Okay, so maybe chasing after the mysterious transfer student wasn’t my brightest idea (definitely not my dumbest though—that title still belongs to the time I tried to catch a butterfly during gym class and ended up in the pool). But how was I supposed to know my perfectly planned romantic comedy would turn into… whatever this is? And the worst part? I’m starting to think my happy ending might actually be a beginning. The scary kind.

But I’m getting ahead of myself. I should probably start from the beginning—back to that boring spring morning when everything changed.

I stared out the window of Class 2-C, watching cherry blossoms float lazily by like pink confetti. The bell had rung, signaling the start of a new school year: second year, fresh start, same awkward me. Despite Kagoshima’s sprawling skyline of bright lights and busy streets, I still felt like the girl from my tiny fishing village—trapped in her own skin, fumbling through every interaction.

Under my desk, I traced the edges of my latest light novel. I’d dreamed of dramatic encounters in hallways and fateful meetings under cherry trees, but reality? Reality was spending lunch breaks alone, reading manga while my classmates whispered about anything and everything that wasn’t me.

“Class, we have a new transfer student joining us today,” our teacher announced, snapping me out of my thoughts.

I glanced up, my heart jolting at the sight.

He stood at the front of the room, tall and poised, like he’d stepped out of a shoujo manga. Sharp features framed by dark hair, and eyes that seemed to pierce right through you. His uniform looked impossibly crisp, making the rest of us seem rumpled in comparison.

“This is Louis Devereux, from France. Please welcome him warmly,” the teacher continued.

The classroom buzzed with whispers. A foreign transfer student? In our class?

“Devereux-san, take the seat in the front row. It’ll help you follow the lessons better.”

As he walked down the aisle, my pulse quickened. The only empty desk was right next to mine. This couldn’t be happening.

He stopped beside me, and for a moment, his gaze flickered to my pen case.

“Banana fish? Interesting choice,” he murmured, his voice low and deliberate.

I froze, heat rushing to my face. Before I could think of anything remotely intelligent to say, a familiar voice interrupted.

“Sensei! I can’t see past Tanaka’s head with her glasses, and Devereux-san is too tall,” Mayumi chimed, tossing her perfect hair with a practiced flick. “Maybe he should sit in the back instead?”

The teacher nodded, and just like that, my fairy tale moment shattered. Louis picked up his bag and moved to the back of the room while Mayumi slid into his desk with a triumphant smirk.

I slumped in my seat, cheeks burning. Of course. Girls like me didn’t get fairy tale endings.

But then, as Louis passed by, he leaned in, his voice so quiet I almost missed it.

“Sorry about that,” he murmured.

And right then and there, something shifted inside me.

I clenched my fists under the desk. No. Not this time.

Mayumi wasn’t going to walk all over me. I wasn’t going to just sit back and watch someone else live the life I wanted. For the first time, I was done being a doormat.

I didn’t know how, but this time I would make my own destiny. I would make him mine.

I spent the rest of the day trying to get closer to Louis, but it felt like swimming against a tide of admirers. Every time I gathered enough courage to approach him, someone else beat me to it.

During lunch break, Kaito Ishida—our class heartthrob—cornered Louis near the vending machines. "Hey, we're playing basketball after school. Want to join?"

Louis barely glanced up from his book. "I'm more a chess person, to be honest."

The girls around me swooned. Even his rejection sounded sophisticated.

"Did you hear?" A classmate whispered behind me. "Mayumi's already got her claws in him. They're probably dating."

"I heard he's taking her to Paris for Christmas!"

My stomach twisted as I watched Mayumi lead Louis around campus, her arm linked with his. She played the perfect tour guide, pointing out buildings and facilities with practiced grace. Every laugh, every casual touch—it was like watching my manga fantasies play out with someone else as the protagonist.

But I refused to give up.

After classes ended, I followed them. Not stalking exactly—more like... strategic observation? I kept a safe distance, ducking behind trees and pretending to check my phone whenever they looked back. Mayumi showed him the library, the gym, and finally the cherry blossom-lined path leading to the station.

"The sakura are beautiful this time of year," Mayumi's voice carried back to me. "Almost as beautiful as Paris in spring, right?"

I gripped my bag tighter. She was already playing the worldly angle, while I'd never even left Kagoshima. But something about Louis's expression made me pause. For a split second, as Mayumi gushed about European romance, his face went completely blank—like a screen switching off.

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That's when I knew. Mayumi might have stolen our first meeting, but this story wasn't over. Not by a long shot.

I lay in bed, staring at my ceiling where I'd stuck glow-in-the-dark stars in constellations matching my favorite anime openings. My mind raced with possibilities. If manga had taught me anything, it was that timing was everything in romance.

Mayumi always showed up late, probably because she needed three hours to perfect her makeup. But Louis? He seemed like the type who'd rather die than be tardy. And morning cleanup duty was the perfect setup for a meet-cute moment. I'd seen it work a hundred times in my favorite series.

I rolled over, clutching my pillow. Tomorrow. I'd do it tomorrow.

My alarm blared at 5 AM, and I fought every cell in my body that begged for five more minutes. Sleep was my superpower—I could do it anywhere, anytime. But not today. Today, I had a mission.

I sprinted through the empty streets of Kagoshima, my shoes slapping against the pavement. The morning air was thick with volcanic ash from Sakurajima's latest tantrum, but I didn't care. My heart pounded as I raced up the school steps, taking them two at a time.

I burst through the classroom door, ready to execute my perfect plan—and stopped dead.

Louis stood by the window, early morning light casting shadows across his face. The classroom sparkled. Every surface gleamed, every chair perfectly aligned, like something out of a minimalist magazine.

