So, the next few days passed by, and I tried my best to keep things normal. I mean, I was literally sitting next to Rina Akiyama—the Rina Akiyama—and trying not to freak out every time I glanced her way. I didn't want to be that guy, you know, the one who can't stop acting weird just because a celebrity is within arm's reach.
It was kinda impressive how no one else noticed who she really was. I mean, sure, I wasn't about to scream, "Hey everyone, we've got a celebrity in the class!" But still, you'd think someone would recognize her. And Rina? Well, she was great at blending in. She didn't make a fuss, stayed quiet, and always seemed focused on whatever she was doing. I thought we'd just keep things as they were—me, pretending I didn't know she was a famous actress, and her, pretending to be just another transfer student.
That was the plan… until we got paired up for a class project.
It was one of those typical group assignments where the teacher randomly pairs people up. "Alright, Yuta and Rina, you're together," our teacher said, not knowing she'd just thrown me into the most awkward situation of my life. We got paired up for this project in class—a history presentation about the Meiji Restoration or something. Honestly, I wasn't even paying attention when the teacher explained it. My brain was too busy processing the fact that I was going to be working with Rina. I could already feel Hiroshi's teasing coming from a mile away.
Working with Rina was, uh, interesting. We'd sit in the library after class, and most of the time, we didn't talk much. She'd work on her side of the project, and I'd work on mine. Occasionally, I'd glance over at her, and she'd be totally absorbed in writing or researching, her pen moving quickly across her notebook. It wasn't like she was ignoring me or anything, but I didn't really know how to break the ice with her. I mean, how do you start small talk with someone who's, you know… famous?
During lunch, something unexpected happened.
I was sitting at my desk, munching on my sandwich, when Rina turned to me, looking all casual. "Hey, Yuta," she said, "do you use Line?"
I almost choked on my food. Line? She wanted my number? Why did that feel like such a big deal?
"Uh, yeah, I do," I replied, trying not to sound like a total idiot. "Why?"
She smiled. Rina Akiyama smiled at me. "We should exchange numbers, you know, for the project. In case we need to discuss anything outside of school."
Oh. Right. The project. That made sense. But still—Rina Akiyama was asking for my Line. I pulled out my phone as fast as I could without looking too desperate and scanned her QR code. My hands might have been shaking a little, but I'd never admit that out loud.
"There," she said as her name popped up on my screen. "Text me if you need help with anything."
"Sure," I managed to say, trying to play it cool. "Same to you." I nodded, feeling like I'd just unlocked some hidden achievement in a video game.
As Rina turned back to her lunch, I couldn't help but stare at my phone. There it was—her name, right in my contacts. It felt unreal. But what was even weirder was the way she talked to me. She wasn't acting like a celebrity at all. She was just… normal. Like any other classmate.
I could feel everyone's eyes on me. I didn't even have to look. You could feel the jealousy in the air.
"Yo, Yuta," one of the guys from across the room said, grinning like an idiot, "Did you just exchange Line IDs with Rina?"
Another guy chimed in, "No way! How'd you pull that off? I've been sitting behind her for days, and she's barely said a word to anyone."
I shrugged, trying to act like it wasn't a big deal, but inside I was freaking out. "It's just for the project," I muttered.
Hiroshi, who was standing near the window, suddenly turned around with this huge grin. "My boy Yuta's got game! Getting Line IDs from cute girls already, huh?"
"Shut up, Hiroshi," I groaned, waving him off. "It's not like that."
But it didn't matter. The guys around the class were already making a big deal about it. You'd think I'd just won a lottery or something. Even the girls were whispering, probably wondering why she gave me her contact.
The rest of the day, I couldn't focus. I kept sneaking glances at my phone, where her contact was now sitting, plain as day. Rina Akiyama, just a click away. It felt surreal.
Later that night, as I was lying in bed, my phone buzzed. I figured it was probably Hiroshi sending some dumb meme, but when I checked, I saw a message from Rina.
Rina:
"Hey, just checking in. You working on the project?"
I almost dropped my phone again. Rina Akiyama, texting me like a normal person. I quickly typed a reply, trying not to sound too eager.
Me:
"Yeah, working on the research part. What about you?"
I waited, staring at the screen like some kind of desperate stalker. After a few moments, another ping.
Rina:
"Same. Let's discuss it tomorrow after school?"
I blinked. That was... casual. Really casual. I wasn't expecting her to just text like that. But hey, I wasn't complaining.
Me:
"Sounds good."
Just as I put my phone down, the door to my room swung open, and of course, Hiroshi barged in. He has this thing about not knocking.
"Yo, who're you texting?" he asked, raising his eyebrows like he'd caught me in the act.
"No one. Just... about a school project," I mumbled, trying to act casual.
"Uh-huh. Sure, it's just a project," Hiroshi smirked, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "You and Rina start dating, you gotta introduce me to her friend!"
I rolled my eyes. "Go home, Hiroshi."
But he wasn't done. "No seriously, Yuta! Emi Nakamura! I swear, she's totally into me."
"Sure, because she definitely didn't look like she was ready to run for her life last time you talked to her."
"That was just nerves!" Hiroshi argued, puffing out his chest. "This time, I'm going to ask her out properly. You'll see."
I shoved him toward the door, half-laughing, half-exasperated. "Right. Now get out before you embarrass yourself any further."
Once I finally got rid of Hiroshi, I lay back on my bed, staring at the ceiling. The whole day felt surreal. I mean, here I was, texting a celebrity like it was no big deal. But there was still something bugging me. Why did Rina feel so familiar? It wasn't just because of the movies. It was something deeper... but I couldn't figure it out.
The next day at school, we met up after classes to work on the project. We'd chosen something simple—history research—but we both knew it was an excuse to keep things easy. As we sat in the library, surrounded by books and papers, I decided to break the ice.
"So, Rina," I said, leaning back in my chair, "you think we'll survive this project?"
She looked up from her notes, her face calm as usual. "Survive? It's not that hard."
"Maybe not for you," I joked, pretending to collapse under the weight of the textbooks. "But me? I'm doomed."
Rina actually chuckled at that, which made me feel like I'd won some secret battle. "You're not doomed," she said, her tone a little lighter now. "You're just lazy."
I gasped, clutching my chest in mock shock. "Wow. Harsh."
She shrugged, a tiny smile tugging at the corner of her lips. "Just telling the truth."
We got back to work after that, but the atmosphere was more relaxed. Every now and then, I'd crack a joke or make a sarcastic comment, and Rina would give these little smiles. It wasn't much, but it felt like we were actually getting along.
As the bell rang for the end of the day, we started packing up our stuff. Rina glanced at me before heading out.
"Don't forget to text me if you get stuck on anything," she said, her voice casual but... was that a hint of concern?
"Will do," I replied, grinning.
And with that, she walked off, leaving me standing there in the library, feeling like I'd just stepped into a different world.
I mean, who knew working on a boring school project could feel this... interesting?