Days have passed, and Natsuki-san keeps showing up at my classroom during lunch asking to eat together. I don't mind spending time with her—actually, I enjoy it more than I should—but a problem has started to surface.
My peaceful background character life... is officially over.
Whispers follow me in the hallways. Students glance over, some curious, some envious, and many others downright hostile. It's all because of her—Akari Natsuki, the school princess, casually spending her lunch breaks with me, of all people.
And with her reputation, I'm worried I've become a stain.
We sit in our usual spot at the top with an accompanying breeze. I poke at my food, unable to eat. My stomach knots with guilt.
I put down my chopsticks and speak up.
"Umm... Senpai, I think we should stop having lunch together."
She pauses mid-bite. Her hand lowers slowly, and she places her chopsticks down.
"W-Why...? Did I do something to upset you, Nagano-kun?" she asks, visibly shaken.
"No! Of course not," I reply quickly. "It's just... people have been talking. There are rumors about you now, and I don't want them to hurt your image. It's better if we... stop, so they'll go away."
An awkward silence falls between us.
Then, she scoffs.
"Stupid Nagano-kun."
"Eh?" I blink.
She looks at me, her eyes serious.
"I never asked you to care about my status. I want to live the way I want. I don't care about any stupid rumors."
"But Senpai, I—"
"Okay then, Nagano-kun," she interrupts, leaning forward slightly. "Answer me honestly. Do you like having lunch with me?"
I freeze.
"...Yes. I do."
Without hesitation, she reaches across the table and pinches my cheek.
"Ow—!"
"Good," she says with a mischievous glint in her eyes. "If you enjoy it, then there's no reason to stop just because of a few baseless rumors."
I stare at her. She's relentless. There's no way I'll be able to convince her otherwise.
She pouts. "Also, Nagano-kun... what did I say about the formality?"
"Ah—sorry, Natsuki-san. I'm still not used to it," I say, laughing awkwardly.
She smirks. "Then as punishment, you'll have to walk home with me after school."
I sigh. Great. More fuel for the raging rumor fire...
"Okay, Natsuki-san..."
The final bell rings. As I pack up my things, Minori walks up beside me.
"Hey Katsu, wanna walk home together? Yui-chan's off to karaoke with her friends today."
"Sorry, Minori. I already made plans."
"Huh?" He looks surprised. "Mr. Otaku actually has plans with real people?"
He laughs. "So, who is it?"
I lean in and whisper, "...Natsuki-senpai."
Minori freezes.
"WHAT?! WITH THE SCHOOL PRINCESS?!"
Everyone in the classroom looks our way. A few eyebrows raised. Then, thankfully, they return to minding their own business.
"Be quiet, you idiot!" I hissed.
Minori scratches the back of his head. "Sorry, sorry... But seriously, I never expected her to hang out with you. Guess she figured out how good of a guy you are."
I smile faintly. We walk toward the school entrance... and that's when I feel it. A bad feeling.
A large crowd is gathered near the front gates. I know exactly who they're waiting for.
I push through the students and—just as I feared—there she is.
Standing at the gates like a heroine in a dating sim, Natsuki-san waits, casually brushing her hair behind her ear.
"She's so pretty..."
"Is she waiting for someone?"
"Man, I wish that were me..."
"Don't tell me... it's that guy again?"
I take a deep breath and walk forward.
"Nagano-kun, you're finally here," she says with a smile. "Shall we go?"
Chatter explodes behind me.
"What?! Him again?!"
"I'm gonna kill that bastard!"
"Why him?!"
"Did he win some kind of divine lottery?!"
"Don't pay attention to them, Nagano-kun," she says calmly as we walk through the school gates.
Easier said than done.
I can feel their eyes drilling holes into the back of my head. A murderous aura fills the air.
Should I run? Maybe I should just pretend I don't know her... No, what am I saying? Am I even allowed to exist anymore?
Then, like a divine rescue mission—
"Oi, Minorin!" Tanaka appears out of nowhere. "Help them out!"
Minori and Tanaka step forward and raise their hands like traffic controllers.
"Everyone, please go home! They will take no more questions. This gathering is over!"
It's enough to create some breathing room. But a few persistent students still trail behind us like we're on a reality show.
We wander through random streets, trying to lose our tail. But they cling on, hoping to get a glimpse of "the moment."
I sigh deeply.
"What's wrong, Nagano-kun?" Natsuki-san asks.
"Sorry, Senpai... I'm about to do something crazy."
Before she can respond, I grab her hand and start running.
"W-WAIT—NAGANO-KUN?!"
"HE'S HOLDING HER HAND!"
"AND THEY'RE RUNNING!"
"AFTER HIM!"
Chaos erupts behind us, but I focus on running. We dart through alleys, cross a park, jump a bush (barely), and finally—
Nothing.
