CHAPTER 1 - Hottie Radar Activates
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They say the first day of high school is unforgettable.
For some, it's the nerves—the clammy hands, the pounding heart, the mild existential dread. But me? I wasn't stressing over classes or lockers.
I was focused on something far more important.
New school. New faces. New crushes.
And I'm not talking about your average, oh-she's-cute kind of crushes. No, I mean the kind of girls who walk into a room and instantly melt every guy's brain within a ten-foot radius. The kind who stop time. The kind who turn walking down a hallway into a cinematic event.
Yeah. That kind.
I strolled toward the school gates, backpack slung lazily over one shoulder, heart doing a weird little flip-flop that felt halfway between anticipation and full-on hope.
Was it excitement? Probably.
But not the "I can't wait to solve for X in algebra" kind of excitement.
More like the "please let me meet the love of my life before lunch" kind.
Because—spoiler alert—I'm a hopeless romantic in denial.
High school is supposed to be a fresh start, a clean slate. At least that's what everyone says. Like there's some magical reset button that gets pressed the moment you step onto campus.
I wasn't buying it. But still—I was curious.
Time to make introductions.
I'm Ryuji Takahashi. Just your run-of-the-mill teenage guy with an overactive imagination and a serious case of main character syndrome.
Yes, I said it. I've got the inner monologue. The quirky timing. The dreams of meet-cutes and perfect love stories. Honestly, if this were a romcom—and I'm convinced it is—I'm definitely the protagonist.
I've daydreamed my first-day scenario to death. Picture it: I crash into a beautiful girl right at the gates, her books scatter in slow motion, and when our eyes meet, it's like something out of a manga panel. Sparkles, blushes, maybe even background flowers.
Boom. Cue the opening credits.
That's the plan.
...Or the fantasy.
Because if fate has any sense of humor—and trust me, it does—I'll be lucky to get through day one without tripping over my own feet.
Still, this is my story.
It has to be.
And if romcom logic holds any weight, I'm definitely getting the girl by the end.
Right?
Right...?
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Cue the Record Scratch
Author's Note:
Before we go any further, I should probably confess something.
Our so-called "main character"?
Never been on a date.
Not once.
No hand-holding. No love confessions. No dramatic rooftop scenes under falling cherry blossoms.
Nothing.
And no, it's not because I'm a jerk.
(At least... I don't think I am.)
Anyway—carry on.
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Let's talk about me.
People say I've got those eyes—the kind that make me look like I'm about to fight someone over the last slice of pizza. Truth is, I just look that way when I'm thinking. Or breathing.
So yeah, maybe I'm not the most approachable guy in the room.
But under this "death glare" exterior is just a gamer with a soft spot for romantic clichés. I binge romcom anime, I spend too long on character builds, and deep down, I'm hoping someone sees past the scowl and finds something... more.
Unlikely. But hey, miracles happen.
I tried to act like someone who cared about first impressions. Spoiler: I didn't.
If there's one survival tip for high school, it's this—keep your expectations low, and you'll never be disappointed.
The bell rang.
Ding. Ding. Ding.
Of course. Day one, and I was already late.
Because what's a romcom without the protagonist running like a lunatic to make it to class?
I bolted through the school gates, bag bouncing against my back, heart racing like I'd sprinted straight into a final boss battle.
And just when I thought things couldn't get any more scripted—
I saw her.
Time slowed. Music swelled. My brain flatlined.
She stood just beyond the gates like she'd stepped out of a shoujo manga—hair catching the breeze, sunlight glinting off her profile, aura glowing like a walking plot device.
Her name? Mikaela Sato.
She was beautiful.
Rumor had it she aced every entrance exam. Word on the street was she was kind and polite. And from where I was standing, she was... otherworldly.
And yes, okay—I noticed them too. You know what I mean.
Boobs.
Legendary. Unreal. Gravity said "nah."
Don't judge me. I'm just being honest. I'm a teenage guy with a pulse.
My eyes nearly popped out of my skull. My brain was short-circuiting. And my poor, lonely heart didn't stand a chance.
Still, I had one job: say something.
Anything.
"Uh, h-hey! I'm... Ryuji. Class 1-A. Yeah. H-hi."
Smooth. Like gravel.
But somehow, she smiled.
"Mikaela Sato. 1-A too," she said softly. "Looks like we're classmates."
Classmates.
The word echoed in my brain like a choir of angels had just started singing.
Classmates.
Fate was real. It wore a school uniform. And apparently, it spelled itself M-I-K-A-E-L-A.
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Author's Note:
And just when our brave, bumbling hero finally makes his grand entrance...
Fate decides to raise the stakes.
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A sudden scream tore down the hallway—not the horror movie kind, more the "someone terrifying is coming, run for your life" variety.
"She's here!! Move it!!"
Students scattered like pigeons.
Books clutched. Eyes wide. Chaos.
And then she arrived.
Akira Suzuki.
The most feared girl in school.
If I had to sum her up in one word?
Badass.
Leather jacket. Piercing eyes. Walked like she owned the school—and honestly, she kind of did.
She didn't walk. She prowled. And if you got in her way?
Game over.
The tension was thick enough to chew through.
But then something... strange happened.
The moment Akira laid eyes on Mikaela?
She froze.
The queen of intimidation turned pink. I'm talking actual blush. I nearly swallowed my own tongue.
It was like watching a wolf turn into a lovestruck puppy in real time.
Akira Suzuki—THE Akira Suzuki—shuffled up to Mikaela like a middle schooler with a secret crush.
The infamous death glare? Gone. Replaced with wide eyes and... admiration?
I couldn't process it.
Plot twist of the century:
Akira Suzuki, the school's undisputed apex predator... was best friends with Mikaela Sato.
Go figure.
But I'll explain that mess later.
Right now, I was too busy surviving the overload of hotness, chaos, and teenage drama exploding before my very eyes.
And this?
This was only the beginning.