The first day of the new school term in Tokyo was supposed to be just another regular day. I, Yuta Sakamoto woke up like always, dragged myself out of bed, scrolled through my phone while eating breakfast, and threw on my school uniform. Another year of zoning out during class, playing games during breaks, and keeping my head down.
But that all changed when she sat next to me.
Her name was Rina Akiyama. She walked into the classroom like any other transfer student—long black hair tied up, wearing the same uniform as the rest of us. To everyone else, she was just another girl starting the new term. But not to me. No, I knew exactly who she was.
At first, I thought I was imagining it. She sat quietly beside me, pulling out her notebook, looking totally calm. But there was no way I could mistake her for someone else. She was Kira Nakamura—the Kira Nakamura, one of Japan's biggest teen stars. I'd seen her on TV, in movies, everywhere. The blonde hair, the glamorous outfits, the actress everyone loved.
Yet, here she was in our classroom, her hair - its natural black, blending in like she wasn't famous at all.
I stared, probably longer than I should have.
Hiroshi, my best friend who sits in front of me, turned around and snapped me out of it. "Oi, Yuta! You zoned out again, man. What's up? You staring at Rina or something?"
I blinked, trying to play it cool. "What? No way. I was just... thinking about something."
Hiroshi grinned, that smug look of his spreading across his face. "Sure, thinking. More like daydreaming about her. Maybe it's love?"
I swatted his hand away. "You're delusional."
"Hey, don't knock it until you try it," Hiroshi said, still smirking. "She is cute, though. You should go for it."
I just laughed it off, but inside, I couldn't shake this weird feeling. It wasn't just that she was a celebrity. There was something else, something I couldn't quite figure out—like I knew her from somewhere other than the screen.
As class went on, I tried to focus on the lesson, but my eyes kept drifting over to her. Rina was scribbling notes, completely focused. It was crazy how no one else had noticed who she really was. How was I the only one who recognized her?
Then, out of nowhere, she spoke.
"Excuse me."
I froze. Her voice was soft but clear. I turned to look at her, my heart suddenly beating faster for some reason. "Yeah?"
"Can I borrow a pen?" she asked, her eyes meeting mine for just a second. There was nothing strange in her expression—just polite and calm, like any other student.
"Oh, uh, sure!" I fumbled to grab a pen from my pencil case, almost knocking the whole thing off the desk in the process. I handed it to her, my hand shaking a bit. Smooth, Yuta, real smooth.
"Thanks," she said quietly, her fingers brushing mine as she took the pen. It was such a small thing, but I swear my heart skipped a beat.
I turned back to my textbook, trying to focus, but my mind was all over the place. How could she act so normal? Was this what she wanted? To just be another student?
That afternoon, I walked toward the train station with Hiroshi. As usual, he was rambling about some new girl he had a crush on.
"I'm telling you, Yuta, Emi Nakamura is the one," Hiroshi said dramatically. "She's got this shy vibe, but I know she's into me."
I couldn't help but laugh. "You say that every week, dude."
"This time I'm serious!" Hiroshi puffed out his chest. "I'm gonna ask her out this weekend. Just wait."
I glanced over at Emi Nakamura, who was walking out of the school with Rina. Emi was Rina's best friend, always quiet and lost in her books. They were total opposites, but somehow, they got along really well. Emi only really opened up around Rina, but even then, it was in hushed tones.
Suddenly, Hiroshi's face lit up. "There she is!"
Before I could stop him, he was already running toward Emi. "Hey, Emi! You busy this weekend?"
Emi froze, looking like a deer caught in headlights. She stammered out a reply. "I, um... I have plans."
Rina, standing next to her, tried to stifle a laugh. I sighed and hurried over to pull Hiroshi away before he embarrassed himself more.
"Let's go, man," I muttered, dragging him toward the station while he pouted.
As we walked, I glanced back at Rina. She was smiling—actually laughing. It was the first time I'd seen her so relaxed, almost like she was enjoying being just a normal high school student. But there was still that nagging feeling. Why did she feel so familiar, beyond just being a famous actress?
That night, some flashes as if I was back in my childhood, an accident playing in my mind—cars screeching, horns blaring, and the terrified face of a little girl.
When I was around six, I'd been playing with another kid near our homes. We ran into the street without looking, laughing... until a car came out of nowhere. I remembered pushing the girl out of the way, but the car hit me instead. My leg got fractured, but she was safe. After that, she and her family moved away.
When I woke up, I sat up in bed, my pulse quickening.
"A memory?"
That memory—it felt too real to be just a dream.
The next day at school, Rina returned the pen I'd lent her. "Thanks again for the pen, Yuta."
"No problem," I said, my heart racing again. There was something about her that wasn't just about being famous. Something deeper.
Later in class, I couldn't help but tease her a little. "Hey, Rina," I said casually.
She glanced at me, calm as ever. "Yes?"
"I was watching this movie the other day..." I started, trying to keep my tone light. "It had this actress in it who looked exactly like you. Isn't that weird?"
For just a second, Rina stiffened. Then she quickly put on her usual calm face. "A movie?"
"Yeah," I said, grinning. "She had blonde hair, though. Must've been someone else, right?"
Rina narrowed her eyes, but kept her voice steady. "Lots of people look alike."
I chuckled. "Right. Lots of people."
I knew who she was, and she didn't want to be recognised. But for now, I wasn't going to say anything. Not yet.