me do anything too crazy.”

“Relax! We won’t go that far. Besides, you’ll actually be his girlfriend for a little while! That’s a reward for him, not a prank! Ahaha!”

I shrug.

“If you ever get uncomfortable, just say so. I’ll take care of it.”

Watajima placed a hand on my shoulder. But I doubt it’ll come to that. It’s just something to kill time, after all.