Dong Hazuki Is a Fake.

The sky is blue, the clouds are white, and my heart—

is transparent.

Sakurano Senior High School.

“Good morning, Dong Yeyue.”

“Over here, over here, Xiao Yue!”

Every corner of the school is filled with the breath of youth. Beneath the morning light, people’s footsteps unconsciously slow.

At the same time, their gazes begin to gather.

More precisely, they gather on me.

Greetings sound out from time to time, and among them, a beautiful girl in a high school uniform waves at me.

No matter how you look at it, she’s extremely popular.

Because I am the famous beauty of this place—Dong Yeyue.

Long hair flowing to my waist, a curvy figure, a sweet face, and a smile as bright as sunshine—every movement draws admiring eyes.

Like the top-tier heroine straight out of a harem manga. Without a doubt, the number one female lead.

Coupled with my lively, cheerful personality and the ease with which I talk to anyone, it almost creates the illusion that “this person is really easy to get along with.”

You could say I’ve gained quite a bit of prestige. As Dong Yeyue, I have friends everywhere.

Like Xiao Xun and Xiao Hua—they even say they want to be best friends for life.

That scene still comes to mind, filled with that beautiful sense of friendship that only exists in a pure student era.

Ah… this feeling is unprecedentedly good. Very, very… happy?

No.

I can’t help but laugh inwardly. Maybe “pleasure” is a better word.

To use a rather inappropriate metaphor—it’s like a thief watching their victim panic helplessly, dancing with joy, and then whispering in their heart—

Idiot.

Right, right. It’s that vile.

And yet, it’s so exhilarating.

Hehe… I ended up laughing again. Just in my heart.

This is always the feeling I get whenever I think of that scene.

Those people…

As expected, the perfect image I’ve constructed is far too deceptive. It makes people feel close to me.

What a pity.

It’s all an act.

That’s right. I, Dong Yeyue—

am a fabricated beauty.

A fake, in every sense of the word.

Everything is false. My friendship with those two girls. My cheerful personality. Even—

this body.

I’ve deceived everyone.

Something that should logically bring guilt instead gives me an unprecedented thrill—like ants crawling all over my body, a piercing itch building bit by bit into a strange kind of climax.

A normal person would feel guilty at a time like this.

But me?

Perhaps I can’t be considered normal.

From a certain perspective, I’m already completely broken.

“Xiao Xun, you’re early again today.”

The wild thoughts in my mind don’t affect my outward image in the slightest. To appear eager, I even jogged a little, breaking into a light sweat.

Along the way, even more eyes turn toward me.

After all, when a well-endowed girl runs, she naturally displays all sorts of alluring movements, attracting plenty of attention.

I’m very aware of that.

After all, not long ago, I was one of the ones watching.

Go ahead—memorize that posture as much as you like.

You can even use it later.

With a slightly mischievous mindset, I don’t bother hiding my movements at all. If this were an anime, I’d be the type of character who looks pure and innocent, but exists purely for fan service.

“Hey, hey, Xiao Yue, you should pay more attention to your image.”

Xiao Xun—whose real name is Tenzan Kaoru—has brown hair tied in a ponytail, an average figure, a slightly otaku-like vibe, and a sweet, girl-next-door face.

“Look at those people—”

She, who could almost be said to have no friends, has absolutely no resistance to my kindness. Ever since she said she wanted to be friends for life, she’s become a loyal supporter.

She points unhappily at a few boys nearby who are staring blankly at us.

Their gazes are filled with obsession and desire, clearly immersed in unspeakable fantasies. The moment Tenzan Kaoru points at them, they snap back to reality.

“N-no, we—”

“It’s okay. I just wasn’t paying attention.”

I give them a sweet smile.

Go ahead—use this smile for your fantasies.

Play all you like with the version of me in your minds.

After all, it’s a dream you’ll never reach in this lifetime.

They freeze, eyes wide, even their steps coming to a halt.

A satisfying reaction.

Looks like I’ll gain a few more admirers.

“Honestly, Xiao Yue, you’re just letting them off like that? They were staring at you so rudely.”

Tenzan Kaoru puffs her cheeks in dissatisfaction.

