It was one of those typical mornings where the chatter in the classroom hummed like a low, constant buzz. Students shuffled in, casually chatting, adjusting their desks, and getting ready for the day. I sat at my usual spot by the window, half-listening to the conversations around me. The sunlight streamed through the glass, illuminating a patch of the floor in front of me. My mind, however, was elsewhere—specifically plotting my next move to push Rika into the rom-com web I'd so carefully started spinning.
Then, Rika burst through the door.
He was breathing heavily, his tousled black hair sticking out in every direction, as if he'd sprinted to school. There was a light sheen of sweat glistening on his forehead, and he paused for a moment, his eyes scanning the room like a deer caught in headlights.
"Good morning, Rika," I said, raising an eyebrow. "Overslept today?"
Rika scratched his cheek sheepishly, a slight blush creeping up his neck. "W-well, you could say that," he stammered, his gaze shifting away as if hoping the topic would be dropped.
I leaned back in my chair, suppressing a smirk. Rika always wore his emotions on his sleeve. His disheveled appearance and flustered demeanor practically screamed that something interesting had happened. Perhaps he'd had a run-in with Miyuki or Asuka before arriving at school. A scenario I'd certainly enjoy hearing about.
"Judging by his behavior, something happened this morning," I thought, quietly observing as Rika fidgeted with his collar, clearly overheated. My curiosity was piqued, but I wasn't close enough to push for details—yet. I'd file this moment away for future investigation.
As Rika settled into his seat, I couldn't help but notice Asuka, sitting a few rows ahead, glancing over at him with her usual soft smile. The way her face lit up when she greeted him was almost too innocent, too pure. It was the kind of unspoken affection that could drive any rom-com protagonist crazy with confusion. Perfect for my plans.
I also didn't miss the dark looks from a few boys nearby, their expressions sour as they watched Rika and Asuka interact. It was almost laughable—how cliché could this get?
"How typical," I thought to myself, smirking slightly. "A nice guy like Rika, oblivious to the way he's upsetting the fragile social ecosystem of his classmates. Boys like that have no idea how much envy they can generate just by existing."
This was exactly what I needed to keep things interesting. The more friction and tension I could create within the class, the more opportunities I'd have to manipulate the narrative. And if a group of jealous boys ended up being useful to me, well... all the better.
"Looks like I'll need to start getting to know these classmates," I mused, letting out a small, tired sigh. "What a hassle."
The bell rang, and our history teacher shuffled into the room, launching into his usual monotone lecture about some ancient battle that I couldn't care less about. I jotted down notes automatically, my hand moving on autopilot while my mind wandered far beyond the confines of the classroom.
"Who was the first person who decided to milk a cow?" I wondered absently, staring blankly at the blackboard. "What kind of thought process leads to that decision?"
My thoughts spiraled into increasingly random musings, none of them remotely related to the lesson at hand. "Most love triangles aren't even triangles," I found myself thinking. "They're bipods. A true love triangle would have all three people in love with each other."
I stifled a yawn, trying to stay awake as my brain continued its aimless journey. The lecture droned on, and I was dangerously close to dozing off when Rika, sitting next to me, leaned over and whispered in a hesitant voice.
"Raven-san, would you mind going with me to get some drinks?"
Surprised, I glanced over at him, raising an eyebrow. Rika rarely initiated conversations like this, and he looked nervous—more than usual, anyway. "Huh?" I said, blinking away my sleepiness. "Sure, let's go. I was thinking of getting some cold coffee anyway."
"Interesting..." I thought as I stood up, stretching my legs. "I didn't expect Rika to initiate contact so soon. Maybe I'm making more progress than I thought."
I was intrigued now. Something about Rika's tone told me this wasn't just a casual invitation to grab a drink. There was something more to this, and I was eager to find out what.
As we walked down the hallway toward the vending machines, the atmosphere felt oddly charged. Rika seemed fidgety, his hands buried deep in his pockets as he stared straight ahead. I decided to probe a bit, curious about what was really going on.
"So," I said, glancing over at him, "what are you planning to buy?"
Rika scratched the back of his head, looking embarrassed. "W-well, to be honest, I lost a bet to Miyuki-san, and now I have to buy her a drink and deliver it to her class."
Ah. So that's what this was about.
I couldn't help but smirk. "So, I'm basically here for moral support while you deliver a drink to a popular girl in another class?" I thought, amused by how classic this scenario was. It was the kind of thing that would have any self-conscious high school boy sweating bullets.
"Don't worry," I said, patting him on the shoulder with mock seriousness. "I get it. Showing up alone would be... awkward, to say the least."
Rika sighed, clearly relieved that I understood his plight. "You've completely read me, Raven-san."
"So," I continued, grinning now, "what drink are you getting her? Something romantic?"
Rika's blush deepened, and he quickly shook his head. "It's not like that! I'm just getting her a Sugar Crush. It's a soda we used to drink together when we were kids."
"Oh?" I said, chuckling. "Didn't know you were such a romantic, Rika."
Rika's face flushed even more, but this time he didn't back down. "It's nothing like that," he said confidently, surprising me.
