Emi and I stood in front of the door to class 2-B. She reached out and touched the handle, opening it slowly. My classmates stared at us in silence. Emi squeezed my left hand tightly, as if protecting me from my classmates.
She leaned closer to my left ear and whispered, "You're my new seatmate, Inzo."
"B-but we aren't allowed to change seats in the classroom," I replied, my voice filled with uncertainty.
"Oh, but we can," she insisted with a tone of authority that sent shivers down my spine. "And also, I can protect you if I'm your seatmate, Inzo."
She pulled away from my left ear, and I looked at her with her innocent and kind smile as she continued. "So, shall we go now, Inzo?"
She squeezed my left hand tighter even more, like she was telling me that saying no was not an option.
"S-sure, lead the way, Emi," I replied, my voice barely above a whisper.
She smiled in response, causing my heart to flutter even more, and I blushed as we walked towards my new seat in the middle row, located near the window. She still held my left hand, and her head leaned against my shoulder with a lovely hum.
"Hmm~ hmm~ mmm~"
In that moment, it felt like the entire world consisted of only two of us in the classroom, with my classmates remaining silent, not daring to make a noise, just watching us. It was as if I had become the main character in a rom-com light novel.
But no, I'm not a main character and will never be because I'm just an ordinary student now who lost the singing voice and can't sing anymore. My schoolmates in Hanayami Academy despised me, and earlier, Emi saved me and took on the role of being my girlfriend to protect me.
She abruptly stopped humming as we reached my new seat, which had a table desk beside it. There, in that seat, sat a girl with short blue hair, blue eyes, and glasses.
She was wearing the Hanayami Academy uniform for girls, the same as what Emi was wearing right now: a blue blouse, a red ribbon on the collar, a navy blue skirt, and black stockings. She looked up at us nervously.
"You don't mind swapping seats with Inzo?" Emi's voice was gentle, but there was a hint of something darker beneath the surface.
The girl hesitated, her eyes darting nervously between Emi and me. "B-but Shinohara-san..." she started to protest, her voice trembling.
Emi's gaze intensified, her eyes locking onto the girl. "You wouldn't say no to my request, would you, Nakamura-san?" she asked with a tone of authority and a hint of anger.
Nakamura-san had no choice but to stand up quickly from the seat. "O-of course, Shinohara-san, I'll be going now," she stammered.
Emi simply watched Nakamura-san silently as she walked away and went to my original seat in the front row. Once she took a seat in her new seat, Emi turned her attention back to me.
"See, Inzo? Problem solved," she said with a sweet and kind smile.
"Thanks, Emi," I replied with a smile as I settled into my seat. Yet, deep inside, I couldn't shake the feeling of guilt for Nakamura-san. I should have spoken up for her, but the fear of Emi's jealousy, anger, and authority held me back.
As I gazed out of the window beside me, taking in the view of the cafeteria, trees, and fountain with benches for students to sit, Emi's playful voice interrupted my thoughts.
"You're really a main character, my beloved inzo~," Emi teased.
"I'm not a main character," I murmured, my gaze fixed on the scenery outside the window.
"But in my eyes, you're the main character."
"Then you're living in a dream, Emi, a dream that will never come true."
"Why don't you have trust in yourself, Inzo?"
I turned to look at her, who sat beside me. "A man like me who couldn't speak up for Nakamura-san just because I was afraid of upsetting you."
"Afraid of upsetting me?" she asked as her expression darkened.
"I-i'm sorry, Emi. I didn't mean to—" I stammered, but she cut me off.
"You should have been more afraid of what I'll do to anyone who dares to come between us, Inzo," Emi said with her voice cold and threatening.
I couldn't help but wonder at Emi's threat to me: does she want to be more than friends with me? But Emi saved me earlier by telling everyone in the second-floor hallway that I was her boyfriend, but was it only to protect me, or did she really mean what she told everyone earlier?
"Emi, are we—" I intended to ask about our relationship, but the door to our classroom swung open and interrupted me. It was our homeroom teacher, carrying his laptop bag as he made his way to the teacher's desk and placed it there.
