The Reason Why The Cool Beauty Who Repeatedly Ignores Messages Replies Only To Me. ~The Lonely Beauty Wants To Know The Lonely Me〜 - Chapter 1

Episode 1: A Beautiful Girl Who Read And Ignore

When you see the ‘read’ indicator but get no reply—this is commonly referred to as “being left on read”.

When someone leaves you on read, it naturally breeds distrust. In normal conversations, it’s equivalent to “just being ignored”.

However, when it becomes a habit, one starts to get used to it, and that’s scary.

In my class, there’s one habitual offender of leaving people on read.

“Saeki-san never replies, seriously. The ‘read’ is there, but…”

“I haven’t even gotten a ‘read’ after four days…”

“Well, it’s Saeki-san, there’s nothing you can do.”

The outgoing boys sitting behind me in class all sigh in unison.

Saeki-san, the center of their conversation, refers to a girl in the same class named Yukine Saeki.

With a well-developed chest and long, slender limbs.

Her cold gaze, that seems always looking down on those around her, paired with hair that extends to her shoulders in a semi-long style.

She’s a female student whose unparalleled beauty has been a topic of discussion since her enrollment, yet despite her popularity, she remains quiet, without any close friends, and keeps everyone at arm’s length.

Due to this demeanor, she’s dubbed the “lonely beauty,” and even now, seated alone at the edge of the classroom, she quietly focuses on her book.

She emits an aura that repels others, almost like a special barrier surrounding her.

“I really want to get closer to Saeki-san.”

Since Yukine Saeki has been labeled the “lonely beauty,” the popular boys in class have become adamant about wanting to talk to her, persistently attempting to strike up conversations.

Lately, it has escalated to the point where it’s turned into a game: whoever gets a reply from Saeki first, even on chat, wins.
Even in high school, they’re still playing childish games… they’re such hopeless people.

While I gaze out the window, silently mocking the popular boys behind me, one of them from the group walks over to me and annoyingly puts his hand on my shoulder.

“Hey, Okami~ If you’re too embarrassed to message Saeki-san on Lime, I can help you with the text~? Can you lend me your phone, Okami~?”

“…… ”

I’ve been staring out the window the whole time, ignoring them, but when Kotoku Okami, aka me, responds, I glare at the outgoing boy who’s laid his hand on my shoulder.

Damn, don’t talk to me…

“If even we’re being left on read, then it’s impossible for Okami too.”

“…Yeah, you’re right.”

The outgoing boys in class, perhaps venting their frustration at not getting any attention from Saeki, mock me before heading to the cafeteria.

It’s probably because of their personalities that they’ll never get Saeki’s attention.

I turn my gaze back to Saeki-san.

As usual, Saeki is seated at her desk, her long eyelashes not even twitching as she reads her book.

“Having men give her lewd looks in the hallway and being approached by talent scouts on the street… What a difficult life.”

As I mutter this, my childhood friend, Tamari Michifuji, approaches me.

Short and with a childish face, she’s often treated like the class mascot with her twin tails.

“Is that difficult life you’re talking about referring to Saeki?”

“Yeah, that’s right. It must be tough being tormented by her own beauty… That’s envy-inducing.”

I wonder what’s so enviable about it.

Being followed around by those outgoing guys like flies and constantly being in the spotlight without even doing anything… It must be terrible.
“Kotoku-kun, aren’t you interested in Saeki-chan?”

“Not interested.”

“Really? Well, Kotoku-kun, you’ve always been all about me, right? You’re a hardcore lolicon!”

Tamari clings to my right arm and rubs her cheek against it.

“Hey, get off me, Tamari.”

Of course, I’m not exclusively interested in Tamari… She’s just always been the one who’s been clinging to me since forever, and I don’t have any other friends to speak of.

Tamari is nothing more than a childhood friend whose parents happen to be close. I barely engage in conversation with other classmates.

I don’t particularly want friends, and being alone means I don’t have to conform to anyone else’s expectations, which suits me just fine.

