1 A Girl Like XXX - 1

I thought that she was like XXX.

"Yafune~ We're going for some karaoke after classes, you're coming with us, right?"

During recess, I was called out while talking with some other guys in my class. Another girl added a comment along the lines of 'I'm sure you'll join, but just to make sure'.

"Of course I'm coming. With the usual guys?"

"Yup~ Though it's the group that I'm already tired of~" The girl said, while playing around with her phone.

She's Minagami Masuzu, and her nickname is Gami. She's in the same class as me, and the other existence reigning the top of the school caste together with me. That's why the other guys weren't bothered by being interrupted by her. If anything, they got to enjoy her beauty every single day in this classroom. She had her brown hair styled-up in a charming way, wearing a short skirt almost as if to play with your heart. Of course, her makeup was on point as well. No matter how you looked it at, from whatever angle imaginable, her outer appearance was absolutely flawless.

Also, it's only been one month, and you're already tired of them?

"Not like there's anything else to do~ Yafune, let me listen to that thing from before. That was so cool." Gami raised the corners of her mouth into a faint grin, showing off her delicate and beautiful lips in the process.

She possessed the looks of a model, and a presence to completely overwhelm the people around her. She's the exact opposite from my true self, and the

type of person I would never try to approach no matter what. "Seriously? Hearing that from you makes me super happy, Gami."

Of course, that doesn't mean I can show it on the outside. That's not clever in the slightest. Instead, I created a natural and calm smile, showing not a shred of my true thoughts. After all, on top of her possessing beauty and presence, there's even rumours of her being rich going around (brought forth by her always possessing expensive brand objects). Adding all of this together, nobody in this class dared to go against her.

This time, namely a month after one's high school life began, was far too crucial to make her your enemy. It'd be like challenging the Demon Lord with only a branch, no resets or saves available. An action like that would lead to an instant game over, so risking it was not very clever, as it would destroy this current daily life I have. In this enclosed space and society called class, human relationships are the most important.

This I can guarantee after I went through hell in my first year of middle school. For the next year, and even after our classes change, we will still be part of the same school. There's a level of stupidity you can reach by making enemies in this situation.

I don't want to ever go through that again. That's why, even if I have to kill who I truly am, I will stay at the top of the caste—

"Hey, Aotsuki-san~ Sorry to bother you, but do you mind showing me your homework?"

"We were busy with the club all day yesterday~ Aotsuki-san, since you're in the go-home club, so you must have done it, right? Lend me your notes, will you~"

What are you, some mob characters that'll get done in soon enough?—is the kind of reaction I had towards the conversation happening in the front of the classroom. A bit further away from us, girls of our same class were talking to this single girl called Aotsuki-san…Or rather, they were asking for her notes.

That being said, they weren't asking for money or anything like that, so as long as she just politely hands over those notes, nothing bad should happen—

"...…"

However, Aotsuki-san didn't move a muscle, completely ignoring the girls.

"Is she doing that again~?" Gami let out a sigh, and continued. "She's ignoring them like she always does. Kinda gross~"

That's right. I do believe that people who ask for your notes deserved to be ignored, but even if other classmates try to talk to her normally, she still gives no response.

—This is Aotsuki Mifuyuu, a fellow classmate, and a girl exceptionally distinct from everybody else. This distinction refers to her attitude of not talking to anybody, but her physical appearance still draws a lot of attention to her. She possessed transparent wihte skin, with a slender and fragile body. Her face was decorated with beautiful eyes resembling glass marbles, a well- formed nose, and slim lips like a blooming flower. Her long and glossy hair swayed with every motion of the wind, making you think that you walked into a photoshoot or advertisement recording.

To skip all this character description entirely, she's a beauty. A super beauty, you might even say. If she walked down the street, 20 people out of 10 would turn to look at her.

"Hey, are those girls serious about this? Or, is it the Aotsuki-san Challenge? Lol."

Enjoying the sight of the girls talking with Aotsuki-san, the boys next to me started grinning to themselves. The Aotsuki-san Challenge: It's a popular game in our class right now. It's pretty simple to explain. Just talk to Aotsuki Mifuyuu about anything, and if you get any kind of response, you win. It even reached the level where people start taking videos of the attempts.

Naturally, not a single person has succeeded so far, everyone just gets ignored relentlessly. Everyone just gets ignored into oblivion.

"Oh yeah, did you ever challenge Aotsuki-san yourself, Yafune?"

Before I could even answer Gami's question, another boy next to me, Sakana, answered for me.

"Hmm? No, he didn't."

"Seriously!? Then, why not try it right now. If you help her now, she might just fall for you!"

"I seriously doubt that. Didn't she ignore you as well when you talked to her?"

Sakana is famous in our school year as the biggest hottie. He is a bit of a player, but he doesn't enjoy annoying girls by any means, so he gave up after being ignored by Aotsuki-san once.

"Who cares, who cares~ We all tried it before. Challenge her, challenge her!"

Ahh, this one's done for. With this kind of flow, there's no way I could say no. If I did, it'd just ruin the mood, and they'd complain. I want to avoid that. Seeing no other option, I showed a smile with a 'Alright, guess it's my turn~!', and approached Aotsuki-san.

"Hey hey, let me join in~! What are you folks doing~?" With a gentle but energetic voice, I joined the group of girls.

At first, the girls seemed a bit flustered at my arrival, but… "Also, let me catch a glance of your notes as well, Aotsuki-san~!" "Ah, he's an ally of ours! Lol."