"Good morning, everyone," he greeted us.
He was a man in his mid-twenties with black hair, dressed in a white dress shirt with long sleeves, a red necktie, black pants, a black belt, and black shoes.
"Good morning, Nishimura-sensei." We stood up from our seats and greeted him in unison.
"Good, you may all now take a seat," he said. We complied, and he continued. "I hope you're all ready for our lesson today because next week will be our final exams, and after that is the winter break."
I heard voices; some of our classmates, boys in the back seat, we're talking.
"We have to go through hell first before we can enjoy heaven."
"Yeah, you're right, bro. It's depressing to think about it."
"But finishing the final exams means we'll get to go on vacation, right?"
"Yeah, and then we can play video games together nonstop. It will be the best vacation ever."
"Yeah, no doubt about it."
"Are you ready for the final exams, Inzo?" Emi asked me, her voice filled with gentleness and concern.
"Y-yeah, I am, Emi. I think I can catch up and review before the final exams next week."
"That's good to hear, Inzo. But I'll always be by your side to help you with your studies."
"T-thank you, Emi," I stammered, feeling the jealous stares from the boys in the back row directed at me.
"Tsk! Too annoying, all this drama. It's a pain in my eyes to see trash and useless getting a girl like Shinohara-san. What's so special that Shinohara-san finds in him, especially when he's trash and can't sing anymore?" The other boy sitting in the back row remarked.
"Yeah, bro, I would agree. It would make sense if Shinohara-san is going out with you than she's going out with nothing," his friend and seatmate replied.
Their words stung, but it's true that I am useless because I have lost my singing voice. But before I could dwell more on those thoughts, Emi's gentle voice broke through.
"Don't pay attention to them, Inzo," Emi said, gently squeezing my right hand. "They're just jealous of us."
"But, Emi, what they said about me is true," I said, looking down.
"I hate it when you doubt yourself like this, Inzo," she said, gripping my hand tighter. "Don't let their opinions affect you. If everything they said was true, then why would I stay by your side?"
"You only stayed by my side, Emi, because you're my one and only—!"
Before I could finish, Emi pulled me into a tight hug, her embrace cutting off my words as she covered my mouth with her right hand.
"Did you forget that we're pretending to be lovers here in school?" she whispered into my ear as she let go of her right hand, allowing me to speak.
"N-no," I mumbled.
"If you would've said the word 'friend' earlier, our classmates would see me as a liar, and I couldn't protect you," she explained, her tone firm. "So, I want you to think again and say the correct word now that fits our relationship."
"G-girlfriend!" I blurted out, my voice echoing through the classroom. The boys in the back row glared at me with jealousy and anger, while some of my classmates in the front and middle rows looked on in silence.
Emi released me from the hug and planted a soft kiss on my left cheek.
"E-emi..." I stammered, my face burning red.
After the kiss, she gently pulled away but kept her hands cupping my face. "I'm your girlfriend, Inzo, and that means I will always stay by your side, even if everyone in Japan were against you or if the whole world turned its back on you. Please remember that, Inzo."
"O-okay, Emi, I understand," I replied, smiling at her. Emi smiled back warmly, but before she could respond, someone interrupted us.
"Ahem..." Nishimura-sensei cleared his throat, catching our attention. "Sorry to interrupt your moment, Hayashi-san and Shinohara-san, but may I start with my lesson now?"
"S-sure, Nishimura-sensei," Emi replied, her smile still kind but her blue-grey eyes glaring intensely at Nishimura-sensei.
I could feel Emi's frustration at being interrupted; her anger was evident even behind her smile. It was clear that she wasn't pleased with Nishimura-sensei's interruption earlier.
"Thank you, Shinohara-san. Now, before we begin the lesson, I would like everyone to retrieve their notebooks and pens from the locker steel cabinet at the back of the classroom," Nishimura-sensei instructed.
"Understood, Nishimura-sensei," we responded in unison.
