Changkong City, the starting point of everything.
Location: at an international airport located within its territory.
"Then I'll be going first."
A young man with long, dark gray hair says goodbye to his friend.
Su, as a short-term international exchange student, is returning home today.
Kevin naturally came to see him off.
Although Chiba Academy actually didn't have a holiday today, he skipped class without hesitation.
Su was very aware of that as well.
So—
"You'd better stop doing that."
Su deeply valued the close friendship between him and Kevin and said with concern: "If you keep doing things like this, May might not like you."
Hearing that—
"Okay, okay, I'll be more careful."
Kevin replied half-jokingly, but he genuinely took his best friend's words to heart.
Speaking of May—
"Hey, what do you think?"
Kevin suddenly put his arm around Su's shoulder and, although there was no one else familiar around, acted guilty and asked in a very low voice, mischievously.
To this—
"What is it?"
Su was confused.
"Of course I mean Mei!"
Kevin glanced around, then leaned toward Su's ear again. "Do you think we both have a chance?"
"…"
"My first feeling is that she's the one in this lifetime."
Kevin added.
At that moment, seeing his best friend act so seriously for once, Su didn't tease him with emotionally clumsy words.
Instead, he smiled and shared his honest thoughts.
"I think there's a chance."
"Seriously?!"
Kevin's spirits lifted instantly.
To be honest, ever since moving from Northern Europe to the Far East a few months ago, not much here had interested him.
Because of his good looks and excellent athletic abilities, Kevin knew many girls liked him.
But he'd never been interested in any of them.
Until he met Mei.
Some people say: You don't need a reason to like someone, just like you don't need a reason to hate someone.
Kevin felt like that might be the case here.
He fell in love with her at first sight.
There were no impure desires or ulterior motives—just a feeling.
So, he took the initiative to get close to her, teased her like a child who hadn't grown up, deliberately took her glasses so she'd chase after him in annoyance, but couldn't catch him.
He wanted her attention.
To be honest, if Kevin were a bit more mature, he'd know that using that kind of method to get a girl's attention often backfires.
All that can be said is—he got lucky.
Fortunately, Mei had no experience in this area because she was immersed in her books. Also, Kevin himself knew when to stop, and he had his own strengths in character.
So, two people with very different personalities—one good at sports, the other fond of studying—slowly started to get along.
Mei discovered many conflicting points in Kevin.
But little by little, she began to feel drawn to this cheerful, warm-hearted young man.
And now—
"Remember the day the three of us went to Eden's concert?"
"When we got there, you were so excited after checking in that you ran too far ahead. Mei accidentally said this to me while we were chatting—"
Su smiled and looked at his close friend. "Kevin, it's because of that purity that she said you look cuter than other people."
"Huh?"
Kevin began a long and hard brainstorming session that didn't involve any deep knowledge.
After a while, he scratched his head and concluded—
"Cute? Shouldn't it be handsome?"
"…"
Su was speechless.
That's what you're focusing on?
Dragging his suitcase with one hand, and using the other to push Kevin's arm off his shoulder, he rolled his eyes. "Don't you know yourself by now? You like girls who scream and wave and shout 'Wow! What a handsome guy!'"
"Besides, if a girl thinks you're cute, that's better than her thinking you're just handsome… At least in your case."
"Ah, right."
Kevin laughed. "So Mei and I really do have a shot!"
"You think I said all that just to say that?"
Su felt a little tired.
Well, Kevin has his own way of thinking.
It can only be said that although Su isn't the "Enlightened One" of later generations, when facing a blockhead like this, he still has his own unique way of guiding him.
However, at that moment, Kevin was completely lost in his own delusions.
He was probably already thinking about what to name their future kids.
"Sigh~"
Su sighed helplessly.
He raised his hand and placed it on Kevin's shoulder. "Alright, alright, wipe that look off your face."
"If you want to keep daydreaming, wait until you get home. Don't run into a telephone pole while you're walking."
At that moment, Kevin had just snapped back to reality, but before he could respond—
"My flight's about to leave, so I'm heading out now…"
Su pointed to the waiting area.
"Oh~"
Kevin nodded, but he looked more than a little disappointed.
He really didn't want to part with Su.
After all, of all the people he knew, the only one he could truly connect with heart to heart was Su.
The two of them were always completely in sync—or… complementary?
Shortly after—
"Alright, that's enough."
Su, of course, could see the look in Kevin's eyes—like an abandoned puppy.
But he still laughed a little, then officially said goodbye.
"Goodbye!"
"Yeah, see you soon."
"You gonna skip class again?"
"Of course… not!"
And with that, Su walked off while still chatting.
Finally, after a wave around the corner, his figure disappeared into the waiting area.
Kevin stood still, waving, not lowering his arm right away, and stared off in a daze for a while.
Then, as if to cheer himself up, he slapped both cheeks, then stretched wildly.
"Hmm~ back to school."
Because of the temporary parting from his best friend, Kevin, who had been slightly downcast, now wore a sunny smile as if he was "looking forward to tomorrow."
"Hey, Mei thinks I'm cute!"
Well, even thinking about it made him feel a little awkward.
Still—
"This is Mei!"
Kevin's lips curled into a smile without him realizing.
In his mind, he saw the familiar image of a girl with purple hair, large-framed glasses, and a stack of books in her arms.
Purple hair…
"Huh?"
Kevin froze.
Because, dazed as he was, he seemed to see a familiar profile at the far end of the hallway.
He didn't react the first time.
Because even if it's the same person, the difference in aura between wearing glasses and not wearing them is huge.
And Kevin… had seen what Mei looked like without her glasses.
In that instant, he subconsciously walked in that direction.
In his heart, a strange, nagging feeling of dissonance welled up.
"Did Mei skip class too?"
"'No!'"