Arc 1: The One Who Was Taken and the One Who Took

Chapter 1: She Was Taken

<…I’m sorry, Souta-kun.>

“No, no way… That’s a lie, right, Ena-chan!?”

—I’ve fallen for someone else…

About a month after starting high school, one afternoon after class, my girlfriend dropped this bombshell on me.

There were absolutely no signs.

Just yesterday, we were happily dating after school.

And now, out of the blue, she calls to say she’s found someone else? It was a total shock.

“No, I don’t like this, haha… Making such a sudden joke, Ena-chan, you’re unexpectedly playful…”

<I’m sorry. But this isn’t a joke or a prank…>

Her voice over the phone seemed to tremble.

Seriously? What am I supposed to do when hit with this out of nowhere?

Standing in the middle of the bustling square in front of the station, surrounded by students heading home and office workers, I stood there dumbfounded, phone pressed to my ear.

“What do you mean, Ena-chan!? Did I do something to upset you? If there’s something wrong with me, please tell me! I’ll do anything to fix it! So, please…”

<Uhm, sorry to interrupt your enthusiasm, but…>

Suddenly, a husky female voice came through the phone.

It wasn’t Ena-chan’s voice. Surprised, I instinctively pulled the phone away from my ear, and just then, the screen switched to video call mode.

“…Huh?”

On the screen, of course, was my girlfriend.

Ena Satomori, my first girlfriend ever. In any other situation, I’d want to happily chat away with her. But what caught my eye more than anything was the girl next to her.

<Hey, did it connect? Hi there, boyfriend-kun. Are you watching?>

The girl waving through the screen looked familiar.

She had slightly bluish, silky long short hair and bright, clear aquamarine eyes. Even without makeup, her androgynous face was distinctively beautiful.

In short, she was a stunningly beautiful girl with a clear, radiant vibe.

“Sh… Shizuno Mizushima!?”

<Oh? You know me?>

Knowing her was an understatement.

Shizuno Mizushima was a celebrity in our school, known by everyone. She was a top student excelling in both academics and sports, with a stunning appearance. She even modeled for magazines, apparently.

Her “PhotoTele” (a photo-sharing social network) account had tens of thousands of followers, mainly teenagers. She was something of a teen idol.

Because of her cool, boyish look and behavior, Shizuno Mizushima is incredibly popular, not just among the guys but also the girls, who say she’s “handsome” and “someone they’d want as a boyfriend.”

“Why is Mizushima-san…?”

Exactly. Why was this charismatic high school girl, who seemed to live in a completely different world from us, hanging out with my girlfriend?

<Well, basically… it’s like this.>

Saying that, the cool, handsome girl, Mizushima casually put her arm around my girlfriend’s shoulder.

“No way, y-you can’t be serious…!”

<That’s right. The ‘someone else’ your girlfriend mentioned liking… was me.>

<Shizuno~, stop it… You’re making me blush…>

Ena-chan said, her cheeks turning pink.

I couldn’t believe it; I, her boyfriend, had never even properly hugged her!