Yokosuka High School, a lively center of youthful energy, bustled with students roaming the campus, each absorbed in their own interests.
Among the various classes, the first-year Section D—also known as the Honored Class—stood out, where everything that happened was under the control of the class representative, the "Ice Queen" Midori Saito, who had the brains and personality to match her striking looks.
She was renowned for her striking looks and blunt attitude, rarely displaying her emotions. Yet she wasn't the reason why the class had become the talk of the school.
The real reason behind the class's prestigious reputation was none other than the mysterious foreign transfer student who had shaken the entire school since his first day.
With his unmatched good looks and the elegant aura he exuded, he seemed almost like royalty.
To top it off, from his second day onward, he received a homemade bento every single day from Akari Rei—the most beautiful student in the second year and the school's unattainable flower.
She was known for her motherly nature, her radiant smile touching everyone without discrimination, and winning hearts with both her warmth and her voluptuous figure.
One day, as she delivered his bento and left after the bell rang, Akari unexpectedly returned, proposing to Eric.
When he turned her down, his popularity soared to new heights—these were the various rumors spreading throughout the school and even reaching the neighboring schools.
But Eric, though aware that he was quite handsome and admired by the students, had no idea it was to this extent.
_________
It was still early for school to start, and Eric had just been dropped off by his father.
The students in the campus playground turned their attention toward him, but Eric no longer felt bothered by it.
After a quick glance, they returned to their conversations, leading him to believe they had grown accustomed to his presence.
Little did he know, they were keenly aware of him and weren't simply getting used to it; they were carefully monitoring his every move while acting completely casual, poised to make bold claims and assert that they had witnessed everything if new rumors began to spread.
Just as he was about to walk through the school gate, Akari suddenly popped out from the side, flashing a bright smile with her bag held in front of her.
"Good morning, Eric-kun! The weather's so nice today, isn't it?" She greeted him, walking beside him with a slight blush on her cheeks.
"Indeed," Eric replied. He was no longer surprised by her timing.
Akari had been waiting for him every day to walk together from the school gate to the shoe lockers. If his father didn't drop him off, she would probably be waiting for him outside his house.
"Hehe, Eric-kun," she called out again, her voice light and playful as she walked beside him.
"Hmm?" Eric glanced at her, turning his head slightly while still walking.
"Hmhmm, it's nothing," she replied, a content smile spreading across her face as she walked beside him.
'Strange. As cute as that is, I can't help but wonder if this new yandere system is messing with her head.
If that's the case, I need to figure out a way to put a stop to it,' Eric thought, feeling a genuine concern for her even though he didn't show it on his face.
Without saying another word, they reached the lockers.
Akari's locker had a few confession letters, but it was nothing compared to Eric's, which was practically stuffed with love letters from girls and admiration notes from boys.
Akari waited for Eric to finish at his locker, and they walked together until they reached the stairs, where they had to part ways—Akari heading up to her class on the second floor, while Eric's class was on the first.
'Am I imagining this, or is Akari less dejected today?' Eric thought, observing her as she climbed the stairs.
'Usually, she droops the moment we part, dragging herself up the steps with a blank expression. But today, she seems... better. Maybe she's starting to adapt too,' he mused, noticing the cheerful look on her face as she made her way up.
'Hmm, I can't stop smiling since last night. What do I do with all this happiness inside me? I feel like skipping through the hallway!' Akari thought as she made her way to her classroom, her face lighting up with a bright smile as she greeted everyone she passed.
"Eric said we would go on an after-school date—a DATE! Just the two of us, walking together, holding hands.
I can't stop replaying last night in my mind. Maybe he'll make a move again, so I prepared two boxes of condoms, just in case... How I wish that case would actually happen," she thought, her cheeks warming at the possibility.
_________
'We've just started homeroom, and the first thing the teacher did was rearrange our seats. I've been moved back one row—not a bad spot, but now I'm stuck between Youta Akagi, the main character, and Midori saito right in front of me. Just great.'
'Being seated between these two is like walking on a tightrope—one wrong move, and I'll get tangled up in the whole mess with the MC and the heroine. Midori's progress bar is already triggered, but maybe if I just leave it alone and steer clear, she'll fall back into the original plotline and end up with the MC.
Still, that's gonna be a lot harder with things the way they are now.'
Eric had hoped to get through the class without any drama, and for a while, it seemed like he might actually manage it.
Both Youta and Midori had kept to themselves, and he was starting to think he might survive this seating arrangement until the next shuffle. But as lunch rolled around, everything changed.
Akari walked into the classroom, her bento in hand and a bright smile on her face.
But that smile quickly faded when she noticed that her usual seat, which was usually empty by now, was occupied by none other than Midori Saito.