[Reiji Kurozawa | 17 | Certified Nobody]
I should've known.
The moment she called me to the rooftop "after school," I should've realized it wasn't going to be some magical anime confession scene. I wasn't the protagonist. I was the filler episode.
Still, I stood there like an idiot — sweaty palms, heartbeat louder than the school bell, clutching the letter I'd rewritten eight times.
"Risa…" I began, mustering every ounce of confidence I didn't have.
She looked at me like I was a sneeze she was trying not to acknowledge. "Uh... who are you again?"
Boom. Fatality. Reiji.exe has crashed.
I laughed. Not because it was funny, but because it was the only thing keeping my ego from imploding.
"I'm Reiji. Same class. We sat together during detention last week. I lent you my notes—"
"Ohhh right, that guy."
That guy.
The one no one notices. The one who exists in the negative space between popular kids' selfies. The "Oh yeah, you're in this school too?" type of guy.
She looked at my letter like it was a disease.
"Sorry, Reiji. You're just not my type."
Of course I wasn't. Her "type" was tall, rich, popular, probably drove a motorcycle and had six-pack abs sculpted by Greek gods. I was the opposite of that. I was… me.
"Cool," I said, trying to act like my soul wasn't bleeding. "Thanks for your time."
She left.
I stayed.
Alone on the rooftop, watching the sky turn that moody, late-evening blue. The kind of sky that feels like it's silently judging you.
And then… my phone buzzed.
Except — I didn't have a phone.
Not mine, at least. This was an old flip phone I'd found in the lost-and-found box last week. No lock screen, no ID. Just sitting there. I took it because… well, who cared?
The screen lit up.
[FLIRT ACADEMY - BETA ACCESS GRANTED]Welcome, Reiji Kurozawa.First Lesson Unlocked:"People don't fall for love. They fall for attention."
"What…?"
I stared at the screen. There was a weird rush in my chest, like a caffeine hit with extra insanity. The phone vibrated again.
Mission: Make ONE girl choose to talk to you tomorrow.Reward: Unlock Next Lesson.Penalty: System Lockout.
I blinked. "Okay, what is this—some sick prank?"
Another buzz.
Tip: Eye contact. Smile. Exit first. Leave them curious, not satisfied.
"...What kind of dating sim nonsense is this?"
But something inside me—maybe ego, maybe bitterness—decided to play along.
I had nothing to lose, right?
[Next Day | Homeroom | Classroom 2-B]
I walked in five minutes late on purpose.
Every guy would usually apologize, shuffle in with hunched shoulders. Not me.
Not today.
I strolled in like I was exactly where I wanted to be, like I owned the late entrance. Then I made brief eye contact with three girls as I passed their desks — just long enough to register curiosity — and then moved my eyes away.
No staring. No creepy smile. Just… confident neutrality.
The system buzzed.
+1 Curious Glance+1 Whisper Behind YouKeep going.
I didn't say a word the whole class. I just existed differently.
And then it happened.
"Hey... Reiji, right?"
I turned. Ayaka Tenshi, class rep, school idol, perfect girl with perfect grades and a permanent aura of I'm-too-good-for-this-world — was talking to me.
Her voice was casual, but her eyes were scanning me like a pop quiz.
"I saw you reading something on your desk earlier. Was it a new light novel?"
I smiled — soft, like I knew something she didn't.
"Wouldn't you like to know?"
Then I stood up and left before she could respond.
System buzz.
Mission CompleteReward Unlocked:Lesson 2 — "Mystery is Attraction. Predictability is Death."
I was shaking.
Not from fear. Not even from excitement.
From the realization that maybe… this was real.
Or at least real enough to change everything.
[Later That Night | My Room]
I sat on my bed, staring at the phone like it might explode. The screen pulsed softly with a new message.
FLIRT ACADEMY is now active.Daily Missions Begin Tomorrow.Girls Impacted: 1Manipulation Level: 2%
I wasn't a loser anymore.
I wasn't background noise.
I was going to rise — not through muscles or money or luck — but through psychology, presence… and maybe a little seduction.
Call me toxic. Call me a villain.
But I'm done being invisible.
And tomorrow… I'm going after the next girl.