Interesting. Rika was more comfortable around me than I'd realized. Maybe this whole rom-com plan was moving along faster than I'd anticipated.
When we reached the vending machines, Rika and I both selected the infamous Sugar Crush. The can's bright, neon colors and playful font screamed sugar overload, but I figured I'd give it a try for the sake of solidarity.
We cracked open the cans, and I took a sip.
Big mistake.
The sweetness hit me like a freight train. It was as if someone had distilled pure sugar into liquid form and then added more sugar for good measure. I winced, trying not to spit it out.
"One sip of this and you'll get diabetes," I thought, horrified. "But I guess it lives up to its name."
"This is ridiculously sweet," I muttered, grimacing slightly.
Rika laughed a little, clearly enjoying my reaction. "Miyuki-san and I used to drink these a lot when we were kids," he explained. "I think she still likes them."
I couldn't resist teasing him. "Didn't know you were such a softie."
Rika smiled, shaking his head. "It's just a drink, Raven-san."
"Huh," I thought, mildly impressed by his sudden burst of confidence. Maybe Rika wasn't as clueless as I'd originally thought. He had his moments of clarity, even if they were few and far between.
With drinks in hand, we made our way to Class 1-C, where Miyuki's domain lay. As we approached, Rika's steps grew more hesitant, his earlier confidence quickly fading. I hung back slightly, watching with a knowing smirk. This was going to be good.
Rika stepped into the classroom, immediately drawing the attention of Miyuki and her gaggle of friends. The room fell silent for a moment as everyone turned to watch the unfolding scene.
"Hello, Miyuki-san," Rika said, clearing his throat nervously.
Miyuki turned around, her eyes lighting up when she saw him. "Oh! Rika-kun," she said with a teasing smile. "What brings you here? Are you finally asking me out on a date?"
Rika nearly dropped the can of Sugar Crush in his hand. His face turned an impressive shade of red as he stammered, "N-no! I just came to give you this drink. I... uh, lost a bet, remember?."
He handed her the can with both hands, as if it were some kind of sacred offering. Miyuki's friends giggled, clearly entertained by the interaction.
Miyuki took the can, her smile widening. "How sweet of you, Rika-kun," she said, her tone dripping with playful sarcasm. "You really know how to make a girl feel special."
I watched the whole thing from the doorway, biting back laughter. This was gold. Pure, unadulterated rom-com gold.
"Any more of this and I might get a nosebleed," I muttered under my breath, rubbing my nose with a grin.
Just as Rika finished his task and turned to leave, I felt a familiar chill run down my spine. I glanced to the side, and there she was.
Yūna Kishimoto. The student council president. The only person who has my weakness. At least I remember her name now.
Of course. Of course she'd be here. Why wouldn't she be?
Her dark eyes locked onto mine, and I could see the flicker of recognition in her gaze. A small smirk tugged at her lips, and she started to open her mouth.
"Oh, this is you, pajam—"
Panic shot through me like a bolt of lightning. Before I knew what I was doing, I lunged forward, clapping my hand over her mouth and cutting her off mid-sentence.
"Ahem! Yes, nice to see you too, Kishimoto-san," I said, my voice strained as I tried to keep my cool. "But as you can see, we're in a bit of a hurry, so... let's not revisit the past, okay?"
Yūna raised an eyebrow, clearly amused by my desperate attempt to silence her. She didn't push the matter, though, which I appreciated. Still, I could feel the heat rising to my face, and for the first time in a long time, I was genuinely flustered.
Rika, blissfully unaware of my internal crisis, glanced over at me, confused. "Do you know her, Raven-san?"
I let out a shaky laugh, my hand still firmly over Yūna's mouth. "Yeah... something like that."
Yūna's eyes sparkled with mischief, and I knew this wasn't the end of it. She was going to milk this for all it was worth. I could feel it in my bones.
Without another word, I grabbed Rika's arm and practically dragged him out of the classroom, walking as fast as I could without breaking into a full-on sprint.
"What was that about?" Rika asked, genuinely curious.
I gritted my teeth, trying to compose myself. "Nothing. Don't worry about it," I muttered, my mind racing. "Let's just... never speak of this again."
Rika, ever the innocent one, shrugged. "Okay, if you say so."
Internally, I was screaming. I had planned everything so perfectly. Everything had been going according to my carefully crafted script. But now, thanks to Yūna and my humiliating pajama incident, I was teetering on the edge of disaster.
As we walked back to the classroom, I could feel the weight of my embarrassment pressing down on me. My earlier confidence had been shattered, and all I could think about was how badly I wanted to crawl into a hole and never come out.
"Why do I keep ending up in these situations?" I wondered, my frustration bubbling to the surface.
We finally reached our classroom, and I sighed heavily, my shoulders slumping in defeat. Rika, oblivious to my inner turmoil, gave me a friendly pat on the back before heading to his seat.
I dragged myself to my desk, collapsing into my chair with a groan. I rested my head on my arms, closing my eyes as I tried to block out the world.
"How do I keep ending up in these situations?" I thought bitterly, replaying the encounter with Yūna over and over in my mind.
The day wasn't even halfway over, and I already felt like I'd run a marathon of awkwardness. I needed a break. A long, long break.