"I'm heading out—"
As usual, Hikigaya Hachiman said goodbye to his father, mother, and Komachi before leaving the house. Today, however, was February 27th, the day his high school entrance examinations began.
For Hachiman, the exam was not a source of particular worry. His deviation score—a standardized number representing his academic ranking—was a comfortable seventy-four, giving him all the confidence he needed.
After arriving at the test site, he looked over the bustling crowd. In the final ten minutes before the doors opened, many students were still frantically flipping through review booklets, their faces etched with anxiety, as if the pages held the answers to the questions they were about to face.
Hachiman didn't think such last-minute cramming had any real effect. By the same token, he wasn't a fan of trying to completely empty his mind or nap before an exam; the former would only increase his tension, while the latter could leave him sluggish when the test began. What he needed most in these final moments, he thought, was to find someone to chat with—to pass the difficult pre-exam silence in the most ordinary way possible.
However, a scan of the area revealed no familiar faces. This was inevitable. His circle of friends was extremely narrow, and with numerous test sites scattered across Chiba City, the odds of running into an acquaintance were slim.
"This is better anyway. I can be alone and quiet," Hachiman comforted himself. He decided to take a short walk and found himself wandering just outside the examination center's entrance.
"Excuse me, classmate. Is this the examination center for Saichi-cho First Junior High School?"
Hachiman heard a voice next to him, likely another candidate asking for directions.
"Oh, yeah. It's just down that path. You'll see a large crowd waiting..." Hachiman answered casually, but when he raised his head and met the candidate's eyes, he was stunned.
Standing before him was an incredibly handsome boy. He wore no makeup, yet his face was flawless—a natural beauty. He had conspicuous blond hair, lightly styled and parted in a three-to-seven ratio. His right eye held a rare, star-shaped pupil.
Most importantly, he possessed a melancholy, almost gloomy, temperament. With such an aura and such an outstanding appearance, Hachiman figured he must have had a complicated history with girls during his three years of junior high.
"I understand. Thank you very much," the boy said. His tone was sincere and his attitude humble, but the gloomy air around him remained.
"There's still some time before they let us in," Hachiman offered. "Why don't you wait out here for a bit? With your looks, you'll definitely attract attention in a crowd like that."
The boy glanced at him, then nodded and decided not to go in.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Hikigaya Hachiman, from Tsubakimori Junior High."
"Hello, Hikigaya-san. My name's a bit long, so people usually just call me Hoshino Aqua." Hoshino nodded in response.
"Pardon me for asking, Hoshino, but are you a professional in the entertainment industry?" Hachiman asked, choosing his words carefully.
"You're very perceptive, Hikigaya-san," Hoshino replied, his eyes seeming to drift into the past. "Should I say yes or no? I was in a drama over a decade ago, but it was just that once. Does that even count?"
"A child star? Got it." Hachiman was secretly pleased; the fact that Hoshino had acting experience was a bonus. His gloomy temperament was a perfect match for the character of Shuya in Confessions. "So, your goal is to apply to a performing arts high school?"
"Yes, the high school I'm applying to has a performing arts department," Hoshino confirmed. "But I'll be choosing the general education track. My goal is to work behind the scenes in the future."
"Ah, I see..." Hachiman was a little speechless. A former child star with such natural good looks wanted to switch to a backstage role? Still, Hachiman never pried into others' decisions and respected his choice. He wouldn't offer advice to someone he had just met.
"This might sound sudden, Hoshino," Hachiman began, deciding to play his hand carefully. "But from the first moment I saw you, I felt you were perfectly suited for a role in a certain book, and you're even the right age. But, since you're not interested in acting, I won't say more."
He paused before delivering the hook.
"However, that book is being adapted into a movie. It hasn't been officially launched yet, but it will be in the first half of this year. This film is set to bring together many of Japan's new generation of actors, all around your age or a little older. Starring in this movie could launch their careers, putting them in various films, TV shows, and variety programs for the next three to five years. They could even win major film awards."
Hachiman looked at the blond boy, his eyes sincere. "Hoshino, I truly believe your image is perfect for a very important role in that story. And as it happens, I have the power to make sure you get it."
"What role is it?" Hoshino didn't question Hachiman's claim of having "power" but instead went straight to the role, which gave Hachiman a flicker of hope.
"Confessions. The role of Watanabe Shuya."
"...I see," Hoshino said after a moment. "Hikigaya-san, if I change my mind, how would I contact you?"
"You don't have to," Hachiman said smoothly. "And I won't contact you. Just keep an eye out for the Confessions crew's open audition announcement. Go to it. Once you're there, the role is yours."
"Can I really trust you, Hikigaya-san?" Hoshino asked, his voice low. "How do I know this isn't some kind of prank?" At that moment, a glimmer of understanding seemed to cross his face, as if he was beginning to guess Hachiman's true identity but still needed confirmation.
"You should have a little more confidence in yourself, Hoshino," Hachiman deflected. "In a fair audition, how can you be so sure you wouldn't be selected on your own merit? In any case, there are only two minutes left before we have to go in. You should calm down. It's time for the exam."
Hoshino, however, seemed to no longer care about the test. "As for the exam, my deviation score is 70. I have no pressure at all getting into that high school."
"That's impressive, Hoshino. But my score is 74, just a little higher than yours," Hachiman countered. "But in the end, for both of us, the scores are just numbers. The real choice you need to consider is between the general department and the performing arts department."
After finishing his sentence, Hikigaya Hachiman turned and walked toward the examination hall, leaving Hoshino to contemplate his words.