『--I was fooled.』
When I- Shirakawa Kento came back home, there was Sophia Frost-san, a celebrity at our school, who mumbled English with a sullen expression on her face.
As her name suggests, she is a foreigner, apparently from the UK.
Her natural pale blonde hair attracts everyone's eyes, and her crisp blue eyes make everyone take a step back.
She has an exceptionally beautiful face that is distinctly different from Japanese people and is even said to be the prettiest girl in school.
There are probably only a few students who don't know her.
After all- she is very famous for being a solitary flower.
...
...
...
...
...
...
"Oh!? Look, Kento, it's the 'Solitary Flower'!"
Lunchtime- as I was heading to the cafeteria with Kannagi Shouta, also a member of the baseball team, Shouta's tension suddenly rose.
When I looked in the direction he pointed, I saw a beautiful girl walking gracefully with her beautiful blonde hair blowing in the wind.
She is Frost-san, who has been at the school for only a month and is well-known throughout the school.
She is very cute, but is said to be very cold towards others.
She is always alone and is called the Solitary Flower.
"I think it's disrespectful to call her that..."
"Eh, doesn't that make her cool?"
When I said what I thought, Shouta tilted his head back with a skeptical look on his face.
He's a cheerful and nice guy, but he's a little bit insensitive.
Well, that can be his strong point as well, so it's a bit difficult to point it out.
"I don't think it's a nickname that was given to her in a positive way."
"Hmm? Nevermind that, we don't see each other very often because we're in different school buildings, so let's ask her out for lunch!"
"...Are you insane?"
Even if he doesn't know what the nickname means, Shouta is aware of the rumours about her.
What kind of thinking process does he have to think about asking her out?
"She's cute, so why not?"
"No, it's obvious that she'll refuse- hey, wait..!"
Shouta didn't listen until the end and went towards Frost-san by himself.
It can't be helped.
I'll watch from a distance here.
I don't want to get caught in the middle of all this.
"Frost-san, hello! If you don't mind, could we-!"
"Who? Don't talk to me so casually."
"Ah, my name's Kannagi Shouta, but-."
"I don't know you. I feel disgusted, so don't talk to me ever again."
"....."
Apparently, the rumours were true.
Indeed, this would be an impossible task.
To be honest, I thought it was no wonder she was called the 'Solitary Flower.
"-Kento.."
"G-Good job for even trying..."
I gave my friend, who came back with teary eyes. a piece of my mind.
I couldn't do any more harm to the person who came back with an outrageously cold reply by giving him a good advice.
"She's so scary.."
"Well, I'm sure she's popular just for her looks, and I think she was wary of strange boys all the time."
Her blonde hair often stands out amongst the Japanese, who tend to have black or brown hair.
Her skin is whiter and more beautiful than ours, and her face is as elegant as an idol's.
There is no way ordinary boys would leave such a beautiful girl alone.
In fact, even Shouta went to make a move on her just by seeing her.
If she is constantly being approached like that, it's no wonder she's fed up with it.
"She has a cute face, but it's such a waste..."
"That's up to her, isn't it? At any rate, there's a competition coming up, so don't cause any trouble, okay?"
"I know. I won't do anything stupid."
"That's good. She probably likes to be alone by herself like that."
Or rather, if that's the only reason, I don't think she'd be so cold.
Maybe she had a bad experience in the past.
But I, a stranger who is not even her classmate, don't know that, and I don't think I will be involved with her in the future.
So I don't care any more.
-At least, that's what I thought at the time...