While the story progressed with Yuuya's ignorance, Japanese trends were all about a certain person.
"Hey, did you see this month's CutieBeauty?"
"I saw it! Who was the boy next to Miwa-chan!?"
"He looks like an ordinary person, but… he's super cool, isn't he?"
─Yes, a fashion magazine that uses the photo of the model Miwa and Yuuya has been released.
There were many subscribers in the magazine in which Miwa, a model soaring in popularity, was listed in it. They were mostly young women. But, their eyes were snatched away by Yuuya, who was in a two-shot photo with Miwa in that magazine.
"That photoshoot was probably done in a nearby shopping mall, but… I wonder if he's a local person!?"
"He's like at the same age as us… most likely a high school student, too, right?"
"Eh!? If so, I'd be super jealous of the girls in the same school as him!"
"I might become a fan…"
"I mean, that smile is dangerous, right? The photographer's skill is good, too!"
The subscribers are not only people who don't know Yuuya but of course, some people know him, too.
"Eh… This is, Yuuya-kun!?"
"No way, are you serious!?"
"Is he the rumored special admittance student?"
"Yes, yes! He's in the same class as me, but he's super cool! He's so amazing at the P.E class the other day!"
"Eh, tell me about that in detail!"
"I can't believe there's such a handsome guy exist… Honestly, he looks better than any idol or actor that I've seen on TV."
"Ah, I thought so too!"
"No, you don't even have to compare it."
It was well-known to the people of the same "Ousei Gakuen", but the topic of Yuuya was also in a particular scene ── .
"─ Miwa-chan!"
"Ah, Hikari-san! Good morning."
"Good morning. The magazine with a photo of you and Yuuya-kun is selling greatly now, and it seems to be inundated with orders."
"Eh!? I-is that right?"
The topic of Yuuya came out again, even among Miwa and Hikari, who had taken the photoshoot with Yuuya.
"Yes, I've been a photographer for quite a long time, but this is the first time that a magazine that has my photo to be sell this well."
"Amazing, Yuuya-san…"
"What are you talking about? Miwa-chan's popularity has also risen, right? The director was also laughing a lot when she suddenly got a lot of work to do."
"Ah-ahahahaha…"
Miwa smiled bitterly as she imagined the director of the agency they belonged to.
"But Yuuya-kun is really amazing. Only one photoshoot of him has already made a lot of noise in society. How's it? Miwa-chan. Why don't you 'attack' Yuuya-kun now?"
"Eh!? T-that's impossible! Yuuya-san is indeed very kind, and he had helped me when that male model harassed me, but… because he's so cool, he probably already has a girlfriend."
"Ara, I don't know that. But, it's hard to find such a good boy, so if you get a chance, try to 'attack' him."
Miwa tried to react to Hikari's words, but he had gone away just like that, so she could only mumble.
"Geez, Hikari-san… But if Yuuya-san really doesn't have a girlfriend ──"
The story was getting bigger and bigger without Yuuya knowing about it. What will happen to him when he goes to school tomorrow… He doesn't know yet.
＊＊＊
It's been a while since I started attending "Ousei Gakuen", but I felt a lot more gazes toward me than usual. There were a lot of girls who turned their glances at me, too.
"Wa-wait! Isn't he that man in the magazine!?
"Eh, no way! Isn't that Ousei Gakuen's uniform!?"
"He looks cooler than in the photos!"
"Thank God~, I could see him here."
Some people have pressed their hands together while looking at me for some reason. Is there someone behind me?! What is that? Scary!? (T/N: Pray posture.)
Then, one of the girls who was looking at me spoke to me.
"A-ano!"
"Yes?"
"Can we shake hands?"
"Eeh!?"
S-shake hands? What? This is. What's with this situation?
I was confused by this unreasonable situation. Then, the other girls who were looking at me also came to me all at once.
"M-me too, please!"
"Ah, you unfair!"
"Can I take a picture?"
"Please, become my friend…!"
No, wait, I really don't know why!? Perhaps… they mistook me for someone? Other than that, I couldn't think of any other reason why strangers would ask me to shake hands, so I hurriedly turned it down.
"S-sorry. Probably you're mistaking me with someone else! I-I… I have to go now!"
"Ah!"
Feeling a little fear in a situation where I was suddenly surrounded by strangers, I went to the school to run away. In the school, When I walked in the corridor, somehow, many students also looked at me while whispering, so the doubt inside me only expanded. What's really going on here? …Could it be, my zipper is open!? …No, it would be strange to ask such a person to shake hands.
I checked my pants, but there was nothing unusual about it. It would be the end if I were told that it was weird. In the end, I arrived in the classroom without knowing anything and sat down in my seat, but then, Kaede came over to me in excitement.
"Ah, Yuuya-kun, Yuuya-kun! Good morning!"
"Good morning. You're already in full spirits in the morning huh, anything happened?"
"I'm always like this, aren't I? Rather than that, look at this!"
"Eh?"
Kaede suddenly placed a magazine on my desk.
"Here! This page! It's Yuuya-kun who's in the picture with Miwa-chan, right!?
"Ah yeah, it's me. The book has been released, huh…"
Some time ago, I had a photoshoot with a model, Miwa-san, at a shopping mall.
…But when was this picture taken?