All of my classmates stood up, and just as I was about to follow suit, Emi interrupted me.
"I'll be the one getting your notebook and pen, Inzo. Just give me your key since I'm your girlfriend," she said assertively.
"Okay," I agreed, reaching into my right pocket for the key and handing it to her as she stood up from her seat.
"I'll be going now, Inzo. Wait for a while here," Emi instructed, before walking away.
"Okay, Emi," I replied, watching her as she made her way to the locker steel cabinet. Our classroom had two of them, each accommodating up to 12 students, so Emi headed to the second one to find my belongings.
The students' names were labeled on each cabinet for identification. Emi quickly located mine, unlocked it with the key I had given her, and retrieved my notebook and pen. After closing my locker, she went to her own cabinet to grab her own notebook and pen before returning to our table.
"Here you go, Inzo," Emi said with a smile as she placed the notebook and pen in front of me.
"Thanks, Emi. You really didn't have to do that," I replied as she took a seat.
"Of course I would. We're in this together, aren't we?" Emi replied with a smile.
I nodded, touched by her kindness. "Yeah, thanks for always looking out for me."
"It's my job as your girlfriend," Emi said playfully, grinning. "Now let's get ready for the math class."
The math lesson began, and it was also the last lesson that Nishimura-sensei would discuss before the final exams next week. As Nishimura-sensei wrote on the board, explaining formulas and problems and solving them step by step, my classmates and I copied down the notes diligently, including Emi, who sat beside me.
After the discussion, Nishimura-sensei assigned us five problems to solve in our notebooks. I copied the questions into my notebook and began solving them, following each step carefully. It took me about ten minutes to finish, and as I placed my pen beside my notebook, I stretched my arms upward with a satisfying crack.
"Finally, I'm done," I murmured, not wanting to disturb my classmates who were still working.
Suddenly, I noticed an intense stare coming from my seatmate, Emi Shinohara, who was smiling at me.
"Are you done too, Emi?" I asked.
"Yeah, all done, Inzo," she replied confidently.
"I believe you'll get a perfect score, Emi."
"Oh? What makes you say that, Inzo?"
"Because you're the top-ranked student in our class, Emi, so it's not a shock to me if you've got a perfect score later after the checking."
"Well, that's true that I'm the top-ranked student in our class, that's why I'm confident. But let's turn this question around. What do you think of your possible score, Inzo?"
"I think... I only got three of these five math problems correct."
"I see. Well, I have something to say, Inzo."
"What is it?"
She leaned closer to me and whispered into my right ear. "Do you want to know my answers for numbers 1 to 5? I can give them to you if you want~"
I swallowed my saliva, feeling tempted by the offer. After all, it was the top-ranked student of our class, Emi Shinohara, who was offering it to me, and we also lived together in her mansion. Any high school boy in my situation would have accepted this without hesitation.
But only two questions were uncertain for me, so if I ended up with a 3/5, it wouldn't be too bad.
"N-no... I'm a responsible and honest student. I will not commit cheating," I said quietly, making sure only Emi could hear my voice. If I said it loudly, it wouldn't just be me facing punishment, but Emi as well.
"B-but you'll get a perfect score, you know~?" she teased.
"I know, but I want to be honest," I replied.
"Is that so?" she asked, pulling away from my ear and smiling kindly. "Well, if that's what you say, then I'll respect your decision, Inzo."
"Everyone, stop writing. Finished or not, exchange papers with your seatmates," Nishimura-sensei announced.
Emi and I exchanged papers. As I looked at her answers, I couldn't help but feel impressed. The solutions were precise and accurate, step by step. I also realized that my earlier feeling about two of my answers being wrong was correct; they were indeed different from Emi's.
On the other hand, Emi couldn't help but giggle as she looked at my answer in my notebook.
"Nice try. Better luck next time. It would've been a different outcome if you had accepted my offer earlier, my beloved Inzo," she teased, still glancing at my answer.
"No, thank you; I'm fine with a 3/5 score," I replied immediately.