"What, you didn't do your homework either, Yafune-kun?"

With a joking tone, I joined in with the girls, to which they expected me much more easily.

"Nah nah, I'm a good boy, so I tried to do it, you know? I just didn't get

anything, so I gave up! Was way too hard~" "What's up with that~"

"Sheesh, Yafune-kun~"

The girls and our surroundings all started laughing. That's the first hurdle cleared. I actually did my homework, but suddenly playing ally of justice with a 'Stop that, Aotsuki-san clearly doesn't like that' would just make me seem cold, and spoil the mood in the classroom right now. By joking around and acting like an idiot, I can keep a comfortable atmosphere going.

"Actually, I'm not even asking for your notes, Aotsuki-san~ Just hoping that maybe you could teach us? That makes it much more efficient and comfortable, and you profit from it as well, right~"

I don't know the reason why Aotsuki-san doesn't talk with anybody. Maybe she's just a bad talker, or shy with others…However, whatever you do, you'll get no reaction whatsoever. In order to end this stupid Aotsuki-san Challenge once and for all, I just need her to say anything. Then, I wouldn't have to worry about others growing to dislike her, and this heating up to actual bullying.

Being made the enemy of the class, treated like trash is pure hell. I'm well aware of that hell. That's why I won't pick a fight with anybody, and play along with whatever stupidity necessary so that I stay where I am right now. Reading the atmosphere is crucial so that I don't return to that hell I was rattle.

...Rattle? "—How idiotic."

Rattle was the sound of Aotsuki-san standing up from her desk. From her mouth, a clear voice resounded.

"Asking for my notes, only to blabber on about how it's more fun with everyone, how self-righteous can you be."

It was a voice as clear as a bell ringing—but, I was left baffled. She actually talked!? The person who never talked so far, that Aotsuki-san did!?

"Also while I'm at it, as long as I'm no teacher, studying on your own is much more efficient….More than anything, teaching other people who only ask for someone else's notes won't ever be fun, and I don't want to waste my time with that. Don't you want to work hard yourself?"

Alright, did her inner dam break or something? She's just rambling at this point. And, I do get that I'm basically being insulted here, but with her being this upfront, it doesn't even hurt that much. If anything, I'm just amazed.

She's not holding back at all, but in a good way, if that makes sense.

…Not to mention that she's directing her eyes only at me. This is the first time we've ever faced each other, and yet her eyes seemed clear and straightforward. Like a bottomless lake, swallowing me up…They're just beautiful. Despite the current situation I was in, I was entranced by her eyes.

"Hey, are you even listening? Are your ears rotten as well?"

Well, even if her eyes are alluring, the words coming out of her mouth completely ruin any of that.

"The same goes for you over there!"

She must have said everything she wanted, and instead directed her attention towards the girls who asked for her notes in the very beginning.

"Even though you're clearly at fault for being lazy and not doing your homework, you don't even reflect on it, and instead try to use me, who you're not even close with, for convenience. I can't believe it."

The girls were taken by surprise themselves, their mouths opening and closing like a goldfish's.

"Right after starting high school, you don't do your homework, only rely on others…Are you that intent on turning into good-for-nothing people? How do you think your future is going to work out for you?"

It was a harsh storm of words…but, she was perfectly right about everything.

"Asking strangers for help in your first year of high school, how is the rest of your lives going to work out? I don't care if you regret all of this once exams roll around. You'll be the only ones having trouble."

…Is it just me, or is she hiding kind intentions behind her harsh words? It seriously sounds like she's worried about our futures. Would you really be this worried about people who tried to use you? However, the girls didn't catch on to Aotsuki-san's kindness (?), and just shook like slimes terrified in an encounter. They must have been perplexed to suddenly get showered by this machine gun onslaught of words after thinking they could get some entertainment out of this.

"W-What's your problem! You never talked before!"

"You could have just said no! There was no need to say that much!"

Wah, now they're angry at her. At this rate, the situation will just escalate, huh.

"Now now! We were at fault as well, so let's leave it at that, okay?" I broke between them with a smile, only for Aotsuki-san to direct her gaze at me yet again.

"Same for you. You should just say what you feel. Just fooling around like that is idiotic. I will say what I want, just you remember that." She approached me with her face, which left me confused. "So far, I ignored everyone because I didn't want to bother with anybody. However, there's annoying folks like you around, so I need to be clear this time around. I hate being talked to like this, so could you not bother with me ever again?" With these words, Aotsuki-san glared at the rest of the class, as she raised her chin. "You're all listening, right? There's no use in trying to hide it. Since this is a great chance, let me be straight. This is the type of personality I have. I hate strangers, and I don't want to talk with people not worth my time."

Just as Aotsuki-san said, all the guys in class were trying their hardest to hide the fact that they were clearly listening in on this conversation. After all, her

voice passed all too well inside this classroom.

"That's why, don't ever bother with me. I won't show any restraint to those who still need to annoy me despite my kind warning."

—And thus, the room grew quiet. Hey hey hey, this atmosphere is mighty dangerous! What am I supposed to do about this? I can't just ignore this now.

Even just a bit, I need to brighten the mood…

"Aotsuki-san, I apologize for bothering you like that. But, you don't need to be so tense! Smile some more, will you! You're so cute, it's just a waste."

"—Do you think you'd win me over just by saying these things with a smile?" She raised her glass marble eyes, directly looking at me.