The petals of cherry blossoms, symbols of spring, were carried by the fresh breeze, adding beauty to the warm scenery.
The wind, brushing past the cherry blossoms, blew against my face. Breathing it in brought the fresh scent of spring into my lungs, creating a sense of purification in my heavy heart.
A familiar scene.
A path paved with neatly arranged bricks, flanked on either side by rows of cherry trees.
Couples and families in modern clothing walked along, holding each other close, their presence effortlessly capturing my attention.
What was I doing again?
Ah, that’s right.
As usual, I was on my way back ho after buying sothing to eat at the convenience store.
As usual, I was heading ho, feeling miserable while watching others radiate happiness.
As usual, I forced a smile, concealing my emotions and pretending to be an ordinary person on my way ho.
Living a life holed up at ho, playing gas, naturally made you self-conscious of how others viewed you. Even if you didn’t want to be, it was instinctive to fear what others thought.
It was while walking along and thinking about that when—
“Giseong oppa!”
A weak but determined voice called out, sounding like it had been shouted with effort.
Huh?
Until now, the only semblance of human interaction I’d had was the occasional comnts people left on my online community posts.
Who in the real world would be calling out my na?
Turning around toward the direction of the voice, I found myself suddenly breathless.
There was a girl in a school uniform running toward .
She had pink hair and fair skin that were almost unnaturally beautiful.
Huh?
Did I know soone this young?
I had already lost touch with anyone my age, let alone soone younger.
While I was caught off guard, the girl ca to a stop in front of , panting as she leaned over, hands on her knees, struggling to catch her breath.
“Who are you…?”
“What? Oppa, are you pretending not to know ?”
Who the heck are you?
As I stared at her with genuine confusion, she slapped her chest in frustration and said:
“It’s ! Chiyo!”
What?
Her na was… unusual, to say the least.
Chiyo?
It sounded like sothing a Japanese person might be called.
Wait.
No, that wasn’t it.
A sudden rush of mories hit , and I was startled.
“Oh! Oh… Chiyo, hey there.”
“What the heck? Were you trying to pretend you didn’t recognize just now? You ditched after graduating high school, didn’t you?”
“No, it’s not like that. I just didn’t want to attract attention by acknowledging you in a crowded place.”
Why had I forgotten?
Chiyo.
She was one of the only people who’d been close to before I graduated high school.
While others avoided , calling an otaku, she was the only one who approached without hesitation.
“Are you ashad of ?”
“No, I’m the one who feels embarrassed around you…”
“Hmm. Who crushed your self-esteem again?”
As Chiyo said this, she suddenly smiled mischievously and stepped closer to .
I had no idea what she was about to do, so I just stood there, only to regret it imdiately.
“C-Chiyo?! What are you doing?!”
“What do you think? Operation ‘Boost Oppa’s Self-Esteem,’ of course.”
Chiyo hooked her arm through mine without warning.
Trying to pull away proved futile, as she refused to budge no matter how much strength I used. I had no choice but to give up.
As I stood there, resigned, she leaned in close to whisper in my ear.
“How does it feel, getting your arm grabbed by a high school junior right after becoming an adult?”
Her tone and actions were cheerful and carefree, but there was an undeniable allure to her expression that made it difficult to et her gaze.
I couldn’t hold it in any longer and turned my head away, prompting a soft laugh from her.
“Oh, you looked away.”
I’d thought this since high school, but Chiyo really gave off the vibe of a succubus from a manga.
She seed completely unaware of it herself, though.
“N-Now let go. People are staring.”
“What if I don’t want to?”
“No, seriously, stop.”
“What if I only stop for ran?”
Where did she even learn such absurd jokes?
My embarrassnt evaporated in an instant, and before I knew it, I instinctively flicked her forehead.
Thwack!
“Ow! An adult just hit a student!”
“Hey, what are you even saying—”
“This is unacceptable!”
Chiyo pulled out her phone, making it look like she was about to call the police.
“Hey, hey! What are you doing?!”
“What? Should I actually call them?”
Her mischievous smile made it seem like a joke, but I rembered her pulling a similar prank in high school, where she actually dialed 112, resulting in both of us getting scolded by the police.
The mory made hesitate, fearing a repeat of that situation, and I lowered my hand.
