Lately, I've been feeling eyes burning into the back of my head.
To be specific, it started after I went on my sports club "tryout" spree, which everyone's calling a rampage. And I know why.
About five meters away, Yukika Fuma, the kendo club captain, was peeking at me from behind a building, a red bean bun in her mouth like some undercover cop.
"What's she doing?" I muttered.
"What's up?" Rika asked, leaning in.
"Nothing," I said, opening my homemade bento.
"Wow! Kimbap!" Rika squealed.
"How do you know kimbap?" I asked, surprised.
"My mom watches K-dramas. She said it's like norimaki."
Well, she's not wrong. The taste and ingredients are similar.
"Want one?" I offered.
"Sure! Trade for my tamagoyaki!" She held out a piece of rolled omelet with her chopsticks.
I handed over my bento, and she grabbed a kimbap, popping it in her mouth. "Mmm, delicious!" she said, cupping her cheek.
I bit into her tamagoyaki and froze. "Rika, your family's a sugar faction."
"Huh? What's wrong? Doesn't tamagoyaki always have sugar?"
The sweetness was an affront to my Korean soul. I barely swallowed. "We're a salt faction."
Rika gasped, horrified. "No way! Liar!"
"Dead serious."
Sugar's fine in most foods, but not tamagoyaki. Chawanmushi as a dessert? Sure. But rice's sidekick? Salt only.
"Koreans have weird tastes…" she mumbled.
That stung more than it should.
Lately, Rika and I eat lunch together often. One, my bento intimidates classmates. Two, she's my only real lunch buddy. Satoru, my other friend, is too busy with his popular clique.
Halfway through my bento—
Beep-beep!
"Decency! Decency!" Saionji, the student council president, blew a whistle and pointed her black fan at us. "Immoral relationships are unforgivable, even if the heavens allow it!"
"Kim Yuseong, I'm disappointed," Shinjiro added.
"No excuses here," Minami chimed in.
The student council trio surrounded us, spouting nonsense while we ate.
What is this, a prank show?
As I chewed my kimbap, Rika, finally recognizing them, pointed her chopsticks. "It's the academy's Dark Student Council!"
Dark Student Council? Is there a Light one too?
Their naming sense was unhinged. Saionji, caught off guard by Rika's sunny smile, hid behind her fan. "W-what's this 'Dark Student Council' nonsense?"
"You guys always wear black and swarm around," Rika said. "Everyone calls you that."
I glanced over. She was right. The boys' gakuran is naturally black, but Saionji and Minami wear custom black seifuku, supposedly for "council prestige." To students, it's just cosplay.
Classic manga trope.
"W-w-what! How rude!" Saionji stammered, blushing furiously and stepping back.
I realized then: Saionji, with her haughty attitude, was no match for Rika's unshakable cheer. Rika's her kryptonite.
"We'll be back!" Saionji huffed, fleeing to the council room with her minions.
Rika tilted her head. "Ryu-chan, did I do something?"
She's the top heroine for a reason. Her natural charm is terrifying.
Third week of April, Monday morning. Golden Week's around the corner, and it's peaceful.
Bang!
The classroom door flew open. A girl stormed in.
"Where's Sakamoto Ryuji? Get out here!"
Red, short hair fluttered. She wore a red gym jacket over her seifuku, with black spats peeking under her skirt—a fierce vibe.
Ryuji, now alone by the window since Rika moved next to me, stood up, puzzled. "That's me. What's up?"
The redhead marched over, hands in her jacket pockets, glaring like a predator. "You messed with our first-years, huh? I heard it all at the hospital yesterday."
Ryuji smiled, ever the nice guy. "Sounds like a misunderstanding."
She grabbed his collar. "Misunderstanding? You beat them up and play dumb? What's that?!"
"Wait! I'll explain!" Maiya Yaguchi jumped in, wedging herself between them.
With Maiya's entrance, the love triangle was complete, and the class buzzed like a teen drama's opening scene.
I smell it. The scent of rom-com.
This must be an original Scramble Love event. I thought Rika befriending me instead of Ryuji derailed the plot, but it seems some events still happen.
I heard movies talk about butterfly effects, but I wouldn't know. Never read the original.
Maiya, despite looking intimidated by the redhead, defended Ryuji firmly. "You're from the kendo club, right? Your first-years harassed me first. They tried dragging me into an alley when Ryuji stepped in!"
"What?" The redhead's eyes widened.
She'd apparently heard only the hospitalized kids' side and came to confront Ryuji.
The mood shifted, like cold water doused her fire. She hesitated, then released Ryuji's collar. "Sorry. I jumped the gun."
Ryuji scratched his cheek, chuckling. "No worries. Anyone can slip up when they're heated. Glad we cleared it up."
She nodded awkwardly. "I'll make sure those liars get straightened out. I swear it."
"Uh, thanks?" Ryuji said, tilting his head with a warm smile.
The redhead blushed, a classic rom-com cliché.
"W-well, I'm off! Later!" she stammered, turning to hide her face—and locked eyes with me.
"Oh."
I recognized her. She's the kendo club girl who handed me the shinai last week. She seemed to recognize me too, her face flashing surprise before she bolted out.
What a whirlwind morning. Ryuji, oblivious, muttered, "Weird girl."
Rika, watching beside me, crossed her arms. "That girl… feels like we'll see her a lot."
Her instincts are scarily sharp.