“They didn’t mean it, Xiao Xun.”

“See? That’s exactly why you’re such a kind person, Xiao Yue.”

Kind.

I’ve heard that word many times.

How many people have said that in front of this perfect exterior?

At the same time—

it’s the highest praise for my acting.

Heh… pfft.

I want to laugh.

So badly.

Hehehe… I can’t take it anymore. Hahaha—so stupid. I can’t stand it.

“When you say that, Xiao Xun, I get a little embarrassed.”

I cover my cheeks with my hands—though really, it’s to hide the emotions that might leak out.

“Someone as perfect as you definitely deserves that.”

She has no idea what I’m thinking.

Of course not.

After all, how could someone “perfect” possibly have a broken, filthy, rotten heart?

Humans are creatures that judge entirely by appearances.

If the outside is beautiful, then the inside must be too.

What a ridiculous assumption.

“Let’s head back to the classroom.”

“Mhm.”

There aren’t many people in the classroom, but each one enthusiastically greets me. It takes quite a while to respond to them all.

At times like this, they swarm around like chickens seeing grain, refusing to leave until each one gets a reply.

Tenzan Kaoru sits to my right. As soon as the others leave, she eagerly starts talking, taking over what little free time I have.

“Xiao Yue, did you watch the movie I recommended yesterday?”

What movie…?

Ah, right—the magical girl anime film.

An incredibly boring one.

I only watched it so I could talk to her.

“Of course. Since you recommended it so strongly, I made sure to watch it properly.”

“Hehe! Sweetheart Chocolate and Rock-Hard Pudding are amazing, right? Their strongest forms! And the bitter evolution was so cool too—there were two forms!”

That so-called “strongest form” is just like the final form of some Kamen Rider next door—completely useless. It gets beaten to pieces by the bitter president villain, and only wins because of the protagonist’s sudden burst of idealistic power.

A classic cliché.

Honestly, I almost fell asleep halfway through.

If anything left an impression, it was that villain with the big conspiracy who ended up blowing himself up.

That guy was hilarious.

Ah well, I’ll just play along.

“Yeah, I liked it too.”

“Right? I knew you would—that’s why I recommended it so strongly!”

“Did you memorize their lines? I remember them really clearly!”

Why would anyone memorize that nonsense?

Might as well lie in bed and sleep.

“I remember a bit… like that line—”

I deliberately prompt her, and sure enough, Tenzan Kaoru excitedly starts reciting in a low voice:

“Magical girls can’t run away from the battlefield!”

“Overwhelming hope—Rainbow Sweetheart Chocolate!”

“As long as you believe, that’s enough! Belief doesn’t need a reason!”

“We humans can transform!”

She’s really memorized every single line.

Her level of dedication is way higher than I expected.

But what does that have to do with me?

All I need to do is listen attentively on the surface and respond gently, maintaining Dong Yeyue’s perfect, cheerful image.

My thoughts had already drifted away with the March spring breeze.

Sakurano Senior High School.

I’d heard that name before coming here.

After all, it’s the setting of a famous galgame.

The male protagonist, Ichijo Riku, meets five beautiful girls at this school and develops routes with each of them. If you plan things well, you can reach the true ending—the harem king ending.

A true life winner.

Why bring this up?

Because—

this place…

seems to be that very same Sakurano Senior High School from the game I played not long ago.

The bell rings, stopping Tenzan Kaoru’s chatter and dragging me into class.

Maintaining a perfect image also requires matching academic ability.

I’ve finally found something a little exciting.

I can’t let this act stop now.

Cherry blossoms drift down.

In a quiet corner of the school, pink petals have already piled up. A gentle breeze stirs them into patterns like trails left by a slithering snake. The midday sunlight carries a lazy warmth.

At the very least, it gives the already broken me a small sense of genuine happiness—

and the impulse to enjoy the present.

“Click. Click.”

An unexpected visitor has arrived.

Well… judging by the timing, it’s about right.

You really made me wait.

I turn my head toward the boy.

He’s holding a lunch box. Beneath his gray hair, his eyes shine with surprise.

“Good afternoon.”

“G-good afternoon.”