Please Do Not Say “I Love You” To Me - 2 - Normal Morning

“What the hell was that?”

I rise from my bed, disturbed by the intense dream I just experienced. A dream? Shiori dying inside my dream—it’s surreal. It felt too vivid, too real.

“It feels way too… real… to be a dream.”

While some believe dreams carry meanings, there’s little scientific evidence to support specific interpretations. Yet, the weight of what I’ve dreamt lingers.

“Nah, I’m sure it’s just a dream. I’ll just forget it.”

Whether this dream hold significance or not, everything within them remains unreal—they’re dreams.

Checking the clock on my bedside table, it reads 6:51 AM, December 15, Friday.

“Ah, that’s right. It’s our last school day today before winter vacation.”

It’s also the day our previous test results will be handed back. I hope I didn’t fail any subjects.

I rise, head to the bathroom for a quick wash, change into our standard school uniform, and proceed to the dining room for breakfast.

“Ah, Big Bro, good morning. You’re early today.”

The one calling out is my sister, Ishikawa Mayu, a 1st Year high school student. She has brownish-colored hair, similar to mine. A bit shorter at around 150cm, she’s also quite popular in school. Many from other sections are curious about her, but I’ve always shooed them away. We both attend the same school.

“Ah yeah, woke up from a really weird dream, and I can’t go back to sleep.”

“Is that so? It must’ve been bad for you to wake up this early.”

“Yeah, but it’s just a dream anyway, so not a big deal.”

We finish breakfast, prepared by my sister, and make our way to school. Mom has already left for her hospital job, working the “graveyard shift.” Dad is on a business trip but will thankfully be back before Christmas.

I ride my bike with my sister seated behind me.

“You okay back there?” I inquire.

“Yeah, I’m good” she replies, wrapping her hands around my stomach.

Our school, Genius Academy, is your typical institution. The only reason me and my sister pick this school is it’s not that really far from our home, about a 10-minute bike ride away.

As we approach, the road becomes crowded with students heading to the Academy. I drop my sister off at the side road and park my bike in the designated area. She mentions seeing a friend and decides to disembark.

I proceed to my classroom, greeted by the bustling and lively sounds within. Ignoring the commotion, I head to my seat, conveniently next to the window. Sitting here makes me feel like the protagonist of some story.

I check the seat to my right, hoping it’s not empty. Unfortunately, it is.

“Student Council duties, perhaps. Sigh.”

“Why the long face?” a voice sounds behind me. I turn to find one of my close friends, Sato Kenji. He sports spiky blond hair and a face that wouldn’t be out of place in a male magazine—undoubtedly good-looking, and quite popular with the girls.

“Nah. Just thinking about the most awaited break starting tomorrow.” I replied, not telling what I had in my mind in reality.

“I bet you’re planning to spend the entire week playing PC and console games.”

“Bingo.”

“I’m not surprised.”

Kenji is friendly not only with the guys in our class but across other classes too. For some reason, he often interacts with me, but I don’t really mind.

“If you’re up for it, we could play CSSTOP again. I’ll, of course, carry you like always.” I told him.

“Says the guy with 5 deaths in the early games.”

“What— I just didn’t have an AWP at that time. Even though you’re the richest every game, you won’t share.”

“That’s because you always die, and we end up losing more money.”

“But we still win. That’s the point of the game.”

We occasionally team up online with some of our male classmates. It’s a lively gaming session with plenty of noise in the mic. Sometimes, your eardrums might suffer, but that’s the fun of the game: enjoying yourself and avoiding a quick demise.

“Well, I’m free tonight, so we could play with the boys. Hey, guys, up for another CSSTOP game?” Kenji calls out to the group.

“Sure, why not?”

“I’m free tonight, count me in.”

“Ooohh nice! It’s been a while since we played together.”

“If Hiroki’s not playing, I’m in.”

“Yeah, keep that guy away from the game.”

“Hey! That’s rude!”

The guys Kenji summoned are getting excited. Looks like I’m in for a late night.

Amid our lively conversation with the guys, a figure approaches me—specifically, a female figure. She’s the one who sits beside me, my neighbor.

“Ah, good morning, Kawamoto-san.”

Kawamoto Shiori, a 2nd-year high school student and my classmate. She flaunts a medium-length silver-colored hair that gleams in every angle, complemented by cerulean blue eyes—a perfect match for her hair. Her facial features are strikingly beautiful, but don’t be deceived; she can be quite intimidating. Additionally, she’s one of the popular girls in our class, so popular that I’ve heard stories from my close friend Kenji about her rejecting all kinds of guys, whether loners or popular ones. She’s earned the nickname “Ice Queen” due to her cold, harsh, and unforgiving personality. Press F to pay respects to our fallen comrades.

“You’re here, Hiroki-kun. Good timing. Come with me” she says, pulling me outside the classroom without explaining why.

“Ehh? Ehhh???”

“So, my job is to arrange these papers in alphabetical order? Is that it?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Then why is there a mountain pile of papers if that’s the case?”

Here I am, being dragged by the Ice Queen to the Student Council office. In front of me is a stackpile of papers that when assembled, forms into a white clear mountain, and that scares me. Oh, right, I forgot to mention that she’s the Student Council President—more responsibilities and more paperwork for her, I guess.

“Can I skip this one Kawamoto-san? Classes will start in a few minutes.”

“I asked for Higashi-sensei’s permission to take you here.”

He’s our homeroom teacher, by the way. Damn you, teacher.

“But I have a gaming sess—”

“I already texted them.”

“Do I even get—”

“You’ll get paid.”

Damn. The last part is tempting.

“Alright fine. I give up. The usual as always, right?”

“Yep. Make it three cans of MaxCoffee this time, Hiroki-kun.”

“Sighs, it’s gonna be a long day.” I said so as I prepare myself to go outside from the Student Council office to get some MaxCoffee. That’s her partner-in-crime whenever she starts working. You could say she loves to work, a workaholic.

Now, in case you’re wondering how in the world I got to know the Ice Queen and how I tied into these kinds of circumstances, allow me to tell you a little tale about how we first met.