Silence.
I stop, gasping for air.
"Phew... I think we lost them."
I turned to her. "Sorry, Natsuki-san. I just didn't want things to escalate... so I—"
I freeze.
I'm still holding her hand.
"OH MY GOD—I'M SO SORRY, SENPAI!" I bow instinctively. "I grabbed it on impulse—I wasn't thinking—it must've been gross—"
"That's not true..." she whispers.
"Huh? What was that?"
I look up, and her face is bright red.
"Idiot Nagano-kun!" she yells, and turns away, running off in the opposite direction.
I stand there, winded and stunned.
She probably hates me now...
I walked the rest of the way home alone, my head still spinning.
What the hell just happened...
First, I basically confessed to enjoying lunch with her. Then I grabbed her hand like a shounen protagonist mid-battle. And finally—finally—I somehow managed to make her run away, blushing and yelling "idiot Nagano-kun."
Was that good?
Was that bad?
I couldn't tell. My emotional compass had snapped.
As I approached the front door, I could already hear the unmistakable chaos inside the house. A mix of TV static, laughter, and the clinking of dishes.
I opened the door and walked in.
"Welcome back, Onii-cha—"
Shiori and Saori, my sisters, froze mid-greeting as they saw the look on my face.
"You look dead," Shiori said bluntly.
"You look like Aizawa-sensei after every class," Saori added.
"...Thanks," I muttered.
They both walked up to me, circling like hyenas.
"Did you fail a test?"
"Did someone steal your crush's first kiss?"
"Did they finally make you the villain in your own anime?"
I sighed and dropped my bag by the door. "No. None of that. I'm fine."
"You don't look fine," Shiori said, narrowing her eyes.
"Your depression aura is literally visible," Saori added, mimicking the Bleach reiatsu effect by waving her hands dramatically.
"I said I'm fine!" I waved them off and walked past them toward my room.
"Wait! You're really not going to tell us?" Saori shouted.
"I don't have time to deal with nosy twins right now," I said flatly, opening my closet.
"Rude," Shiori pouted.
Inside, I pulled out my black gym bag and slung it over my shoulder.
"I'm going out."
"To where?"
"To the gym."
Both girls gasped like I'd just announced I was leaving to become a Pokémon master.
"Are you training for a tournament arc?"
"Is this your shounen power-up arc?!"
I smirked just slightly. "Something like that, you otaku freaks."
I left them behind and headed back out into the cool evening air.
I arrived at the local gym twenty minutes later, headphones in, hoodie up. The fluorescent lights hummed overhead like background noise in a dystopian sci-fi film.
Now playing: "Kokuei" by Aska-loon .
My hands gripped the dumbbells.
One.
Two.
Three.
I wasn't even focused on the workout. I was just trying to drown out the swirl of feelings spiraling in my chest again.
Natsuki-senpai's flushed expression.
Her hand in mine.
She called me an idiot before running away.
I stared down at the weights.
Was it really that bad...?
In the mirror, I barely recognized myself. A loner background character lifting weights in a near-empty gym under neon lights. It felt like the training montage of a rejected side character trying to become relevant in season two.
As I shifted to the bench press, a phrase from an old movie came to mind:
"It's not who I am underneath... but what I do that defines me."
– Mouseman, Mouseman Beginning.
I don't know why that line hit harder than the bench press.
I exhaled. I don't want to run away anymore.
If being with Natsuki-senpai means dealing with stares, whispers, and dumb rumors... then maybe it's time I stop being afraid of the spotlight.
Even background characters deserve an arc, right?
I finish my final rep and sit up, sweat dripping down my forehead, breath steady.
Tomorrow... I'll talk to her again.
I dropped the dumbbells with a thud and wiped the sweat from my forehead. My breathing was steady now, and for the first time in days, my mind felt a little clearer.
No more running away.
If being with Natsuki-senpai meant stepping into the chaos of stares, whispers, and ridiculous rumors... then maybe it was time to stop hiding in the background like some filler episode extra after all, if she's used to it… perhaps I could do it too.
Like Yomechika revealing his actual shokai or when Croc Lee dropping his arm weights in the ganin exams.
I grabbed my phone to check for messages, expecting the usual notifications from friends or maybe a new meme from Minori.
But instead, a single alert blinked on the screen:
"Shizuka's Stream: CANCELED Today."
My heart sank.
Shizuka was one of the few people who kept things normal—her calm, upbeat streams were like my personal safe zone after school.
If even she was canceling, then I really must have messed up big time.
Maybe this wasn't just some stupid rumor or school drama anymore.
Maybe... I'd accidentally triggered something bigger than I initially expected.
I slipped my phone into my pocket and gazed out the window, the city lights flickering like the final scene before a season finale cliffhanger.
Guess my "background character" days are over.