She paused to look at my paper and then glanced at me. "Let's see if it's really just a '3 out of 5' as you predicted for your score, Inzo."
"W-what do you mean, Emi?"
Before Emi could reply, a voice interrupted us.
"Let's start checking, everyone," Nishimura-sensei announced.
Emi couldn't reply as Nishimura-sensei began explaining the first problem and how to solve it step by step. After Nishimura-sensei explained and solved the first problem to the fifth problem, he instructed, "Count the correct answers from your classmates and put 'corrected by' beside the score."
We followed and counted the correct answers from my seatmates. In Emi's case, she got five out of five. I noted the score and added "corrected by: Inzo Hayashi" beside it. Then, I turned to the right side, where Emi sat.
"Here's your notebook, Emi," I said, handing her notebook to her with my right hand.
"Thank you, Inzo," she replied, accepting her notebook and passing me mine. "Here's yours too."
"Thanks, Emi," I said, taking my notebook and immediately flipping through the pages. When I found my recent paper with the score, I was shocked in disbelief.
"What the heck?!! Is this some kind of joke?!" I shouted as I looked at her.
"No, it's not a joke, Inzo," she replied calmly, still looking at her notebook, which I had checked earlier, before looking back at me. "We have the same score. Congratulations, Inzo. You've got a perfect score," she said with a kind smile.
I looked at numbers 2 and 3 on my paper. My final answers there had changed, and they were replaced with correct answers. How did Emi do it? It seemed impossible. There were no traces of erasures, and she perfectly copied my writing style. Is she really that much of a genius?
My classmates looked at me with intrigue and curiosity, and I realized I couldn't protest or say anything more to Emi about my score being 5 out of 5. If I did, it could start a rumor that I cheated by forcing Emi to replace my wrong answers. Not only would my reputation suffer, but so would Emi's, as the class representative of our class 2-B.
She had protected me too much by pretending to be my girlfriend, and I couldn't afford to damage her reputation further.
"HAHAHA! "I laughed awkwardly and added. "I'm sorry for my violet reaction earlier, guys, but I was just shocked earlier because I never expected that a student like me would get a perfect score. Maybe my studying while I was in the hospital alone paid off after all."
It was silent as I looked at my classmates. I didn't even hear a response from them or from Nishimura-sensei. Then, suddenly, one of the girls in the front row spoke to her seatmate.
"I didn't expect Hayashi-san could do advanced study in math while being hospitalized," she said.
"Yeah, is he really that much of a genius?" her seatmate asked.
"Yes, he's a genius and has the potential to surpass Shinohara-san in academics. Maybe that's why Shinohara-san chose him as her boyfriend," the girl replied to her seatmate.
After she said that, the gossip spread like wildfire in our classroom. Many of my classmates talked about me and shared their opinions, but the boys in the back row remained suspicious, staring at me with jealous eyes.
"He probably cheated on the activity. There's no way he could study in the hospital," the boy whispered to his seatmate.
"Yeah, you're right. It's impossible for someone like him, a trash, to get a perfect score in a math activity," his seatmate replied.
Their words struck a nerve, to be honest. Before I lost my singing voice and popularity in our school, I would only get two or three mistakes in math quizzes. Getting a perfect score was unheard of for me.
"Maybe he copied answers from Shinohara-san?" The seatmate asked the boy.
"That jerk... He's just using Shinohara-san for his own benefit."
Suddenly, there was a sharp sound, like a slam on the table.
*BAAM!*
It was Emi who did that, and our classmates fell silent at her action as she stood up, turned back, and faced the boys in the back row.
"How dare you accuse Inzo of cheating!" Emi's voice was sharp, cutting through the tense silence in the classroom. "He worked hard for that score, and he doesn't need to cheat to prove his intelligence in math. You should be ashamed of yourselves for even accusing him!"
"Come on, Shinohara-san, we're just stating the obvious. It's not like Hayashi-san suddenly became a genius, so it's pretty clear that he received some help," one of the boys in the back row replied with a smirk.
