Vol. 1 - Chapter 1: Bumped into Her
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‎-Morning Chaos
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‎The sound of birds chirping outside was drowned out by the groggy complaints of Tachibana Yuto, who lay sprawled on his bed.
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‎"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—"
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‎BANG! BANG! BANG!
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‎A loud pounding on the door made him jolt upright.
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‎"YUTO! GET DOWN HERE AND EAT YOUR BREAKFAST!"
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‎Yuto flinched. "Oh no…"
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‎FOOTSTEPS. FAST AND LOUD.
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‎His eyes widened in horror. She's coming.
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‎"EEEEEEEK!"
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‎He jumped out of bed just as the door burst open.
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‎BAM!
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‎Standing in the doorway, his mother glared at him with fiery eyes, hands on her hips.
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‎"Didn't I tell you to get down here and eat?!" she scolded.
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‎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?"
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‎His mother huffed. "Well, this is my house. Now, stop complaining and eat your breakfast before it gets cold!"
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‎"Yeah, yeah…" Yuto muttered as he trudged downstairs.
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‎As he sat at the dining table, lazily spooning rice into his mouth, his mom watched him with a nostalgic expression.
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‎"He looks so much like his father..."
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‎"By the way, how's your studying going?" she asked.
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‎"Everything's fine," Yuto replied between bites.
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‎"You're not slacking off, right?"
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‎"Mom, don't you see how exhausted I am from doing all my homework?"
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‎"Hmm… maybe you should get a girlfriend."
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‎Yuto choked. "HUH?!"
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‎His mother chuckled. "Just kidding!"
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‎After breakfast, Yuto brushed his teeth, changed into his school uniform, and grabbed his bag.
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‎"I'm heading out," he called.
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‎"Take care!" his mom replied cheerfully.
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‎-A Sudden Encounter
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‎As Yuto walked to school, his mind drifted, still hazy from exhaustion.
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‎"Ugh… I barely slept last night…"
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‎Lost in thought, he didn't notice the person in front of him—
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‎BUMP!
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‎Something soft collided with him.
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‎"Oof!"
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‎Yuto stumbled back and quickly looked up, his eyes widening in panic.
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‎"I-I'm so sorry! Are you okay? I spaced out, and I—" His words caught in his throat.
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‎Before him stood a girl.
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‎A cute girl.
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‎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.
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‎Yuto felt his face heat up.
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‎The girl, equally flustered, took a step back. "H-Huh? Oh, y-yes! I'm fine!"
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‎Yuto swallowed. "You're so cute…"
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‎"H-Huh?!"
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‎Realizing what he had just blurted out, Yuto nearly bit his tongue. "F-Forget what i said! I'm really sorry!"
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‎As he hurriedly bowed in apology, he caught sight of her uniform.
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‎"Wait a minute… your uniform… We go to the same school?"
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‎The girl nodded shyly. "Y-Yeah…"
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‎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."
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‎The girl tilted her head slightly, concern flashing in her eyes. "Are you sure? You look really tired…"
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‎"I'm fine," Yuto insisted, though his sluggish tone betrayed him.
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‎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…"
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‎Yuto blinked. "Wait… you're a third-year too? What class?"
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‎"Class 1-A," she replied.
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‎Yuto's eyes widened. "HUH?! We're in the same class?!"
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‎Yuna nodded. "I know."
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‎Yuto frowned in confusion. "But… how come I never noticed you before?"
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‎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."
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‎Yuto stiffened. "W-WHAT?!"
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‎Yuna giggled at his reaction. Then, as if mustering her courage, she looked up at him.
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‎"Since we go to the same school… um… would you like to walk together?" she asked shyly.
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‎Yuto blinked.
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‎For some reason, his heart skipped a beat.
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‎"Y-Yeah, sure," he said, scratching the back of his head.
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‎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.