Vol. 1 - Chapter 1: Bumped into Her
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-Morning Chaos
The sound of birds chirping outside was drowned out by the groggy complaints of Tachibana Yuto, who lay sprawled on his bed.
"Ugh... I'm so tired from all that homework yesterday…" He let out a deep sigh, stretching his arms above his head. "Maybe I should just stay in bed a little longer—"
BANG! BANG! BANG!
A loud pounding on the door made him jolt upright.
"YUTO! GET DOWN HERE AND EAT YOUR BREAKFAST!"
Yuto flinched. "Oh no…"
FOOTSTEPS. FAST AND LOUD.
His eyes widened in horror. She's coming.
"EEEEEEEK!"
He jumped out of bed just as the door burst open.
BAM!
Standing in the doorway, his mother glared at him with fiery eyes, hands on her hips.
"Didn't I tell you to get down here and eat?!" she scolded.
Yuto groaned, rubbing his eyes. "Mom, I'm still tired… And didn't I tell you to knock first? Geez, are you trying to break my door again?"
His mother huffed. "Well, this is my house. Now, stop complaining and eat your breakfast before it gets cold!"
"Yeah, yeah…" Yuto muttered as he trudged downstairs.
As he sat at the dining table, lazily spooning rice into his mouth, his mom watched him with a nostalgic expression.
"He looks so much like his father..."
"By the way, how's your studying going?" she asked.
"Everything's fine," Yuto replied between bites.
"You're not slacking off, right?"
"Mom, don't you see how exhausted I am from doing all my homework?"
"Hmm… maybe you should get a girlfriend."
Yuto choked. "HUH?!"
His mother chuckled. "Just kidding!"
After breakfast, Yuto brushed his teeth, changed into his school uniform, and grabbed his bag.
"I'm heading out," he called.
"Take care!" his mom replied cheerfully.
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-A Sudden Encounter
As Yuto walked to school, his mind drifted, still hazy from exhaustion.
"Ugh… I barely slept last night…"
Lost in thought, he didn't notice the person in front of him—
BUMP!
Something soft collided with him.
"Oof!"
Yuto stumbled back and quickly looked up, his eyes widening in panic.
"I-I'm so sorry! Are you okay? I spaced out, and I—" His words caught in his throat.
Before him stood a girl.
A cute girl.
The morning sunlight framed her soft features, her long brown hair swaying gently in the breeze. Her wide, hazel eyes blinked up at him, and for a brief moment, everything around them seemed to fade.
Yuto felt his face heat up.
The girl, equally flustered, took a step back. "H-Huh? Oh, y-yes! I'm fine!"
Yuto swallowed. "You're so cute…"
"H-Huh?!"
Realizing what he had just blurted out, Yuto nearly bit his tongue. "F-Forget what i said! I'm really sorry!"
As he hurriedly bowed in apology, he caught sight of her uniform.
"Wait a minute… your uniform… We go to the same school?"
The girl nodded shyly. "Y-Yeah…"
Still trying to regain his composure, Yuto cleared his throat. "Uh… I'm Tachibana Yuto. 17 years old. Third-year. And…" he exhaled tiredly, "I might look half-dead right now, but I swear I'm okay."
The girl tilted her head slightly, concern flashing in her eyes. "Are you sure? You look really tired…"
"I'm fine," Yuto insisted, though his sluggish tone betrayed him.
She hesitated for a moment, then smiled softly. "M-My name is Hayasaka Yuna. 17 years old. Also a third-year. Nice to meet you…"
Yuto blinked. "Wait… you're a third-year too? What class?"
"Class 1-A," she replied.
Yuto's eyes widened. "HUH?! We're in the same class?!"
Yuna nodded. "I know."
Yuto frowned in confusion. "But… how come I never noticed you before?"
Yuna fidgeted with the hem of her blazer. "W-Well… you're always with your three friends. You guys are always playing around and… you don't really talk to other students."
Yuto stiffened. "W-WHAT?!"
Yuna giggled at his reaction. Then, as if mustering her courage, she looked up at him.
"Since we go to the same school… um… would you like to walk together?" she asked shyly.
Yuto blinked.
For some reason, his heart skipped a beat.
"Y-Yeah, sure," he said, scratching the back of his head.
And so, they walked to school together, unaware that this little mishap would change their lives forever.
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End of Chapter 1.