The Beautiful Girl I Accidentally Helped Who Has Somehow Become Attached To Me. - Chapter 1: A Loner Saves A Beautiful Girl.

A Loner Saves A Beautiful Girl.

The chime announcing the end of fourth period and the start of lunch break rings out.

Those who manage to survive the class while fighting off drowsiness and hunger gather with friends to prepare for lunch, beginning to savor their brief moment of relaxation.

Among them, I rummage through my school bag hanging beside my desk, pull out a plastic bag, and quickly slip out of the classroom, heading toward a certain destination.

My destination is a bench behind the school building.

It’s where I’ll enjoy my “solo lunch.”

Despite having only been in high school for two weeks, there’s a reason why I’ve started spending my lunch breaks this way.

I missed the entrance ceremony because of a cold, followed by another three days of absence.

When I finally returned to school, I was met with “Who are you?” stares from my classmates.

And three days was more than enough time for groups to form.

In short, my high school debut was a complete failure.

I had planned to make friends and live a lively high school life, but I stumbled right from the start.

With no one to eat lunch with, I found myself sitting alone, only to receive pitying glances from the groups around me.

So, unwilling to spend my break in such an uncomfortable space, I took to moving somewhere quiet to enjoy my lunch in peace.

That said, to be honest, this solo lunch isn’t half bad.

The back of the school building is rarely visited, and with plenty of sunlight, it’s actually a nice place to be.

I switch my shoes at the entrance and hurry to my personal lunch spot. Turning the last corner to my destination—

“Sorry for calling you to a place like this.”

“Oh, no problem at all. So, what did you want to talk about?”

Hearing the exchange, I instinctively pull back the foot I was about to step forward with, pressing myself against the wall to hide.

Whoa, that surprised me.

What are they doing in a place like this… though, I guess I can’t say much myself.

But still, this setup… in a secluded place, just the two of them—it could only mean one thing…

“Um, from the moment I first saw you, I thought you were cute. Will you go out with me?”

See? Exactly what I thought.

In this situation, there’s really no other explanation.

Wait, from the moment he first saw her?

Curious, I sneak a peek at the pair, careful not to be noticed.

Even from a distance, my sharp eyes catch the color of their school emblems.

The emblems are blue, the same as mine—meaning they’re also first-year students who just enrolled.

It seems the guy fell in love at first sight, judging by his confession.

At a glance, he has the look of a refreshing, nice young man—handsome enough that even I, another guy, would call him good-looking.

So, how’s she going to respond?

“I’m sorry. I don’t know you very well, and I’m not interested.”

Ouch. Cut down in one stroke.

Even if they’re in the same class, it’s only been two weeks, and if they’re not, she’d only know him as a passing acquaintance.

No matter how good-looking he is, it’s only natural she’d turn down a confession from someone she barely knows.

“Is that all you wanted to say? Since lunch break is short, I’ll be on my way.”

“Hey, wait a second!”

“Is there something else?”

“Well, how about this then? Let’s exchange contact information and start as friends. Since you don’t know me well, you can get to know me gradually, and I’ll do my best to make you like me!”

“I don’t understand, nor do I feel any need to exchange contact information with someone I’m not interested in.”

Oof, she’s not giving him anything to work with…

From her perspective, this guy is still just a complete stranger. It’s no wonder she’d be hesitant to exchange contact details, especially with him treating “becoming friends” as an inevitable step.

But… he’s pretty persistent.

It’s obvious from her reaction that he’s getting nowhere, and he’d be better off backing down for now.

Besides, I’d really like to get to my lunch.

“Damn it! Acting all high and mighty just because I was trying to be nice… I told you to date me, so you should just go along with it!”

“Ah! Let go, that hurts!”

Just as I’m thinking how great it would be if the two of them could leave soon, the atmosphere suddenly turns tense.

Peeking from behind the building again, I see the guy angrily grabbing her arm.

Looks like he hadn’t even considered the possibility of being turned down.

When his confession crashed, he tried offering a compromise, only for that to be rejected too.

But losing your temper and getting physical just because things didn’t go your way is crossing the line.

Damn it, with no one around the back of the school building, there’s no one she can call for help.

If I don’t do something, my lunch break will end on a sour note…

“…Hatano-sensei, over here! Come quick!”

I call out in a loud voice, one I’ve never used before.

The name I borrowed was Hatano-sensei’s… the teacher in charge of student conduct, apparently.

Honestly, since I missed the entrance ceremony and guidance sessions, I don’t really know what he looks like.

