"Kurashiki! I–I have something to tell you! C-Can you come out with me for a moment?"
After school, as the evening breeze slipped through the open windows, the curtains swayed gently. The setting sun dyed the classroom in crimson light, casting its glow on the delicate profile of the girl.
At that moment, the classroom was empty except for Kurashiki Reina, idly playing with the tips of her light golden hair, and Jiucheng Arisa, the classmate beside her—whether friend or follower, one could not tell.
"Hm?" Reina lifted her eyes in surprise, her pale green gaze falling upon a shadowy boy whose hair covered his brows. "And you are…?"
"M-My name is Hayato, from Class F. At the start of the term, I had a brief encounter with Kurashiki. That time… Kurashiki helped me pick up the reference book I dropped…" The boy stammered nervously, "We… we've met before."
"Reina, did that happen?" Arisa asked.
Reina shook her head firmly. "Not at all. I have no recollection."
"B-But…!" The boy waved his hands frantically, faster than his words. "Only Kurashiki helped me back then. Kurashiki is so… gentle, I thought…"
"Gentle?"
Reina tilted her head, brushing her hair aside as she gave a soft laugh. "Even if that were true, it only means I was bored at the time."
The boy froze, as if struck by lightning.
"B-But…"
He tried to continue, but Reina's patience had run thin. She wrinkled her nose, raising her snowy chin. "So, what is it you're trying to say? Just speak here. I see no reason to be alone with you."
"Hahaha, you're really trembling," Arisa smirked, resting her cheek on her hand as she observed him like a spectator at a play.
Though Arisa was a black-haired girl with modest looks, nowhere near Reina's radiance, for a boy unused to speaking with girls, even her teasing gaze was overwhelming.
"I–I…" The boy swallowed hard.
Under Arisa's amused eyes and Reina's cold gaze, he mustered all his strength and bowed deeply.
"I… I like you! Kurashiki, please go out with me!!"
"Hm?"
Reina's voice carried faint surprise, but her face remained calm. She flicked her hand dismissively. "I understand. You can leave now."
The boy stood dumbfounded. "But…!"
Where was the answer? Wasn't a confession supposed to end with acceptance or rejection?
Arisa sneered. "You really are clueless, huh? Isn't Reina's answer obvious? She told you to leave. To put it bluntly—it's the same as saying 'get lost.' Doesn't that count as an answer?"
Her words pierced his heart.
Arisa sighed softly. "Boys these days, when told 'no,' still delude themselves with 'no means yes.' Reina's answer is much clearer. Right, Reina?"
Reina only frowned, ignoring Arisa. She turned to the boy.
"Tell me… do you really think you're worthy of me?"
Bang!
Hayato slammed his forehead against the desk, overwhelmed by the memory of such black history.
"H-Hey! What are you doing?" Anshi Seiji rushed to stop him. "Even if you're heartbroken, you don't have to bash your head like this!"
"No… it's nothing," Hayato replied calmly, though his forehead smoked faintly.
This was Hayato's past—no, the past of the body's original owner. It shouldn't matter to him… Yet even as an observer, the shame was unbearable.
The memory resurfaced: Hayato had once dropped his reference books in the hallway. Reina, passing by, stooped to help him gather them, offering only a casual warning—"Watch where you're going." That was all.
But from that fleeting moment, he began to think of her constantly, harboring the foolish belief: Out of everyone, she helped me… does that mean she feels something for me?
One of the three great illusions of life.
Deluded, restless, and consumed by longing, he finally resolved to confess after days of agonizing hesitation.
He even recalled a line from the Bible:
"I hate gentle girls. Just a word, a greeting, makes one's heart stir. A few texts quicken the pulse. A single call in the history makes one smile unconsciously. Yet such gentleness is never meant for me alone. I almost forgot that."
But Reina was never gentle. Perhaps she had simply been in a good mood that day.
Believing himself special, he made that mistake… and was rejected without mercy. His heart shattered, he endured three sleepless nights.
Hayato sometimes wondered if that was why he transmigrated into this body—because the original soul had burned out after those three nights of torment.
"You don't look fine at all…" Seiji said, worried.
"Don't worry," Hayato replied with a faint smile.
Whether he was worthy or not, it was no longer his concern.
Yamamoto Sakito, however, was stunned.
He had been listening to the two of them talk, and there had been rumors circulating in the class that Kobayashi liked Kurashiki. No one had paid much attention to it—Kobayashi was gloomy to begin with, and given Kurashiki's popularity, it wasn't surprising that someone would like her.
But he hadn't expected that it had already reached the point of a confession—and a rejection…
Yamamoto Sakito's gaze drifted toward Hayato.
The latter was now playing with a 500-yen coin, flicking it with his finger, catching it as it flew, then flicking it up again and catching it again.
He smiled cruelly. Perhaps this information could be put to good use.
Kobayashi, I'll let you know—my money isn't that easy to earn!
…
…
It was almost time for dismissal, and Class F, which had been in self-study, was already growing rowdy.
"Kobayashi, are you going to report to the Kendo Club?" Anshi Masaru asked.
"…Hmm. I'll go for now," Hayato replied. He didn't have anything else to do anyway, and it would also be a good chance to check whether Kase Masafumi had made any progress.
"Damn it, looks like I'll have to go home alone!" Masaru cried, covering his face dramatically. "Has a thick barrier finally come between us…?"
Hayato's inner assessment: What an idiot.
"Oh, right." Masaru chatted on casually. "That novel, Alpaca Princess, you've been reading lately… When I went to buy manga, I saw the anime adaptation's BD disc right next to it…"
"!!"
Hayato shot up from his chair in sheer reverence!
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 2 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
patreon.com/Kazenova223
If you guys wanna check it out.