Seeing my reaction, she gave a sly smile that only deepened her impish deanor before grabbing my arm and dragging sowhere.
“H-Hey, what’s going on?!”
“Behave yourself, oppa, if you don’t want to get reported.”
With that, she pointed to sowhere and said:
“So just hang out with for a bit.”
The place Chiyo brought to was a clothing store near the street.
And not just any clothing store—one that sold won’s clothes.
Huh.
Why was I here?
I looked at the culprit who had dragged here, my expression betraying my utter disbelief. She had practically blackmailed with a threat to call 112, only to bring to… this? anwhile, she was gleefully browsing through the racks, a bright smile on her face.
As she wandered around, I thought I saw horns sprouting from her head whenever she found sothing she liked, but they quickly disappeared. It must have been my imagination.
Lost in thought, I noticed the shopkeeper occasionally sneaking glances at . Feeling awkward, I nodded in greeting, which prompted the shopkeeper to approach with a professional smile.
"Is she your girlfriend?"
“W-What?!”
Girlfriend? There was no way. Absolutely not.
Compared to Chiyo, I was completely out of her league.
But the shopkeeper tilted her head as if confused and said, “Oh, I see. My mistake. You two just looked so good together that I assud…”
“M-? Really?”
The shopkeeper chuckled. “Yes, of course. When a handso man and a beautiful woman walk into a shop together, most people would naturally think they’re a couple.”
Feeling sothing off about her words, I glanced in the mirror and was startled.
Huh.
Since when did I have white hair and blue eyes?
I rembered myself as soone far less attractive, with a much more chubby and unremarkable appearance…
“Oppa! What about this one?”
As I was grappling with the shopkeeper’s comnts, Chiyo’s voice called out from across the store.
Couldn’t she just pick her clothes on her own? What did I know about won’s fashion, anyway?
I turned to see what she was holding up.
Pop.
I felt a sudden rush of blood to my face and my cheeks burning like fire.
It was sleepwear.
But not just any sleepwear—light, silky, and barely modest. It looked closer to lingerie than pajamas.
“…Hnngh.”
While I stood frozen in shock, the shopkeeper struggled to hold back her laughter, sneaking amused glances my way.
“Well, soone seems really enthusiastic over there,” she teased, grinning.
Sigh.
What the heck is wrong with her today?
In the end, the clothes Chiyo actually bought were far more ordinary than I’d expected. A hoodie, jeans, and a skirt—simple outfits appropriate for her age.
Thankfully, the sleepwear she’d picked up was left behind.
Still, the re mory of her holding it up kept flashing in my mind, and I couldn’t stop my face from feeling flushed.
“Ah, oppa! You’re thinking about sothing weird again, aren’t you?”
“What? What weird thing?”
“Your face is all red.”
Chiyo pointed at my face with her finger, grinning mischievously. Embarrassed, I quickly covered my face with my hands.
Her laughter erupted as if she found my reaction hilarious. Then, without warning, she grabbed my wrist and pulled my hands away, leaning in close.
I montarily forgot how to breathe.
She was stunningly beautiful.
Her appearance reminded of a succubus from one of the gas I used to play. Was her na Nutrice? Sothing about it felt oddly familiar.
“Hehe, embarrassed oppa is so funny.”
Chiyo looked satisfied and finally stepped back. I let out a deep breath, my heart pounding furiously in my chest. It had to be because I’d just seen the face of soone as gorgeous as Chiyo up close.
Why was she ssing around with when there were plenty of better guys out there?
My reflection in the mirror earlier felt strange, but it’s normal for n to look better to themselves in mirrors anyway, right?
Chiyo, oblivious to my thoughts, suddenly ran ahead, waving for to follow.
“Oppa! Hurry up! Why are you so slow?”
She smiled brightly as she shouted back at .
“Let’s go to a karaoke room! Hearing that song in the store earlier really made want to sing!”
Watching her hum the tune from the store and dash forward, the awkwardness I’d been feeling until now faded, and I found myself smiling despite myself.
Despite her appearance, Chiyo was still the sa lively girl she’d always been. Back in high school, she was like a savior to , soone who brightened my otherwise bleak life.
With that thought, I followed after her.
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