"G-good morning," I squeaked, my voice barely a whisper.

Nothing.

"Good morning!" I tried again, louder this time, my voice cracking on the second word.

Louis didn't even flinch. He kept staring out the window, as still as a statue.

My shoulders slumped as I dragged myself to my desk. Of course. What was I thinking? That he'd suddenly notice me just because I showed up early? That we'd share a magical moment over dusty chalkboard erasers?

I sank into my chair, my cheeks burning. So much for my perfect plan, my perfect manga moment—ruined. I pulled out my light novel, ready to escape into someone else's romance when—

"Oh, hi! I didn't see you there. Sorry, I had my earbuds in, so I must have missed your hello."

My head snapped up. Louis stood there, sliding into the seat across from me. My pulse quickened.

"Hi, I'm Louis. You must be Shizuka Tanaka, my long-lost desk neighbor."

He knew my name. Louis Devereux knew my name. I gripped the edges of my desk, trying to ground myself in reality.

"It's a shame I had to switch seats," he continued. "I liked sitting up front, but it makes sense. I wouldn't want to block the board for the people behind me. This always happens, haha."

I let out a nervous laugh, more of a squeak really. My hands were shaking.

"I'm sorry. Are you shy, or are you uncomfortable with this conversation?"

The genuine concern in his voice caught me off guard. No one ever noticed—or cared—when I was uncomfortable.

"No, no, I'm just awkward, super awkward, I promise, just awkward," I mumbled, the words tumbling out in a rush.

His smile softened. "I'm glad. I wouldn't want to make you uncomfortable."

My heart melted. Without thinking, I blurted, "No worries, I wouldn't be bothered by you."

The reality of what I'd just said hit me like a bucket of cold water. I'd actually said that. To Louis.

Before I could spiral into complete panic, the classroom door burst open. A wave of students poured in, their chatter filling the room. They swarmed around Louis like moths to a flame, but he gracefully navigated through them back to his seat.

He caught my eye one last time and mouthed, 'Sorry about them.'

I couldn't stop replaying our morning conversation in my head. The way he smiled, how he noticed I was uncomfortable, that little "sorry about them" at the end—each moment felt precious, like scenes from my favorite manga coming to life. My heart wouldn't stop racing, and I kept touching my cheeks to check if they were still warm.

During math class, I doodled little hearts in my notebook instead of solving equations. Who cared about algebra when Louis Devereux had actually talked to me? He knew my name! And not just my family name—he'd called me Shizuka!

When lunch break finally arrived, I couldn’t even think about eating. My stomach was too full of butterflies. I pulled out my light novel, pretending to read while stealing glances at Louis over the top of the pages.

"Louis, do you have a girlfriend?"

Mayumi's voice cut through the classroom chatter like a knife. My heart stopped. The whole room seemed to freeze, waiting for his answer.

"Well, it's complicated."

Three words. Just three simple words, but they felt like ice water down my back. My manga slipped from my trembling fingers, hitting the desk with a soft thud.

Complicated? What did that mean? Was there someone back in France? Or maybe multiple someone's? My mind raced through possibilities, each worse than the last. A childhood friend waiting for his return? A fiancé he hadn’t told me about? The questions swirled faster than I could process.

I glanced around the classroom, suddenly aware of all the other girls watching him with the same dreamy expressions I probably had. How many of them had he smiled at? How many had received that same gentle concern he'd shown me this morning?

Louis Devereux, WTF do you mean by 'it's complicated'?

Mayumi leaned back in her chair, a sly smile curving her lips. “It’s complicated, huh? Hmm… what’s the name of this ‘Ms. Complicated’? Is it one of those chic, cigarette-smoking Paris girls?”

The class giggled nervously, but Mayumi pressed on. “Anyway, not like I care. Out of sight, out of mind, right? She’s not the one giving you a tour of the hottest spots in town this evening… is she?”

My chest tightened. The room felt smaller, the walls pressing in on me. I grabbed my lunch box and bolted, ignoring the stares that followed me out. My feet carried me up familiar stairs, and before I knew it, I was out on the rooftop, gulping in the crisp autumn air, trying to calm my racing pulse.

I slumped against the fence, my bento box untouched beside me. Why did I think anything would be different? Small town or big city, nothing ever changed. I'd always be the awkward girl watching from the sidelines while people like Mayumi got everything they wanted.

The rooftop door creaked open, and I froze. My heart stopped when Louis stepped through, his dark hair ruffling in the wind.

"Nice view up here," he said, settling next to me, close enough that I could smell his cologne. "This is where all the protagonists hang out? I thought it was an urban legend that the door was always locked. I must look like a nerd to you. This is probably very normal for a Japanese high schooler, huh, Shizuka?"

I couldn’t form words. My hands twisted in my lap as he gazed out at the skyline, completely at ease while my heart threatened to burst.

"Shizuka." The way he said my name made everything else fade away. The world narrowed to just us, the wind, and my racing pulse. Oh my god, I can see his lips moving, he's clearly talking to me, but I can't focus. He's so close, his forearm is touching mine, his face, his eyes, his smell. I can’t focus.

"Hey, Shizuka. Earth to Shizuka. Hello?"

"Uh... I... blubbered. Yes... I'm here... present."

"Haha, present. I'm not Mr. Futaba. You're such an airhead."

"Nah, I'm here, I was listening to you, I promise."

"Oh really? Hmm... I believe you, but you didn’t answer me. What do you say? Do you want to do it? There's no one else around."

My brain short-circuited. "Do what? With who? What does he mean no one's around? I didn’t catch anything he just said! I know my smut-filled brain is going to all the wrong places at light speed. Someone help meee!"