"Don't get me wrong, even if I'm his girlfriend, I don't freely give him my answers just because he's my boyfriend."
"Well, how do we believe your words, Shinohara-san, when you're just trying to protect him?"
"I see... So you won't believe me, huh?" Emi asked with a grin. "If that's the case, then how about we ask someone who watched us while we were taking the activity earlier?" Emi turned to look at Nishimura-sensei. "Did you see Inzo copying my answers, Nishimura-sensei?"
"I didn't, Shinohara-san. Hayashi-san was answering the whole time when the activity started and didn't look at you, so he didn't cheat."
Emi turned back to face the boys in the back row. "See? Nishimura-sensei said that Inzo didn't cheat. The reason why you accused Inzo is because of your jealousy that he got a perfect score in the math activity while you didn't."
"I'm not jealous, Shinohara-san!" the boy said as he stood up and looked at Emi. "I'm better than him, Shinohara-san. Why don't you go out with me instead of a trash like Hayashi-san?"
The boy's seatmate reacted, "Hey bro, why did you just confess to Shinohara-san now? It's really bad timing, you'll get reje—!"
"So, Shinohara-san, dump Hayashi-san and go out with me," the boy added as he extended his hand in invitation.
While I was still standing beside her, I wanted to hold her hand with my right hand, but we're just friends, and I don't want to make things confusing, especially since Emi is only pretending to be my girlfriend to protect me. However, the feeling in my heart urged me to reach out—to tell her that I'm here and that I need her.
As my right hand moved to grasp hers, she looked at me, perhaps sensing my intention. She smiled, but it wasn't just any smile—it was a reassurance. A reassurance that she wouldn't leave me for someone else.
Then, she took my right hand in hers, holding it firmly as she looked at me.
"You're my boyfriend, and that means I won't replace you with someone who has a trashy attitude," Emi said firmly.
"W-what?!" the boy stuttered, his eyes widening in shock. "Am I rejected?"
"Yes, you are," Emi replied coldly as she looked at him.
"It's a joke, right, Shinohara-san? You chose trash like him over me? Is this some romcom bullshit straight out of a manga or light novel? This is real life, real life!!" he shouted, his black eyes are full in denial.
"Who are you?" Emi asked, her question catching the boy off guard. "I don't even remember your name from the first day of school. I had to look at the attendance sheet to know your name. That's why It's better to be with someone who is a kind person and a known student like Inzo than to be with an unknown person and who has a toxic attitude like you."
"Y-you didn't remember my name the whole time, Shinohara-san?" The boy's voice trembled, his eyes welling up with tears.
Suddenly, the bell rang, signaling the end of the first period class and the start of the second period.
*PIN PON! PIN PON! PIN PON!*
"I'll be going now. Class, wait for your next teacher to arrive. See you tomorrow. Goodbye, class," Nishimura-sensei announced.
Some of my classmates stood up to bid farewell to Nishimura-sensei. Emi and I turned to face him, bowing in unison. "Goodbye and thank you, Nishimura-sensei."
As Nishimura-sensei left our classroom, we took our seats again, waiting for our next teacher to arrive. The boy in the back row, who had confessed his feelings to Emi earlier, sat there quietly, his expression a mix of sadness and disappointment.
————
"Haaa...." I sighed to myself, feeling tired as I descended the stairs to the second floor of the academy building. Exiting the building, I made my way to the administrative building, where the sliding doors automatically opened as I stepped inside. In front of me was the reception desk, where two girls, dressed in navy blue blazers with white collared shirts and black skirts, greeted me.
"Good morning, Nishimura-sensei."
"Good morning," I replied.
"What's your purpose here? Don't you have a class?" One of the two girls asked me.
"I'm here to visit the principal's office. Saito-sensei asked to meet me after my class in class 2-B."
"Okay, Nishimura-sensei. You can go ahead to the principal's office. See you later."
"Thank you," I said with a smile as I walked away and headed for the stairs leading to the second floor.
