My Part-time Girlfriend

"Umm, I really like you. Can you please go out with me?"

I held my breath as I said those words. My hands were shaking, and my heart felt like it was about to leap out of my chest. The setting was perfect—or so I thought. We stood under the shade of the cherry blossom trees lining the schoolyard, their pale pink petals fluttering gently in the spring breeze. My classmates lingered in the background, their chatter blending into an indistinct hum, like the soundtrack of a cheesy romance movie. Except this wasn't a movie.

She looked at me, her expression soft but firm, and said, "Thank you… but I cannot reciprocate your feelings. I already like someone. But we can be friends."

Friends? That word struck me like a slap to the face. I forced a smile, nodded, and walked away. But inside my head, it was chaos. We can be friends, huh? That's how it always ends for someone like me. An ugly boy.

I know what you're thinking—"Aw, come on, you're not that bad!" But trust me, I am. Don't let the cover poster fool you. I'm short. Like, really short. And no, I don't have a cute short-guy charm. Just plain old short and awkward. My face? Well, let's just say it's the kind you'd forget as soon as you looked away.

"Hey, Yuto! You look down today. Did something happen?"

That was my best friend, Hasegawa Kenta. His tall, athletic frame always made me feel like a literal shadow beside him. He had this knack for reading my mood, but instead of offering sympathy, he always opted for humor.

I could hear him, but I didn't feel like answering. He waved his hand in front of my face. "Dude, Yuto? Hello?"

I sighed. "I got rejected again."

His face lit up. "HAHAHAHAHA! Congratulations, bro! That's your 70th rejection!"

Yeah. Seventieth. Let that sink in. Who even keeps track? Kenta does, apparently. He slapped my back with so much force I nearly stumbled.

"Don't worry, man," he said with a grin. "Your time will come. Even ugly ducklings turn into swans eventually, right?"

I rolled my eyes. "Sure. If only life were a fairy tale."

This is my life. The ugly boy's life. No talent, no charm, and barely scraping by. People either ignore me or use me. The only person I trust is Kenta, and that's because he's the only one who ever stood up for me.

You see, Kenta isn't just my best friend—he's my protector. When the bullies come after me, he's the one who steps in, even if it means they'll target him instead. And what do I do? Nothing. I just stand there, frozen.

It's my fault, I think every time. If I weren't so weak, if I weren't such a coward, Kenta wouldn't have to suffer.

...

That day, after another round of teasing at school, I walked home feeling like a ghost. The sun was setting, casting an orange glow over the suburban streets. My neighbors were gossiping as usual, their voices carrying through the thin walls of their tidy little homes.

"Did you hear about that boy who jumped off a building?" one said.

"Yeah, I heard he was bullied at school," another added.

I ignored them. I didn't need to hear about someone else's misery—I had enough of my own.

When I got home, I dumped my bag on the floor and collapsed onto my bed. My room was small and cluttered, the walls adorned with posters of anime characters who always seemed to have perfect lives. My phone buzzed, but I didn't have the energy to check it. A few minutes later, Mom knocked on my door.

"Hey, honey. Can you come out here for a second?"

"Why? I'm tired."

"It's important," she said, her voice shaky.

I opened the door, and her face was pale. "What's wrong?"

"It's Kenta…" she started, tears streaming down her face. "He… he jumped off a building this afternoon."

I froze. "No. No, you're lying. He wouldn't… He wouldn't do that."

But he had.

For three days, I'd been texting him, calling him, waiting for him to show up at school. But he didn't. And now I knew why.

It's my fault, I thought as the walls closed in around me. If he hadn't been protecting me, if I hadn't been so weak, he wouldn't have suffered so much.

...

It's been a year since then.

I still think about Kenta every day, but I know he wouldn't want me to stay stuck in the past. So I decided to change.

Fast forward to now, and I'm in college. And guess what? I'm tall now! Yep, I finally had my growth spurt. Bet you didn't see that coming, huh?

The campus is massive, with towering buildings and sprawling lawns. It's nothing like high school, and I hoped it meant a fresh start. I blend in more these days, no longer the invisible boy everyone picked on. But even though I've changed on the outside, I'm still me on the inside.

And honestly, I wasn't expecting my life to get much better.

That is until she came into the picture.

Who is she, you ask? Well, that's a story for another time. But for now, let me just say this: she's the one who flipped my world upside down.

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the beginning of "My Part-Time Girlfriend." Buckle up—it's gonna be a wild ride!