Chapter 5: When Paths Cross
"I saw that boy again! He's seriously so good-looking. I can't take it anymore, I really want to ask for his contact info… but I don't have the guts, ugh…"
"Is he sure he's not some celebrity? Still dressed like a student too. Are all boys this handsome nowadays?"
On the subway—
There were middle-aged men reading newspapers, stylish young people chatting, and girls giggling in hushed tones, leaning in close to whisper.
And then, there were those who not-so-subtly angled their phones toward him, pretending to talk while secretly pressing record.
But Yuzuki Gen was already used to it.
Truthfully, he didn't care much about his appearance. If he had the choice, he'd rather not attract so much attention.
But there was no helping it. His natural aura and ridiculously sculpted looks made him stand out like a firefly in the dark or a diamond buried in coal.
Sigh... If only I weren't this handsome.
But really, what could he do? You don't get to pick how you're born.
After getting off the subway, he smoothly made his way to Shōjitsu Private High School.
It was that sweltering yet hope-filled season of the year again, when girls in pleated skirts—paired with long or short socks—walked around in groups.
Legs everywhere. A campus full of legs. Truly, life was good.
Just as he stepped into Building No. 1, he sensed something unusual nearby.
Turning his head slightly, he saw her—the proud black swan.
Asagiri Rin. A girl with a striking figure and a noble air that seemed woven into her very bones.
Underneath her smooth black hair was a face so beautiful it seemed unreal. But her cold, aloof aura warned others to stay away.
Yuzuki Gen gave her a glance and caught the flicker of her sideways gaze.
The next moment, she picked up her pace, leaving him behind as if the future was a place only she was allowed to reach.
Bathed in sunlight pouring through the hallway windows, her profile glowed with brilliance.
She finally stopped at the top of the staircase. But just as she looked back down at the boy casually following behind—
Sakura Kazama's hand landed playfully on Yuzuki Gen's shoulder.
He turned toward the lively girl, missing the flicker of emotion in the Asagiri Rin's eyes.
"Good morning!" Sakura chirped with boundless energy, her sweet smile like the essence of summer itself.
Yuzuki Gen chuckled. "I really envy your energy, Kazama-san."
Sakura sighed dramatically. "I wish I could lend you some, Yuzuki-kun. But alas, you're a tough nut to crack."
"Really? Do I come off like some grumpy old man?"
"Not at all. You just have a strong inner world. I don't believe for a second that you're actually jealous of me."
Her ponytail swayed as she tilted her head, clearly amused.
"I thought I hid it so well," he said, laughing. "And yet, Kazama-san saw right through me. Uh-oh… am I living in some kind of high school mystery romance novel?"
"Quit your nonsense."
She rose on her toes beside him, reaching up to bop him on the head. But even at around 170 cm, the distance made it a stretch—and she hesitated to get too close.
Still, Gen didn't laugh or tease her for it.
Instead, just as she was about to give up, he leaned down slightly—meeting her eyes and blinking innocently.
The sudden move left Sakura frozen in place.
A blush like the setting sun bloomed across her cheeks.
Especially since this was a busy stairwell full of students.
Flustered, she immediately turned away. "W-What are you doing?!"
"Didn't you want to knock on my head?"
"So you lowered it for me?"
"Yeah."
"…You idiot." She bit her lip, trying to hold back the fluttering in her chest. "If someone's about to hit you, you don't offer your head!"
Gen smiled and straightened up again, resuming his usual relaxed posture as he walked calmly up the next set of stairs.
At the very front, Asagiri Rin had already vanished. In his memory, she had paused briefly at the end of the hallway. But why? It didn't seem like anything could make her stop.
"Because it's Kazama-kun… so it's okay,"
The girl's cheeks flushed pink as she carefully stepped onto the same stair level as the boy, muttering softly.
"You're lying again. Just a moment ago, you were staring at Asagiri the whole time."
"Huh? You saw that?"
The boy didn't even try to deny it, which irritated Sakura Kazama. Yet, from her position, she had no right to be upset—no reason to complain.
So she could only hide her feelings cautiously, burying them deep inside.
"Kind of hard not to see," she said quietly.
But even her tone was hard to interpret as casual.
Yuzuki Gen smiled indifferently. "Even if I was looking, it doesn't mean anything. We didn't even talk. We just happened to be walking in the same direction."
"You say that like you weren't the same guy who walked up to her at the beginning of first year and got rejected on the spot."
"I told you, that wasn't a confession."
"Then what was it? You knew her before?"
At that, Gen's expression froze for a brief moment.
Sakura bit her lip. "Not like I care anyway. If you don't want to say it, then don't."
Tap, tap, tap.
She quickly climbed the last few steps of the staircase and looked down at the handsome boy below.
Lifting her chin proudly, the girl tried to act like the "white swan" he always described.
"Hurry up, class is about to start."
"Yeah."
Gen didn't offer any further explanation. As far as he was concerned, there was no need to explain his history with Asagiri Rin.
Back then, at the start of high school, he had walked right up to that black swan in front of a crowd. But what he said absolutely wasn't a confession.
Did it need explaining? Not really. People preferred stories with bite, the ones that made for good gossip. They only believed what they wanted to believe.
And since she didn't care, Gen had no reason to care either.
Life is long, and time flows like water. Some things are best left buried in memory, never brought up again.
"Hurry and go in. Stop arriving right at the bell. Pay more attention in class."
"…Got it, Mr. Yamazaki."
When Gen reached the classroom door, the previously cheerful and energetic Sakura was now standing in front of a handsome young man, her head slightly bowed.
Her mood had clearly shifted.
The man, dressed in a crisp shirt, his hair neatly styled, pale-skinned with gold-rimmed glasses giving him an intellectual air, offered her a warm smile.
"All right. Come to my office during lunch. I need to speak with you about your studies."
"…Okay."
Sakura hesitated visibly but ultimately nodded.
As she turned, she caught Gen's gaze. He was looking in their direction but said nothing as he walked straight into the classroom.
Gen approached calmly. The stylish, self-important teacher frowned at him.
"You see a teacher and don't greet him? Waiting for me to greet you first?"
Gen looked at the young man—Yamazaki Jihei, their homeroom teacher.
"Mr. Yamazaki, shouldn't a teacher greet the top-ranked student first? Or is it normal to expect the top of the class to greet you? That's awfully arrogant."
"What did you say?!"
Yamazaki's expression instantly shifted from sunny and composed to flustered and furious.
But Gen ignored his growing irritation and walked into the classroom without a second glance.
He didn't care what his teacher thought of him—or how he'd be judged later.
Inside the still-chattering classroom, Gen took his seat and glanced diagonally ahead at the girl who had just placed her schoolbag down. Her whole body seemed weighed down with gloom.
Sunlight spilled across the strands of hair falling over her face.
Her hand, clutching the textbook, was trembling—her knuckles pale from the pressure.