Taro Yamada leaned against the window of his classroom, his chin resting on his hand. Outside, the cherry blossoms swayed gently in the breeze, but he barely noticed them. To him, the petals were just another reminder of how fleeting things could be especially love.
"Man, are you even listening?" Riku, his best friend, nudged him from the desk beside him. "I was saying Haruka confessed to me yesterday! Can you believe it?"
Taro sighed. "Congrats, I guess. But I don't get why you care. Love's just a waste of time."
Riku groaned. "Here we go again the 'love is pointless' speech. Seriously, do you even have a heart?"
Taro shrugged. "I'm just being realistic. People act like love is this magical thing, but all it does is mess with your head. Besides, high school romances never last."
Riku rolled his eyes. "You're hopeless."
The classroom buzzed with chatter as students filtered in, discussing weekend plans and the latest gossip. Taro, however, tuned them out. Love was nothing but a distraction and he had no time for distractions.
At least, that's what he thought.
The door slid open, and the room fell quiet. Taro barely glanced up until he heard the whispers.
"Who's that?"
"A new student?"
Taro followed their gaze to the front of the room. Standing there was a girl with long, dark hair cascading over her shoulders and warm brown skin. Her uniform was crisp, her posture confident, and the faintest smile played on her lips.
The teacher cleared his throat. "Everyone, we have a new transfer student. Please introduce yourself."
"I'm Sophia Patel," she said, her voice smooth and sure. "I just moved here. I look forward to getting to know you all."
Taro barely reacted. Another pretty girl what was the big deal? He wasn't the type to get caught up in a crush. Besides, girls like her never noticed guys like him.
"There's an empty seat by Yamada," the teacher said, gesturing toward Taro's row.
Great, Taro thought, just what I need.
Sophia moved gracefully across the room, sliding into the desk beside his. The scent of jasmine trailed after her, but Taro kept his face neutral.
"Hey," she said, offering him a smile. "Taro, right?"
He gave her a curt nod. "Yeah."
Undeterred by his cold response, Sophia leaned in slightly. "You don't talk much, huh?"
"I just don't see the point," he replied.
She laughed softly, the sound light and melodic. "Mysterious. I like it."
Taro raised an eyebrow. Girls usually got bored with him pretty fast once they realized he wasn't interested in playing along. He figured Sophia Patel would be no different.
But as she turned her attention to the front of the class, a glint of curiosity sparkled in her eyes like she had just found her next challenge.
And Taro? He had no idea that his simple, predictable world was about to be turned upside down.