Days have passed, and Natsuki-san keeps showing up at my classroom during lunch asking to eat together. I don't mind spending time with her—actually, I enjoy it more than I should—but a problem has started to surface.
My peaceful background character life... is officially over.
Whispers follow me in the hallways. Students glance over, some curious, some envious, and many others downright hostile. It's all because of her—Akari Natsuki, the school princess, casually spending her lunch breaks with me, of all people.
And with her reputation, I'm worried I've become a stain.
We sit in our usual spot at the top with an accompanying breeze. I poke at my food, unable to eat. My stomach knots with guilt.
I put down my chopsticks and speak up.
"Umm... Senpai, I think we should stop having lunch together."
She pauses mid-bite. Her hand lowers slowly, and she places her chopsticks down.
"W-Why...? Did I do something to upset you, Nagano-kun?" she asks, visibly shaken.
"No! Of course not," I reply quickly. "It's just... people have been talking. There are rumors about you now, and I don't want them to hurt your image. It's better if we... stop, so they'll go away."
An awkward silence falls between us.
Then, she scoffs.
"Stupid Nagano-kun."
"Eh?" I blink.
She looks at me, her eyes serious.
"I never asked you to care about my status. I want to live the way I want. I don't care about any stupid rumors."
"But Senpai, I—"
"Okay then, Nagano-kun," she interrupts, leaning forward slightly. "Answer me honestly. Do you like having lunch with me?"
I freeze.
"...Yes. I do."
Without hesitation, she reaches across the table and pinches my cheek.
"Ow—!"
"Good," she says with a mischievous glint in her eyes. "If you enjoy it, then there's no reason to stop just because of a few baseless rumors."
I stare at her. She's relentless. There's no way I'll be able to convince her otherwise.
She pouts. "Also, Nagano-kun... what did I say about the formality?"
"Ah—sorry, Natsuki-san. I'm still not used to it," I say, laughing awkwardly.
She smirks. "Then as punishment, you'll have to walk home with me after school."
I sigh. Great. More fuel for the raging rumor fire...
"Okay, Natsuki-san..."
The final bell rings. As I pack up my things, Minori walks up beside me.
"Hey Katsu, wanna walk home together? Yui-chan's off to karaoke with her friends today."
"Sorry, Minori. I already made plans."
"Huh?" He looks surprised. "Mr. Otaku actually has plans with real people?"
He laughs. "So, who is it?"
I lean in and whisper, "...Natsuki-senpai."
Minori freezes.
"WHAT?! WITH THE SCHOOL PRINCESS?!"
Everyone in the classroom looks our way. A few eyebrows raised. Then, thankfully, they return to minding their own business.
"Be quiet, you idiot!" I hissed.
Minori scratches the back of his head. "Sorry, sorry... But seriously, I never expected her to hang out with you. Guess she figured out how good of a guy you are."
I smile faintly. We walk toward the school entrance... and that's when I feel it. A bad feeling.
A large crowd is gathered near the front gates. I know exactly who they're waiting for.
I push through the students and—just as I feared—there she is.
Standing at the gates like a heroine in a dating sim, Natsuki-san waits, casually brushing her hair behind her ear.
"She's so pretty..."
"Is she waiting for someone?"
"Man, I wish that were me..."
"Don't tell me... it's that guy again?"
I take a deep breath and walk forward.
"Nagano-kun, you're finally here," she says with a smile. "Shall we go?"
Chatter explodes behind me.
"What?! Him again?!"
"I'm gonna kill that bastard!"
"Why him?!"
"Did he win some kind of divine lottery?!"
"Don't pay attention to them, Nagano-kun," she says calmly as we walk through the school gates.
Easier said than done.
I can feel their eyes drilling holes into the back of my head. A murderous aura fills the air.
Should I run? Maybe I should just pretend I don't know her... No, what am I saying? Am I even allowed to exist anymore?
Then, like a divine rescue mission—
"Oi, Minorin!" Tanaka appears out of nowhere. "Help them out!"
Minori and Tanaka step forward and raise their hands like traffic controllers.
"Everyone, please go home! They will take no more questions. This gathering is over!"
It's enough to create some breathing room. But a few persistent students still trail behind us like we're on a reality show.
We wander through random streets, trying to lose our tail. But they cling on, hoping to get a glimpse of "the moment."
I sigh deeply.
"What's wrong, Nagano-kun?" Natsuki-san asks.
"Sorry, Senpai... I'm about to do something crazy."
Before she can respond, I grab her hand and start running.
"W-WAIT—NAGANO-KUN?!"
"HE'S HOLDING HER HAND!"
"AND THEY'RE RUNNING!"
"AFTER HIM!"
Chaos erupts behind us, but I focus on running. We dart through alleys, cross a park, jump a bush (barely), and finally—
Nothing.