Arriving at the second floor, I stood in front of the principal's office and knocked on the door.
"Excuse me, Saito-sensei. I have a meeting scheduled with you after my class in class 2-B. May I come in?"
"Ah, yes, you can, Nishimura-sensei."
I touched the handle and pulled the door open, stepping inside and closing the door behind me. I turned to look at Principal Saito, who was seated in a high-quality black ergonomic office chair behind a luxurious mahogany desk. The desk had some intricate carvings and ornate details, and there was a brown suitcase resting on top of it. Saito-sensei, a man in his forties with black hair, was dressed in a gray suit with a crisp white dress shirt and a navy blue tie.
"What did you want to talk to me about, Saito-sensei?"
"About the task I assigned you earlier this morning, you seem to follow it right without a mistake, Nishimura-sensei?"
"Y-yes, I followed it exactly as you instructed. I didn't interfere when Shinohara-san allowed Hayashi-san to become her new seatmate and protected them both."
"Excellent work, Nishimura-sensei. As a reward for following my instructions, this is for you." Saito-sensei unzipped the brown suitcase, revealing stacks of 10,000 yen bills neatly arranged inside.
My eyes widened at the sight, and a droplet of saliva formed at the corner of my mouth. It was tempting to see so much money, and I couldn't help but wonder how much was there in total.
"That's 16 million yen, Nishimura-sensei," Saito-sensei said, noticing my gaze and smiling. "Quite tempting, isn't it?"
"C-can I take it all?" I asked, still fixated on the stacks of 10,000 yen bills in the brown suitcase.
"Don't be foolish, Nishimura-sensei. We're going to split it in half, you know?"
"So, someone else ordered you to do it too, Saito-sensei?"
"Yes, do you really think I could give you 16 million yen as a reward? HAHAHA!" Nishimura-sensei chuckled. "The salary here as the principal at Hanayami Academy isn't that generous. It's not within my capability or budget to give you such a hefty reward."
"Then who ordered you, Saito-sensei? Is it the Shinohara family?"
"Hahaha! You have quite the imagination, Nishimura-sensei. But no, it's not them. It's the Harashino family."
"The Harashino family?!" I exclaimed in shock, my eyes widening. "Why would the Harashino family, one of the biggest investors in our school, care about Shinohara-san and Hayashi-san and even give us a 16 million yen reward?"
"Why trouble yourself with mysteries, Nishimura-sensei? I'm sure the Harashino family finds Shinohara-san and Hayashi-san to be a cute couple, and they see them as an interesting plaything. So, they're willing to spend a huge sum to make it happen. Besides, you have a wife and kids, right?"
"Yes, that's right, Saito-sensei. I do have a family."
"Then this reward will be a great help to you, and for me too, since I have a family as well. So, we'll split it, and we'll each have 8 million yen." He removed some stacks of 10,000 yen from the brown suitcase, leaving it with 8 million yen, and handed it to me.
"T-thank you, Saito-sensei," I said, bowing to him. I zipped up the suitcase and prepared to take it with me.
"Make sure to keep your phone on, Nishimura-sensei. You never know when another task like this might come up."
"I will, Saito-sensei. Goodbye."
"Goodbye, Nishimura-sensei. Take care."
Leaving the principal's office, I headed to the staff room. There, I found a spacious locker where I could put the brown suitcase temporarily. It would raise suspicions if I were seen carrying it around all the time, so I needed to hide it and retrieve it later after finishing my duties for the day.
————
The three classes passed by as the bell rang, indicating that it was lunch break.
But during those three classes, I couldn't help but find myself happy and enjoying the time because Emi and I kept talking and helping each other in the discussions.
Her smile and her sweet giggle always made me blush and feel closer to her. I couldn't help but wish for myself:
"What if Emi could become my girlfriend? I know we're pretending to be lovers now, but the reason Emi agreed to pretend to be my girlfriend was to protect me from my schoolmates at Hanayami Academy. But now, I want it to be real."
