“Origami Tobiichi, you’re standing too close.”
“No, you are, Tohka. Shido finds your scent unbearable.”
“That’s a lie! Shido would never say such a thing.”
“That’s only because Shido is too kind to tell you the truth.”
A violet-haired beauty, almost too perfect to be real, and a white-haired girl, as delicate as a doll, had cornered an unassuming blue-haired boy. Their loud squabbling was a familiar sound to the students of Class 2-4 at Raizen High, signaling the start of another day.
The violet-haired girl was Tohka, a transfer student who had joined their class only recently. The white-haired girl was Origami Tobiichi, renowned throughout the school as a cool and brilliant beauty.
Yet, these two stunning girls seemed to clash the moment their eyes met.
And the reason, of course, was the ordinary blue-haired boy caught between them.
This blue-haired boy was Itsuka Shido. He had once been so utterly detached from women that he was rumored to be in a romantic relationship with Tonamachi Hiroto. Yet, inexplicably, with the start of this semester, he had become a veritable king, surrounded by two exquisite beauties.
“…”
A sudden chill traced Itsuka Shido’s spine, shooting straight to his brain.
It was simply the tangible wave of resentment emanating from every boy around him.
Such a reaction was entirely logical; after all, a single boy being fought over by two girls was already enough to incite intense jealousy in his peers.
When those two girls happened to be rare beauties, the envy only intensified.
Even Tonamachi Hiroto, Itsuka Shido’s closest friend, stared with hollow eyes, muttering under his breath, “Die, die, die, die, die, Itsuka!”
Meanwhile, the girls covered their faces, unable to watch, only daring to whisper their comments.
“Oh my god!”
“Shido, what’s wrong?” Tohka asked, her voice laced with concern as she gazed at Shido’s twitching face.
“It’s because Shido can’t stand Tohka’s scent, causing him to have a withdrawal reaction.”
“What did you say? I think it’s because of Origami Tobiichi!”
And so, Tohka and Origami continued their bickering, their argument only ceasing when Okamine Tamae entered the classroom.
“Everyone, settle down. Today, we’ll be welcoming a new student.”
“A new student? Does that mean another transfer student is joining our class?”
“Tohka just transferred here, and now another new student? This is amazing!”
“I wonder if it’s a handsome guy? Or another beautiful girl like Tohka?”
“Don’t rush, I love both!”
The students all chattered excitedly, their voices a cacophony, but Shido’s thoughts remained his own.
‘A transfer student? Could it be Qianye? No, that’s impossible. Her personality isn’t the type to dutifully attend school. It seems I’ve been missing her too much, to conjure such a fantasy.’
Shido shook his head, dispelling the unrealistic fantasy from his mind.
“Everyone, please quiet down again. And… please come in!”
The classroom door slid open, and a set of footsteps echoed—light and graceful like a maiden’s, yet oddly brisk, like a man’s.
Instantly, the classroom fell into a profound silence.
Emerging from behind the door was an exceptionally beautiful girl with rare pink hair and heterochromatic eyes.
She was also the girl Shido had longed for—Qianye.
“Alright, please introduce yourself first.”
“Understood!”
Qianye picked up a piece of chalk, wrote her name on the blackboard, and then introduced herself.
“My name is Qianye. Um, I’ve only just arrived in Japan, so please take care of me from now on.”
“Oooh~”
A stir went through the classroom.
“What an adorable beauty! I’m so lucky to be in this class.”
“Pink hair, and rare heterochromatic eyes too! How can she possess such striking looks?”
“Her legs are long, her waist is slender, and her chest is so big! She’s like a model.”
“She just arrived in Japan? Could she be mixed-race? No wonder she’s so beautiful, not like us at all.”
“Ah, it’s Qianye!”
“Tch, why is she back?”
Those last two remarks undoubtedly came from Tohka and Origami. Tohka expressed her delight at Qianye’s return, while Origami showed a clear hint of apprehension.
However, their words were quickly lost amidst the general uproar.
Besides the two girls, one other person reacted strongly to Qianye’s return: Tonamachi Hiroto.
He found Qianye’s appearance strangely familiar, as if he had seen her somewhere before.
As for Shido, he was initially overcome with disbelief. He had never imagined Qianye would actually return like this, and as a transfer student no less—he had previously dismissed the idea as impossible.
Soon, however, his heart swelled with joy. The person he had longed for was right before his eyes, and he had so much he wanted to say to Qianye.
As if sensing his thoughts, Qianye looked in Shido’s direction, offering a gentle smile. Then, she placed a finger to her red lips.
It was a silent signal, urging Shido to remain quiet for now.
“Alright, alright, everyone settle down now.”
As if on cue, Okamine Tamae also called for the students to quiet down and maintain classroom discipline.
“Now then, Qianye, please choose an empty seat and sit down!”
‘Why are all the empty seats around Shido? Is it a coincidence, or some kind of mysterious arrangement?’
Musing on this rather implausible setup, Qianye took light, graceful steps towards the designated spot.
****
“Hey, hey, Qianye, where did you go to high school before this? Were you so popular there that all the girls ostracized you, forcing you to transfer?”
“Qianye, what kind of guy do you like? Or a girl?”
“Hey, hey, hey…”
The moment class ended, Qianye was swarmed by students of all genders. This made Shido, who had intended to speak with her, temporarily abandon his plan.
It wasn’t until lunch break, when most students had gone to eat, that Qianye seized the opportunity. She quietly slipped away to the rooftop, and Shido followed her.
When Shido first arrived on the rooftop, he couldn’t spot Qianye. But just as he was about to search for her, a sudden chill touched his neck.
“What could possibly make our Itsuka Shido abandon two school-idol-level beauties like Tohka and Origami to come to the rooftop alone?”
From behind Shido, Qianye licked her lips, her voice laced with amusement.