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Narration: Kiyosumi Yozora
"Love is Impure" if you ever hear this phrase in this high school, there's no doubt about who's saying that!
It's definitely Sasaki Kai.
Kai is an introvert like myself, but he has a magnetic charm that attracts the girls. It's not because of his wealth or good looks, but rather his unique perspective on love.
Let me give you an example:
In junior high, he had a crush on someone whom I shall not name. She acted as his best friend, but only used his popularity for her own benefit.
But after a year of false friendship, she fell for another boy and completely ignored Kai.
If it were me, I would have spoken ill of her for using me. But Kai's response was the complete opposite.
"I'm happy for her! I don't care if her affection was fake or not. It's natural for someone to fall in love with whomever they choose. Love is a free emotion and no one can control it," he said.
"What do I feel about her now? My love for her has only grown. Love is impure, a mixture of jealousy, pain, and anger. Now that she has a boyfriend, my jealousy, pain, and anger have only increased, so has my love."
That's the story of Sasaki Kai.
Narration: Kiyosumi Yozora: End
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I was approached by a stranger who began speaking nonsense.
"Who are you and do I know you?" I asked, confused.
"You might not know me, but I know you. You're Hitagi Ken, right?" he replied.
"Huh?", I was taken aback. This guy must be crazy. "Who? I've never heard of that person!"
"I'm not Hitagi Ken, I'm Satou Kousei," I corrected him.
"Everyone makes mistakes in life. I'm Sasaki Kai," he introduced himself with a smile.
I know what you're thinking. You want to know what he looks like, right? Unfortunately, this is a novel and not a manga, so I cannot show you.
But, it's a common misconception that all smart ass characters wear glasses. So you might expect Kai to be wearing glasses, but you'd be wrong. He looks like a background character that no one notices.
Man, that was a good roast. I am proud of myself.
"I have much to discuss with you, Kousei-san. How about we meet at a restaurant after school? I'll bring a friend along if you don't mind," Kai suggested.
"Why? We just met! What could you possibly want to discuss?" I asked, intrigued.
"Love. I want to talk about L-O-V-E," he replied with a twinkle in his eye.
"I mean... why are you bringing up the topic of love to me? And why at a restaurant instead of having this conversation here and now?", I asked him with a subtle hint of curiosity.
"WHAT! NO CONVERSATIONS IN THE CLASSROOM! CLASSROOMS ARE FOR LEARNING, NOT FOR CHIT-CHAT," he screamed, his volume hitting the roof.
And I'm over here like, "Uh, dude, what exactly are you doing then?"
"SHUT UP, KAI! Why the shouting? Out of my class this instant. And hey, better bring me a written apology tomorrow if you want back in," Adam said, steam practically coming out of his ears.
And just when things couldn't get weirder, he turns to me and deadpans, "Love is... well, let's just say.... love is not pure."
I couldn't help but almost blurt out something else, but I wisely bit my tongue. This classroom drama is more entertaining than the latest reality show!
But for some reason, my mind wanted to agree to his invitation. Perhaps it was that last line he said, the way he spoke about love.
'Love is not pure'
After he got the boot, things settled back to normal. As you can expect, I caught myself stealing glances at Tsuki throughout the entire class.
Anyway, as promised, I met with Kai after school at a restaurant. He had mentioned bringing a friend, but I saw no one else. I asked about it.
"He'll be here soon," Kai assured me.
I asked him about the chaos in class and if he said sorry to Adam. I giggled a bit and said, "Are you always this nuts?"
Kai, looking confused, responded, "No... well, maybe? Nah, I'm not crazy. I just go all-in when it's..." He paused dramatically and then, out of the blue, screamed, "LOVE!" The whole Tokyo probably heard that!
As we were ordering our food, right on cue, his friend arrived, just as he had promised. It was none other than Kiyosumi Yozora.
"Hey hey, Kousei san, Nah I should call you 'afraid-to-speak'-san Huhu," said Yozora
"It's normal, Yozora," I replied. "If the girl you love is near you, it can be surprising and exciting."
"Huh? 'The girl you love'? Huhu.. so you just admitted that you love her," Yozora said, teasing me.
"Sorry, I bit my tongue"
Yozora shot me a look that practically screamed, "Stop with the references before we get hit with a copyright strike."
"Well, there's no need to admit it," said Kai. "It's obvious that you love her. We're talking about Tsuki-chan, after all. She's bound to receive many proposals soon."
Wait, "Tsuki- chan"? He addresses her the same way Yozora did. In addition, Yozora and Kai are friends. I don't understand. So I asked about it.
Yozora filled me in, "We actually attended the same junior high. This building used to be our old junior high, but a couple of years back, it got transformed into a high school focusing on club activities. Our junior high relocated just a few meters away. So, we're familiar with all the teachers here. Well, except for the new faces, of course."
Ah, now pieces are falling into place. It's starting to make sense.
So that is why Adam didn't change Yozora from the fifth group. Adam already knows Yozora and Tsuki are friends. I see.
"So when are you going to confess your love to her?" asked Kai.
I SPAT MY COFFEE
"Confess? I don't have any plans to do that," I replied.
"Pffttt Hahaha, are you kidding me! Are you a loser?" Kai said with a laugh. "You have to confess your love to her."
"Huhu, seriously, your freshman year is like the jackpot for landing a girlfriend. It's a whole different ball game from just having a crush. Having a lover is like going from a flip phone to the latest smartphone," Yozora declared with absolute confidence, conveniently forgetting he's also riding the solo train.
"Sure, I'll confess, but hold up! I need prep time! Can't just dive in unprepared. Us introverts, we plan out our conversations a year in advance," I explained, as if I were plotting a top-secret mission rather than a simple confession of feelings.
"Ah, we got this! Let's strategically plan your epic love confession. LET'S DO IT" Yozora declared.
Man, they are too loud and excited.
"How about the School Festival or Tanabata Festival?" suggested Kai.
"Ohhh, School Festival is a great idea" said Yozora
Their brainstorming echoed through the room, and their laughter filled the air. Meanwhile, I felt like I'd known these two for ages, even though it had only been a couple of hours. Yozora and Kai were like a fresh breeze in my life, effortlessly making me feel comfortable and connected.
Back in the day, I thought Ren was a pal, but he never quite nailed that friend role. Yet with Yozora and Kai, it felt like I'd hit the jackpot in the friend department. It felt I could finally form real, meaningful relationships.
I got swept up in the excitement of making new friends, and the idea of confessing my love suddenly felt less daunting, more like a natural step. So, with a surge of newfound courage, I blurted out, "I will do it. I'll do it at the school festival! I'll confess my love to her during the school festival"
Then came the sinking realization... Oops, did I just say that out loud?
CRAP!!