The feeling of loneliness and sadness I felt in my heart during the time when I was alone in my hospital room, except for my mother and Emi, who kept visiting me and comforting me, while everyone from my school didn't visit me and seemed to hate me after I lost the competition and my singing voice.
They saw me as nothing and useless, but Emi didn't see me that way. Instead, she stayed by my side and became my one and only friend. She didn't feel disgusted or change her attitude toward me when I lost my singing voice.
I remembered when Emi and I first met on the first day of school, I only saw her as a kind friend and a fan who supported me. Even yesterday, it was weird and scary how she put all of my pictures in her room and how clingy she was, calling me "my beloved."
She even said yesterday that she was open to that kind of relationship, being more than friends. So, what if every act of her kindness and worry for me was because she also liked me? What if she was just waiting for me to make a move and confess my feelings for her?
"Can we go to the school rooftop, Emi?"
"Why, Inzo? It's lunchtime. Don't you want to go to my van? There's a dining table there and delicious food prepared by my private chefs. More importantly, we could eat together peacefully without a murmur or whispers from our schoolmates."
"But can we just talk on the school rooftop first, Emi? I just want to say something, and I feel like it's the right place to say it."
"Alright, if you say so, Inzo," she said with a smile.
We stood up and held hands, leaving the classroom as we made our way to the stairs. We arrived at the rooftop, greeted by the empty space and fresh air.
I closed the door behind us, and we walked to the center of the rooftop. Emi let go of my hand, and we looked at each other—her blue-grey eyes meeting my black ones. She was waiting for me to speak, the wind rustling through her long, dark, wolf-cut hair.
She was truly the epitome of beauty, but right now, this wasn't the time to be shy or embarrassed around her. I needed to speak out what my heart wanted and be a man.
"Emi, I want to make this a real thing between us."
"W-what do you mean, Inzo?" Emi asked, her cheeks turning a deep shade of red.
"Do you remember when we first met, Emi?"
"Yes, Inzo, it was last school year when we were first-year high school students."
"After my performance, you approached me, just like how all the other girls did at that time. You told me that you wanted to be my friend, which I agreed to. It was nice to have many girls as friends before who supported me. But when I lost my singing voice, all of the girls who were my friends in Hanayami Academy turned their backs on me. They didn't even visit me at the hospital. But the only friend who visited me was you, Emi."
"Of course I would! I was too worried about what happened to you. I'm not like other girls who only stand by you when you're successful. I stayed because I wanted to."
"Thank you, Emi. I'm glad you stayed by my side, even when I was at my lowest," I said, holding back my tears. "You were the only one who helped me overcome the loneliness and sadness I felt in the hospital. That's why..."
"That's why I want to ask you, Emi, from the depths of my heart... Can you be my girlfriend, Emi Shinohara?"
Her response was a wide grin as she held onto my red tie, pulling me closer to her until our lips were just inches apart.
"Emi...?" I asked, my heart pounding in my chest.
"I've been waiting for this moment, Inzo, for you to say those words from your own mouth and finally confess your feelings to me."
"What's your answer, Emi?" I asked, my cheeks flushing with embarrassment.
"Isn't my answer obvious, Inzo?" She leaned in closer, her lips almost touching mine. "It's a yes. I will be your girlfriend starting today and forever." With that, she pressed her lips to mine.
Her lips were warm and soft against mine, melting my heart and bringing tears to my eyes.
As she pulled away, still holding onto my red tie, she saw my tears and gently wiped them away with her thumb.
"You're too cute to see you in this state, Inzo, very vulnerable and soft."
"Stop teasing me, Emi. I'm not crying! "I protested, but despite my words, tears continued to fall uncontrollably.
"I won't stop, Inzo," she said as she let go of my red tie and hugged me tightly, gently caressing my back. "It's your emotions, your heart melting from our first kiss. Let your tears flow; don't hold them back."