Silence.
I stop, gasping for air.
"Phew... I think we lost them."
I turned to her. "Sorry, Natsuki-san. I just didn't want things to escalate... so I—"
I freeze.
I'm still holding her hand.
"OH MY GOD—I'M SO SORRY, SENPAI!" I bow instinctively. "I grabbed it on impulse—I wasn't thinking—it must've been gross—"
"That's not true..." she whispers.
"Huh? What was that?"
I look up, and her face is bright red.
"Idiot Nagano-kun!" she yells, and turns away, running off in the opposite direction.
I stand there, winded and stunned.
She probably hates me now...
I walked the rest of the way home alone, my head still spinning.
What the hell just happened...
First, I basically confessed to enjoying lunch with her. Then I grabbed her hand like a shounen protagonist mid-battle. And finally—finally—I somehow managed to make her run away, blushing and yelling "idiot Nagano-kun."
Was that good?
Was that bad?
I couldn't tell. My emotional compass had snapped.
As I approached the front door, I could already hear the unmistakable chaos inside the house. A mix of TV static, laughter, and the clinking of dishes.
I opened the door and walked in.
"Welcome back, Onii-cha—"
Shiori and Saori, my sisters, froze mid-greeting as they saw the look on my face.
"You look dead," Shiori said bluntly.
"You look like Aizawa-sensei after every class," Saori added.
"...Thanks," I muttered.
They both walked up to me, circling like hyenas.
"Did you fail a test?"
"Did someone steal your crush's first kiss?"
"Did they finally make you the villain in your own anime?"
I sighed and dropped my bag by the door. "No. None of that. I'm fine."
"You don't look fine," Shiori said, narrowing her eyes.
"Your depression aura is literally visible," Saori added, mimicking the Bleach reiatsu effect by waving her hands dramatically.
"I said I'm fine!" I waved them off and walked past them toward my room.
"Wait! You're really not going to tell us?" Saori shouted.
"I don't have time to deal with nosy twins right now," I said flatly, opening my closet.
"Rude," Shiori pouted.
Inside, I pulled out my black gym bag and slung it over my shoulder.
"I'm going out."
"To where?"
"To the gym."
Both girls gasped like I'd just announced I was leaving to become a Pokémon master.
"Are you training for a tournament arc?"
"Is this your shounen power-up arc?!"
I smirked just slightly. "Something like that, you otaku freaks."
I left them behind and headed back out into the cool evening air.
I arrived at the local gym twenty minutes later, headphones in, hoodie up. The fluorescent lights hummed overhead like background noise in a dystopian sci-fi film.
Now playing: "Kokuei" by Aska-loon .
My hands gripped the dumbbells.
One.
Two.
Three.
I wasn't even focused on the workout. I was just trying to drown out the swirl of feelings spiraling in my chest again.
Natsuki-senpai's flushed expression.
Her hand in mine.
She called me an idiot before running away.
I stared down at the weights.
Was it really that bad...?
In the mirror, I barely recognized myself. A loner background character lifting weights in a near-empty gym under neon lights. It felt like the training montage of a rejected side character trying to become relevant in season two.
As I shifted to the bench press, a phrase from an old movie came to mind:
"It's not who I am underneath... but what I do that defines me."
– Mouseman, Mouseman Beginning.
I don't know why that line hit harder than the bench press.
I exhaled. I don't want to run away anymore.
If being with Natsuki-senpai means dealing with stares, whispers, and dumb rumors... then maybe it's time I stop being afraid of the spotlight.
Even background characters deserve an arc, right?
I finish my final rep and sit up, sweat dripping down my forehead, breath steady.
Tomorrow... I'll talk to her again.
I dropped the dumbbells with a thud and wiped the sweat from my forehead. My breathing was steady now, and for the first time in days, my mind felt a little clearer.
No more running away.
If being with Natsuki-senpai meant stepping into the chaos of stares, whispers, and ridiculous rumors... then maybe it was time to stop hiding in the background like some filler episode extra after all, if she's used to it… perhaps I could do it too.
Like Yomechika revealing his actual shokai or when Croc Lee dropping his arm weights in the ganin exams.
I grabbed my phone to check for messages, expecting the usual notifications from friends or maybe a new meme from Minori.
But instead, a single alert blinked on the screen:
"Shizuka's Stream: CANCELED Today."
My heart sank.
Shizuka was one of the few people who kept things normal—her calm, upbeat streams were like my personal safe zone after school.
If even she was canceling, then I really must have messed up big time.
Maybe this wasn't just some stupid rumor or school drama anymore.
Maybe... I'd accidentally triggered something bigger than I initially expected.
I slipped my phone into my pocket and gazed out the window, the city lights flickering like the final scene before a season finale cliffhanger.
Guess my "background character" days are over.