As she gracefully walked to her seat, the sound of rain outside created a symphony.

Her long, sleek black hair flowed behind her like a river.

He was entranced by her every move, captivated by her quiet yet sociable demeanor.

If left alone, she found comfort in reading, but if someone approached her, she greeted them with a smile that could light up the room.

"Hey, Hana! What book are you reading?" One of her friends asked.

Hana's lips curved into a smile before answering. "The first volume of 'Rhapsody of the Otherworld.' Do you want me to lend it to you? I have a digital copy too."

Her friend hesitated for a moment, her eyes flickering with interest. "Hmm, I'm usually not into romance comedies, but since you offered, how can I refuse?"

As Hana's friend walked away with the book, he couldn't help but imagine himself in her shoes.

He longed to be the one to whom Hana offered her book, the one who could make her smile with a single word.

'Sadly, I'm way out of her league,' he thought.

'I'm always number two in everything, even though I've tried my best. But my best is never enough.' The high school boy was in love, but he felt inferior to Hana.

"Kaito, hey... Earth to Kaito," his friend interrupted his inner monologue.

"Hmm, yes?" he replied with just a hum, barely moving his lips.

'Ryota Takada, someone who excels at physical exercise but lacks in academics,' he thought as he remembered his classmate's greeting.

"Can I copy your homework?" Ryota asked, leaning over to his chair.

"Sure," Kaito replied emotionlessly, his mind still preoccupied with thoughts of Hana.

The classroom was filled with the sound of chatter and laughter as the students took a break between classes.

Hana noticed that Kaito was looking at her and she met his gaze, smiling warmly.

But Kaito immediately looked away, his eyes dropping down to the table.

Ryota noticed Kaito's distraction and leaned over to him, asking in a low voice, "Hey, why don't you just ask her out? You and Hana are the top two students in the whole school. You definitely have a chance."

Kaito sighed and shook his head. "She always beats me on every major subject - math, chemistry, biology, and even physics. I'm just not good enough for her."

Ryota rolled his eyes. "Dude, you're being too hard on yourself. You're smart and dedicated. And besides, it's not all about grades. Hana's a person too, you know. You just need to get to know her and show her what makes you special."

"Dream on," Kaito said as the bell rang indicating the class is starting.

He couldn't help but think to himself, "If only I could beat her in just one subject. Hana is naturally gifted, and I've given up everything to be the best, but I'm still lackluster. Video games? Quit years ago. Anime? I don't even know what's trending. Social life? I hardly have one. I study for six hours a day. What if I cut my sleep? Maybe I could study for two more hours if I only slept for six hours."

The lesson droned on, bells ringing to signal the end of yet another period.

The classroom emptied out, except for two top students who had brought their own lunches.

Kaito sat alone, eating his meal quietly, his gaze constantly drifting towards the clock.

To the casual observer, it might have seemed like he was merely checking the time, waiting for the lunch break to be over so he could leave.

But for Kaito, lunch break was the only time he could catch a glimpse of the girl he loved.

Through the reflection of the clock, he could see Hana's face clearly.

Even distorted and partially obscured, she was still the most beautiful thing he had ever laid eyes on.

He longed to sit beside her and share his lunch, to talk about anything and everything.

But he knew that was unlikely to happen.

Hana was always surrounded by friends or engrossed in a book, oblivious to the world around her.

As Kaito watched, he saw Hiroshi Tanaka, the most popular guy in class, approach her.

Hiroshi was known for his charm and good grades, but Kaito couldn't help feeling a twinge of jealousy whenever he saw them together.

He knew that Hiroshi often talked about things that Hana wasn't interested in, but she always listened politely, her smile never faltering.

As time passed, Kaito continued to watch the two of them, unnoticed.

He wondered if Hana would ever notice him, if she would ever return his feelings.

But for now, all he could do was watch and hope that one day, she would see him as more than just a classmate.

"Hanana~ Did you watch the newest episode of 'Fist and Awakening'? It's so fun, you should probably watch it," Hiroshi asked.

"Mhm. I will keep that in mind," Hana replied with a smile as she continued eating her lunch.

'Hana is politely telling him to leave her alone. Just let her be,' Kaito thought to himself.

"Oi, Hiro, we need one player for basketball, want to join?" one of Hiroshi's friends asked.

"Yeah, sure. I'll be there," Hiroshi shouted.

"Alright, I'll go on. Bye Hana, Bye Yuna," Hiroshi said.

"Hey, what do you think of Hiroshi? He's quite the smart and athletic guy. Are you interested in him?" Yuna asked Hana.

"Hmm? Hiro? I'm not romantically interested in anyone. I want to focus on my studies first," Hana replied with a smile.

"Eh? Really, really? You both are like the perfect couple in the whole school. It should be obvious if you have feelings for him," her friend continued.

Hana continued to eat her lunch while listening to her friend's words.

As the lunch break ended and the students returned to the classroom, Kaito couldn't help but feel the weight of unspoken feelings.

Suddenly, Aiko Kato came running into the classroom with a piece of bread and a book in her hand.

"Kaito! Kaito! I forgot to do my homework, can I copy yours real quick?" she said as she knelt beside his desk.

"Uh, sure. Here," Kaito replied nonchalantly.

"Why don't you ask Hana? She has better grades than me," Kaito suggested.

"I already asked her three times this week, and it's only Wednesday. I can't keep asking her, or she might think I'm a lazy sandwich," Aiko explained.

"Aren't you a lazy sandwich?" Kaito teased.

"Jeez, you're no different," Aiko replied.

'Aiko Kato - she always plays videogames, excels at mathematics, but struggles a lot with chemistry. Not very sociable either,' Kaito thought to himself.

"Alright, done. Here, thanks," Aiko said, handing him the book.

The lesson went on and soon it was finished.

The bell rang, and students could go home.

Hana usually stayed at school to do extracurricular activities while Kaito went straight home.

Kaito walked the same way as Hana, feeling awkward, but Hana didn't even seem to notice his presence. Suddenly, a basketball hit Kaito's face.

"Ouch!" Kaito fell to the ground and touched his nose, realizing that it was bleeding. He immediately passed out.

"Kaito? Kaito?" Hana tried to wake him, but there was no response.

"You threw it too far," said a distant voice.

"Did I hit someone?" asked another.

The basketball team immediately ran to the scene when they saw Kaito passed out.

"Yo, did he just pass out?" one of them asked worriedly, as they took in Kaito's still form on the ground.

"His nose is bleeding. I think we should carry him to the infirmary," another one suggested urgently.

Without hesitation, two of the team members carefully lifted Kaito up and carried him to the infirmary, where he lay down on a bed and rested for some time. After a while, he began to stir and opened his eyes.

"I passed out? I wasted more time not studying," Kaito groaned.

"Kaito? You're awake! It doesn't seem to be that severe," Hana said with relief as she looked up from her book.