I nodded, unable to speak, as tears continued to fall from my eyes. It felt good to release all the pent-up emotions, especially after that special moment with Emi. Despite losing my singing voice and being despised by my schoolmates, Emi stood by my side, and now she was my girlfriend. I felt incredibly lucky to have her.
Five minutes had passed, and I finally stopped crying, pulling away from Emi's embrace. She gently cupped my face in her warm hands.
"Ah, there are three words I forgot to tell you earlier, Inzo."
"Oh, what is it?" I asked, managing a small smile, though I already knew what she was going to say.
"I love you, Inzo Hayashi," she said, her smile sweet and warm, making me blush once again.
"I love you too, Emi Shinohara," I replied, feeling overwhelmed with emotion.
We shared another passionate kiss before she pulled away, releasing her hands from my face. Our eyes met again, and we both smiled at each other.
Suddenly, the rooftop door opened, and we turned to see a girl with long brown hair cascading down her shoulders and brown eyes, dressed in the Hanayami Academy uniform.
"Magandang hapon, Inzo-kun. 4-Nen-buri ni yatto aemashita," (Good afternoon, Inzo. I finally met you for the first time in 4 years.) She greeted me with a friendly smile.
"K-karina Nakashima?!" I exclaimed in shock. She is half Filipino and half Japanese, and we were friends in elementary school. However, she left after the sixth grade, saying she would pursue a career as an actress and model in the Philippines. I remembered the promise we made back then.
We promised that when we met again, we would both have achieved our dreams: she as a famous actress and model, and me as a popular singer.
However, my dream ended when I lost my singing voice last month. While I was in the hospital, I scrolled through social media on my phone and found out that Karina had become popular in the Philippines. She earned the title of "child prodigy" with numerous awards for her appearances in movies, commercials, and Filipino television dramas.
I never imagined she would return to Japan wearing the Hanayami Academy uniform. Does that mean she left the Philippines to continue her career as an actress and model here?
"I'm glad you remember my name, Inzo-kun. I thought you would have completely forgotten me," Karina said with a hint of nostalgia in her voice, her eyes briefly glancing towards Emi, who stood beside me.
"Inzo, who is she?" Emi asked, holding my left shoulder with a tight grip as she narrowed her blue-grey eyes.
"Oh, you must be Shinohara-san. Inzo and I were friends in elementary school. You're his girlfriend, aren't you? How... Ugl—cute," Karina's words dripped with sarcasm, her gaze challenging Emi.
"And you must be Nakashima-san. Nice to meet you. I hope you don't mind, but Inzo and I were just in the middle of something," Emi replied.
"Of course, I understand. I wouldn't want to intrude on your special moment. But it seems like Inzo and I have to talk first since we just met for the first time in four years, don't we?" Karina's tone was polite but firm.
"Y-yeah, you're right, Karina," I said nervously.
After I said that, I felt Emi's grip on my left shoulder tighten even more. Did I just make her jealous?
"A-aww... It hurts, Emi," I winced in pain.
"Ah, I'm sorry, my beloved Inzo, but you seemed to be shy and embarrassed earlier. It's like you wanted me to join you while you were going to talk to Nakashima-san, right, my beloved Inzo?" Emi tightened her grip on my left shoulder, her intense blue-grey eyes locked onto mine.
"Y-yeah, I was embarrassed to tell Karina earlier that I wanted to invite you," I admitted, looking at Emi before Karina. "So, Karina, can we talk and have lunch together while Emi is by my side?" I asked, mustering a smile, hoping Karina would agree before my left shoulder gave out.
"F-fine..." Karina sighed, reluctantly agreeing. "Well, it would be nice if it were just the two of us, but it seems like someone doesn't want that to happen," she said as she stared at Emi.
"Well, I'm sorry, but I don't like snakes. And I've heard the Philippines has a hot temperature, with some places having snakes and who knows, maybe there's a snake lurking around, and I need to watch out. It'd be terrible if Inzo got bitten by a snake and got poisoned, affecting his mind," Emi retorted, glaring at Karina.
Ah, these two girls... It seems like they will never get along.