When I woke up the next morning, my phone was already buzzing like it owed someone money.
I squinted at the screen — thirty missed notifications from the Hanamura University student chat.
Most of them were about me.
"Kisaragi was seen with Tsukishiro again!"
"Are they actually dating???"
"No way! The dark mysterious guy got the cosplay queen?!"
I groaned and buried my face in the pillow. I'd always wanted to be invisible. But thanks to one pink-haired chaos gremlin, I'd apparently become a public figure overnight.
When I finally got to class, it was worse.
Everyone was staring.
Some were whispering.
And a few were straight-up smiling at me like I'd just won a popularity contest I never entered.
Aiko was already at her desk, humming a familiar anime opening while doodling something in her notebook. The second she noticed me, her face lit up.
"Morning, Shouma-kun~!" she chirped.
"Morning," I muttered, walking past the rows of eyes burning holes into my back.
"So," she said, turning in her seat, "did you see the chat?"
"Yes."
"And?"
"And I hate you."
She giggled. "Aww, you say the sweetest things."
I sighed, slumping into my chair. "Can't you just tell everyone it's not true?"
She tilted her head. "Hmm… I could, but…"
"But?"
Her eyes gleamed with mischief. "Why waste a good rumor?"
"…What."
"Think about it! It's like one of those romantic comedies where the cold guy gets flustered by the bubbly girl! We could totally pull it off."
I gave her a blank stare. "You do realize that's not a compliment, right?"
"Of course it is!" she said proudly. "Everyone loves a mysterious main character. And I'd be the energetic heroine who brings him out of his shell!"
"Please stop talking."
She laughed and leaned closer. "You're blushing, aren't you?"
"I'm considering dropping out."
By lunch break, the rumor had evolved into something else entirely.
Apparently, Aiko and I had been "secretly dating since spring." Someone even claimed they saw us "sharing an umbrella in the rain." Which was impressive, since it hadn't rained once this week.
I tried to eat quietly in the corner of the cafeteria, but fate — or whatever cruel anime writer was scripting my life — wasn't done yet.
Because just as I was halfway through my sandwich, I heard the worst possible sentence.
"Hey! Kisaragi!"
Aiko's voice.
And beside her… three other girls from her club, all dressed in colorful wigs and half-cosplay outfits.
I froze. "No."
"Oh yes!" she said, plopping down beside me. "You have to help us!"
"With what?"
"The Hanamura Culture Festival! My club's doing a cosplay café, but we're short a guy!"
I blinked. "…And you came to me?"
"Of course! You're tall, quiet, mysterious — you'd be perfect as a brooding anime protagonist!"
"No."
"Come on, it'll be fun!"
"No."
"There'll be free snacks."
"No."
She leaned in close, lowering her voice. "If you help me… I'll make the rumor disappear."
I narrowed my eyes. "How?"
"I'll tell everyone you're too socially awkward to have a girlfriend!"
I stared at her for a long moment. "…That doesn't make it better."
"Come on, please?" she said, putting her hands together like a puppy begging for a treat.
I sighed. My peace was gone either way.
"Fine. One hour. That's it."
She beamed. "Deal!"
Two days later, I officially regretted every life choice that led me here.
The festival was loud. Music blaring. Students everywhere. The air smelled of fried food and cotton candy.
And me?
I was standing behind a counter dressed in a black vest, white shirt, and gloves — forced into the role of a "dark knight butler."
Aiko stood beside me in a frilly maid outfit, cat ears and all, smiling like she'd just won the lottery.
"Welcome, Master Shouma~!" she teased, doing a little bow.
I whispered through clenched teeth, "I hate this."
"Smile! You're supposed to look charming."
"I am smiling."
"That's not a smile. That's a threat."
Before I could reply, a group of girls approached the counter, giggling.
"Can we take a photo with you two? You're like, the perfect couple!"
I froze. Aiko didn't. She leaned in close, looping her arm through mine with zero hesitation.
"Of course!" she said sweetly.
Flash.
Snap.
Snap.
Snap.
By the time they left, my face felt like it was burning.
"You didn't have to do that," I muttered.
"Do what?"
"Grab my arm."
She smirked. "Why? Did you not like it?"
I turned away. "You're impossible."
She laughed softly. "That's what makes me interesting."
Later that day, while we were cleaning up, I caught Aiko watching me.
Not her usual teasing stare — something gentler. Like she was thinking too much.
"What," I asked.
She smiled faintly. "Nothing. You just… looked different when you smiled today."
"I wasn't smiling."
"Exactly."
Before I could ask what that meant, one of the club members called her over. She ran off, waving at me as she went.
And I stood there, pretending I didn't feel my chest tighten just a little.
That night, I was scrolling through the campus page again.
Someone had uploaded a photo from earlier — me and Aiko, standing side by side at the cosplay café.
The caption read:
"Hanamura's best couple!"
I stared at it for a long moment before sighing.
Somehow, that didn't bother me as much as it should've.
The next morning, things changed.
Aiko wasn't in her usual seat.
Her desk was empty, her notes gone.
When I asked a classmate, they said, "Oh, didn't you hear? She's out sick. Probably exhausted from the festival."
Something about that answer felt… off.
That evening, I found myself standing in front of the dorm where the cosplay club girls stayed. I didn't even know why. Maybe it was guilt. Maybe it was habit.
Before I could knock, the door opened — and a new voice spoke.
"Oh? You must be Kisaragi."
I turned.
Standing there was a girl I'd never met — straight black hair, sharp gray eyes, posture so perfect it almost hurt to look at. She wore the same university uniform, but somehow made it look like a designer outfit.
She studied me like she was dissecting a problem. "I'm Rin Amamiya. Aiko's roommate."
"…Oh."
"She talks about you a lot," she said calmly. "Too much, actually."
I blinked. "…She does?"
Rin smiled — but it wasn't warm. More like… curious. Testing.
"Don't worry," she said softly. "I'll take care of her while she's sick. But… if you hurt her, Kisaragi—"
Her voice dropped, low and sharp. "I won't forgive you."
And with that, she closed the door.
I stood there for a long time, the sound of her words echoing in my head.
I didn't know why, but something told me that was only the beginning.