It’s precisely because of this mindset that I find myself feeling some inexplicable sympathy for the “lonely beauty,” Yukine Saeki.

Other people can be so annoying…

As I peel Tamari off me, I take out a paperback book from my desk.

Since there’s still time for lunch break, I might as well read a book.

“By the way, Kotoku-kun, the boys in class seem pretty desperate, huh? Sending one-sided messages on Lime and all?”

Just when I was planning to forget about them and focus on my book, Tamari’s unnecessary comment reminds me of them.

“By the way, Tamari, have you ever sent Saeki a Lime message?”

“Yeah! We were in the same dance group for PE, so I asked her to practice together after school!”

“Did she reply?”

“Yeah! Just one letter, ‘ri’.”

“Seems like even with girls, you only get the bare minimum response…”
If replying is too much trouble, why bother with SNS in the first place?

While talking to Tamari, Saeki, who was reading a book until a moment ago, stands up from her seat and leaves the classroom.

Cool and expressionless, Saeki walks down the hallway, her glossy black hair swaying as she goes.

Every time she passes, the boys in the hallway change their demeanor and start making noise.

Sakeki must have it tough. In reality, she’s like that, and even on Lime, she’s treated like a toy.

“It’s the kind of trouble only a beauty would have, right? Oh, by the way, I’m the only one who’s ever gotten a reply from Saeki-chan, you know? All the other girls get left on read. Pretty impressive, huh?”

“I wouldn’t call that something to be proud of.”

I say with a look of disbelief as I try to focus on the paperback book I’ve taken out of my desk.

“Oh right! Just for fun, why don’t you try sending Saeki-chan a Lime message too?”

“Sigh… Are you going to say the same thing as those annoying outgoing boys? Don’t you think it’s disrespectful to Saeki?”

“It doesn’t matter since you’ll just get left on read anyway.”

“It’s not happening. It’s bothersome to Saeki, and besides, I don’t even know her Lime ID.”

“Oh, right. Kotoku-kun hasn’t been invited to the Lime group chat for the class, so you wouldn’t know.”

“Eh…? There’s a group like that?”

“Poor you.”

“Shut up.”

Since Tamari is the only person I talk to in high school, naturally, I wouldn’t be invited to a Lime group chat with the classmates who are close to each other.

As I sigh and shift my gaze out the window, my phone vibrates in my pocket.

When I check, it’s a Lime message from Tamari, and she’s sent me Saeki’s Lime account code.
“Tamari, what’s this?”

“From here on, it’s up to you, Kotoku-kun.”

“Huh?”

“Are you going to take on the Saeki challenge or not? Which is it?”

Tamari goads me like some muscle comedian.

A challenge to see if I can get a reply from Saeki… Including Saeki, there’s no one in my class but rude people.

“If you get a reply, you’ll be above those boys, you know?”

“I couldn’t care less.”

“Come on, even just sending an ‘A’ would do!”

Tamari places her palm on top of the page of the paperback book I opened, disturbing my reading.

…I didn’t intend to do something like this.

I create a chat room with Saeki-san on Lime and type out a message.

“Okami: Sorry to bother you out of the blue, Saeki-san. It’s Okami, a classmate. It seems you frequently read and ignore messages, but if you don’t want to reply or anything, wouldn’t it be better to make another account?”

…and send it.

This is just a word of caution and a bit of advice.

I’m not particularly interested in Saeki, nor am I trying to hit on her. If she deletes her account because of this, it’ll put an end to the futile squabbles among the boys in class.

“All right… I’ve sent it.”

I send the message and show Tamari my phone to prove that I’ve really sent it.

“Is this okay? Now that I’ve sent it, get your hands off my book.”

“Ugh, aren’t you meddling a bit too much… Well, I guess that’s just how you are, Kotoku-kun.”

Tamari steps back and snatches my phone, desperately pointing the screen towards me.

“W-Wait, Kotoku-kun!”

“What now?”

“There’s a ‘read’… And she replied!”

“Huh?”