What's in the magazine was a photo of Miwa-san and I chatting happily on a bench. However, it's not a pose that instructed by Hikari-san; this scene was…
I wonder if it was taken when I was talking about modeling with Miwa-san… So, that's why we didn't take anymore shoot after that, huh? Anyway… I was laughing naturally in this photo, so in the end, I guess it was good, right? Other photos were also used, but the photos on the bench were the biggest; they were used in two facing pages.
Kaede let out a small breath as she was convinced while looking at the magazine alone.
"Haahh~... So, it's really Yuuya-kun, huh. This photo is so good."
"Really? Thank you. But the photographer's skill was excellent. And Miwa-san is amazing, too."
"No, no, no! It's because Yuuya-kun is in the photo with that Miwa-san, that's why the photo looks amazing!?"
Kaede says so, but if she looked at the scene of the photoshoot, she wouldn't be able to say so. My face and body were so tense.
Then, Kaede suddenly pointed at one photo while pouting her cheeks.
"But, isn't this a little too close?"
"Eh?"
The photo that Kaede pointed to was the one pose that Miwa-san hugged me.
"I know it's a job, but… are you two going out?"
"Eeh!? N-no, we're not!"
"Hmm… I see… You aren't dating yet, huh…"
I hurriedly denied it, but looking at Kaede, why did she look somewhat relieved? And while I was talking with Kaede, a lot of other students were also talking while looking at me.
"Look, look, it's Yuuya-kun!"
"The photos are cool, but still, the difference in experience is still visible."
"Haahh… I thought he was cool, but I never thought that he would do a photoshoot alongside with the popular model Miwa-chan…"
"But Yuuya-kun is so kind. I somehow calm down when I see him talking with Ryo-kun and the others."
"Tell me more about that!"
"Eh, w-what? You scared me…"
Looking at the classroom, I guess there are a lot of students who saw the magazine other than Kaede. Wait, did the person who asked me for a handshake while I was on my way to school had also look at the magazine?
But, did I really give this much impact in just one shot? I'm not a great model like Miwa-san… If someone wants to shake hands, then they should ask it to Miwa-san instead.
While I had that thought, Ryo and Shingo-kun entered the class, and as soon as they found me, they rushed at me with high speed.
"Hey, Yuuya! I knew that you were amazing!"
"Amazing?"
"Yeah, you were featured on TV!"
"Eh?"
I could only let out a dumb voice hearing Ryo's words. Me… on TV?
"No, no, stop joking. I don't remember being on TV."
"It-it's true, you know. Who is the man in the photo with Miwa-san, a model whose popularity is skyrocketing…"
"…Seriously?"
"I'm serious. Here, look!"
Ryo showed me some of the news posted on the video site with his smartphone.
(── Anyway, who is the man in the photo with Miwa-chan?)
(He's just like a supernova that suddenly appears.)
(Yes. His appearance is good, but that aura that can be seen even from the photo is a little different from idols and actors, that elegance isn't something that everyone can bring out. I can't believe it's just an ordinary person, let alone a rookie!)
(It's strange that there hasn't been any fuss about him until now.)
(The people in the industries also wish to bring him, don't they?)
(That's amazing, isn't it?)
I was mute in amazement, seeing the video. This is… is it really about me? Not another person?
"…As far as I watched how Yuuya was, I can't believe it was you…"
"Eh, is that so?"
"B-but, Yuuya-kun, you're completely frozen…"
I still didn't understand it, but I remembered what happened this morning.
"…So that's why I was seen and talked to by so many people this morning…"
As I thought, it was so odd. I don't believe that one magazine has an influence on it, and yet, it's hard to imagine that it would make a situation where so many people are calling out to me. However, the story would substantially change if it were featured on a TV like this.
As I watched the video on the smartphone completely dumbfounded, Kaede told me excitedly.
"It's amazing. Yuuya-kun has become a hot topic among the girls right now!"
"I don't know why people get excited by the topic of me like that… After all, I am nothing, I'm not an active idol either… in the first place, why me?"
The moment I said so, the three people floated an expression as if the emptiness had pierced them.
"Eh? What's wrong?"
"U-um, Yuuya? Are you serious about what you just said?"
"Yeah."
Hikari-san is really amazing. Other than the photo on the bench, he could make me look cool in the other photos, too.
"Yu-Yuuya-kun… Isn't your self-confidence too low?"
"I wonder? I think it's appropriate, however…"
As everyone says, I think my appearance has changed. But I can't like myself. My previous appearance has etched into my brain and can't be separated, and I don't know how many times I wanted to quit that body even if my appearance changed.
Youta and Sora, which should have the same blood as me, were blessed with their appearance, and that just makes me more severed. That's why I don't really like myself.
…Well, unlike before, I've ranked a little bit from "completely hate" to "I don't like it that much". This is also thanks to me leveled-up in the different world. It would be nice if I could build up my confidence little by little, but I can't believe my inferiority will suddenly disappear, and I can't like myself right away.
With a slightly dark expression on my face, Ryo said to me with a serious look.
"Yuuya. I don't know what you had experienced in the past, but what are you going to do without admitting yourself?"
"Eh?"
"That's why you have to be more confident and honest with yourself!"
"…Can I be confident?"
"It's okay if you decided that yourself, right?"
"I'm not sure… but it's okay, isn't it?"
"I'm not sure if you aren't sure either…"
"Ryo-kun, you don't have to worry about the details." said Kaede.
"I-I'll help you too. I understand that because I don't have confidence myself." said Shingo-kun.
…This school is really full of warm people. I felt my heart warmed up, hearing the words of these three people.