Haruto was slumped against the wall of the main building, picking at a loose thread on his uniform pants. Beside him, Jun was practically vibrating with energy, gesticulating wildly as he recounted so epic tale of virtual heroism. Miki, ever the pragmatist, was ticulously polishing her glasses with a small cloth, occasionally interjecting with a dry, sarcastic comnt that usually went right over Jun’s head.
"And then, get this," Jun was practically yelling, oblivious to Haruto’s disinterest and Miki’s subtle eye-roll, "I pulled off a triple-kill with just a single grenade! Boom! Boom! Boom! They didn’t even know what hit ’em! My KDR must have gone through the roof!"
Haruto let out a noncommittal grunt. "Yeah, yeah, Jun. You’re a gaming god. We get it."
"Hey! Don’t you ’yeah, yeah’ ! This was a legendary mont! You should’ve been there! It was pure tactical brilliance!" Jun puffed out his chest.
Miki sighed, pushing her glasses up her nose. "Jun, you talk about video gas more than you talk about actual schoolwork. It’s a miracle you haven’t been held back yet."
"Ah, but that’s my charm, Miki-chan! My raw, untad passion!" Jun struck a pose, earning him a few bewildered glances from passing students.
Just then, a ripple went through the crowd. Heads started to turn, whispers started to spread, and the usual schoolyard din began to quiet down, replaced by a collective "Ooooh" and "Ahhh." Haruto, who usually couldn’t care less about school gossip or new faces, instinctively glanced up.
A girl was walking across the schoolyard. And she wasn’t wearing the school uniform. That alone was enough to make her stand out, but it was how she wasn’t wearing it that really caught everyone’s attention. She was dressed in what looked like incredibly expensive, custom-made streetwear – a sleek, dark jacket, form-fitting pants, and boots that probably cost more than Haruto’s entire monthly allowance. Her hair, long and a deep, rich indigo, swayed gently as she walked. And her face... well, even Haruto had to admit she was striking. There was an elegance to her movents, a quiet confidence that made her seem like she was floating rather than walking.
The students around them were practically gushing. "Wow, who is that?" "She’s so pretty!" "Is she new? She looks like she’s from a magazine!"
Haruto took a quick look, acknowledged her beauty in a detached way, and then his gaze drifted back to the loose thread on his pants. Whatever. Not his problem.
But then, he noticed it. The girl’s footsteps, graceful and deliberate, were getting closer. And closer. Not towards the main entrance, not towards the sports fields, but straight towards them.
Jun, who had been completely absorbed in the collective awe, suddenly straightened up, a manic grin spreading across his face. "Wait a minute... wait a minute... you guys seeing this?" His voice was barely a whisper, filled with a mixture of disbelief and burgeoning excitent. "She’s... she’s coming this way!
Miki, who had also noticed the approaching figure, gave Jun a skeptical look. "Don’t be ridiculous, Jun. Why would she be coming to see you?"
"Oh, Miki-chan, you wound !" Jun clutched his chest dramatically. "Perhaps she’s heard tales of my legendary charisma! My magnetic personality! Or maybe, just maybe," he leaned in conspiratorially, his eyes gleaming, "she’s heard about my unparalleled skills in the gaming arcade! My ’Ga Center Grandmaster’ technique, perhaps? She might be a fellow enthusiast seeking guidance, or even... an admirer!"
Haruto, without even looking up, reached out and delivered a swift, practiced chop to the top of Jun’s head. "Ow! Hey! What was that for, Haruto?!" Jun rubbed his scalp, pouting.
"For being an idiot," Haruto mumbled. "She’s probably lost.
"Lost? Nonsense! My destiny awaits!" Jun straightened up again, puffing out his chest even further as the girl was now just a few feet away. His grin was so wide it looked like it might split his face. "Prepare to witness true love blossom, my friends!"
Miki just shook her head, a hint of exasperation in her eyes. "You’re delusional."
The girl stopped directly in front of them. The whispers from the surrounding students grew louder, a mixture of awe and curiosity. She looked at Jun, then at Miki, and then her gaze settled on Haruto. A soft, warm smile touched her lips, and her eyes, a striking shade of amber, seed to twinkle.
"Hello," she said, her voice surprisingly gentle, yet with an undeniable authority that cut through the schoolyard noise. "You must be Haruto."
Haruto, who had been fully expecting her to ask for directions or sothing equally mundane, blinked. He finally looked up, properly eting her gaze. "Uh, yeah. That’s . And you are...?"
She sat down gracefully beside them, crossing her legs with an elegance that made Jun gasp audibly. "My na is Aza." She didn’t offer a last na. Just "Aza." "It’s a pleasure to finally et you, Haruto. I’ve been wanting to make your acquaintance."
Haruto stared at her blankly. Make his acquaintance? What did that even an? And why *him*? He wasn’t particularly popular, certainly not known outside of his small circle of friends. He wasn’t famous, or rich, or anything that would warrant a beautiful, mysterious girl just showing up and wanting to "make his acquaintance."
"Uh... why?" Haruto asked, his voice betraying his confusion. "What for?"
Aza’s smile widened, a hint of amusent in her eyes. "You seem... suspicious."
"Oh."
She chuckled softly, a sound like wind chis. "Fair enough. Let be more direct then. Tell , wasn’t it you who had a... brief encounter with a young master nad Ryouta a few nights ago?"
Haruto tried to rember that day. He’d been minding his own business with onee-chan, when suddenly, a boy, probably a year or two older than him, had burst out of an alleyway.
And then, just as Ryouta was about to reach him, a blur of motion. A swift, powerful kick. And Ryouta had gone flying. Not just a few feet, but like he’d been launched from a cannon. Haruto had watched, horrified, as the guy sailed through the air, disappearing into the distant night sky. He swore he heard a faint "t-t-t-team Rocket!" before Ryouta vanished completely.
And now, this Aza person was bringing it up. Was she... looking for trouble? Was she related to that man? Was this so kind of revenge plot?
Haruto quickly thought on his feet. He decided a little strategic misdirection was in order. "Ryouta?" he mused. "I just do recall sothing that night. I was walking, and this guy, might have been a Ryouta, ca sprinting towards . Looked like he was in a real hurry. But before he even get close, he just... got hit by a truck. Yeah. A big, really fast truck. Sent him flying. Must’ve gone a mile, at least. Sad, really. Tragic."
Aza burst into a fit of giggles. Not a polite titter, but a genuine, unrestrained laugh that made her shoulders shake. It was a surprisingly unladylike sound, yet it was also incredibly infectious. Jun and Miki both stared, bewildered.
"I’m not joking," Haruto insisted to Aza, maintaining his poker face. "It was a very large truck. Very sudden."
Aza just smiled, her amber eyes sparkling with amusent. "Of course it was, Haruto. A very large, very sudden truck." She paused, her gaze still fixed on him, a hint of sothing deeper in her expression. "But I’m not here to talk about fictional trucks, Haruto. I’m here because I need your help. A very particular kind of help."
Haruto blinked. Her help? This was getting weirder and weirder. "My help with what?"
Aza leaned in slightly, her voice dropping to a near whisper, yet still carrying that quiet authority. "I need you to be my... **boyfriend**."
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