But from overhearing my classmates, I’d gathered that Mr. Hatano was a strict male teacher responsible for student behavior.

Trusting that information, I call out as if I’m summoning him.

“What? Hatano? You mean that Hatano-sensei from student conduct? Damn it…”

It worked as hoped; he lets go of her arm and takes off in a hurry.

Once he’s out of sight, I step in front of the girl, who’s sitting on the ground, offering her a hand.

She looks up at my hand, surprised, but then realizes it’s to help her up, and she accepts it.

As she brushes the grass and sand off her skirt, she looks at me and asks:

“Did you…call for a teacher? Um, where is he?”

“Oh, that was a lie. I just called out the name of the scariest teacher I could think of.”

I try to play it off like it’s nothing, but I can tell her hands are shaking slightly.

I can still see faint traces of tears at the corners of her eyes; she must’ve been terrified.

I suppose I should say something comforting, but unfortunately, I don’t have the kind of social skills for that.

“You should get back too. You’ll miss out on lunch otherwise.”

With that, I walk past her.

She looks like she wants to say something, but I ignore it and head toward my usual spot.

***

Even with that unusual encounter, my daily routine hasn’t changed a bit.

I still head to school without much thought, sometimes paying attention in class, other times nodding off. At lunchtime, I go to my usual spot to spend the break alone, just as always.

Or so I thought.

“I finally found you. I’ve been waiting for you, Kirishima Rei-san.”

Three days after that incident, I head to my usual place at lunch, only to find someone already there.

If it were just a matter of someone else being there, I could’ve gone somewhere else. But she calls my name, saying she’s been waiting for me.

It’s the girl I helped the other day, sitting in my usual spot, looking right at me.

“Wait, you’re…that girl, right? Um, are you alright?”

“Yes, thanks to your quick thinking, I was saved.”

“Oh, that’s good to hear. Well, I’ll be off then…”

“Ah, please wait. I’ve been wanting to thank you, so I’ve been looking for you. I even asked your teacher about your class and came by during breaks, and I tried waiting for you before homeroom and after school, but I couldn’t find you…”

Oh… that explains it.

During breaks, I always leave the classroom to hang out in empty rooms or the restroom, and at lunch, I’m here as usual.

I arrive at school just before the bell to minimize the time spent in class, and after school, I’m not in any clubs, so I head home at top speed.

That must be why she hadn’t been able to find me, even though she was looking.

“Then I remembered seeing you walk this way that day, so I thought I’d try here—and it paid off.”

Oh, I see.

I was in such a hurry to eat that I didn’t even think she might notice where I was going.

Who would have thought it’d turn into this…

But this explains a lot.

It must be why I’ve felt stares or heard whispers when I walk into class in the mornings or at the end of lunch. I’d brushed it off as overthinking, but maybe that’s what everyone’s reaction was all about.

“Oh, I forgot to introduce myself! I’m Mikami Hina from Class 1-2. Thank you again for helping me the other day.”

“Mikami-san, huh. It was just a coincidence, but I’m glad it was of some help. Well then, I’ll just be on my way—”

“Wait, we’re not done here! I want to properly thank you for helping me.”

A thank you? She just did that… is there more to it?

I mention this, and she—Mikami-san—pouts a little as she looks up at me.

Since I’m standing and she’s sitting on the bench, her gaze naturally turns up toward me. It creates that classic “looking up” effect, and, well… I’m not exactly used to interacting with classmates, let alone a girl who’s undeniably a beauty. I find myself glancing away.

“If you hadn’t acted so quickly to help me, I don’t know what would have happened. So, to me, you’re a lifesaver! I can’t be satisfied just by saying a simple thank-you!”

I get her point. Even if it wasn’t a big deal to me, to her, it seems it was a much-needed rescue—her tone and words convey that clearly. Being called a “lifesaver” feels embarrassing, but it’s genuine.

If our roles were reversed, I wouldn’t be able to just leave it at “thank you” either… probably. So this is what she’s getting at.

“Do you understand now? So, is there anything I can do for you…?”

“Oh, sorry. I’m just hungry.”

Right as she says this, my stomach growls. Mikami-san looks startled, then realizes where the sound came from and starts to laugh.

“Sorry! I just remembered you haven’t eaten lunch yet. Why don’t we eat first?”

Ah, yes, let’s do that.

Mikami-san can head back to her classroom, and… wait a minute? What’s that in her hand? And why is she patting the spot next to her on the bench?

“I’m actually a bit hungry too. Since we’re here, why don’t we eat together?”

…What?

Whaaaaaaaat!?