Chapter 1: An afterschool confession

Enjoying the crisp winter air as I navigated through the crowded hallways of Kuma Academy, my mind was numb with pleasure, beset by an overwhelming amount of smiles and greetings all directed towards me.

"Hello Higashi-kun"

"Higashi-senpai thank you for coming by yesterday to hang out with us after practice."

"Yoshiro, can you come over next week? There's this new game I want to check out at the electronics store."

Basking in the flurry of pleasantries, I tried my best to respond amicably, wearing a big bright smile, my head nodding rapidly like one of those bobblehead toys in an office cubicle. Although I had only transferred earlier this year, I had made quite the large impression. From being a top ranking student to one of the best looking guys, it was pretty much undisputed that I was the most popular male in the school. Watching countless classmates desperately rush to make their niceties to me like dogs running back to their owner, I couldn't help but have one overwhelming thought in my mind.

Rejoice peasants, for thy lord hath come! Thy lord hath cometh!

Lightly chuckling to such musings, an increasingly vivid image began to conjure in my head. Visualizing a quaint grassy hill, on top of it laid a majestic white mare no other than myself saddled upon it. Beside me was an indescribable sea of peasantry; filthy, dirty, and ragged standing by my command. Among innumerable thousands, I alone was the one noteworthy existence, shining brightly in an ocean of mediocrity and filth. Enraptured by its pure but simplistic depiction of the pure truth, the fitting sight made me a bit emotional as I walked along, daydreaming.

It was really too bad that I couldn't be born during the Middle Ages or any other time of intense social stratification. True, our modern society currently was pretty stratified itself, with idols, singers, and actors along with the occasional CEO being treated as divine beings but it couldn't be called the same thing.Back then the nobility and upper classes were highly educated or at the very least, educated, a feat that was quite lacking in many modern-day celebrities and stars.

Despite this rosy ideal, I wasn't stupid enough to actually take the thought seriously. After all, even if I was born during such a period, chances were that I myself would be a peasant. Besides the obvious con of mostly likely living in my own shit, being at the bottom of the totem pole would kill my ego. It was also pretty dumb to dwell on a possibiliy which would never conceiveably happen.

Continuing my stroll through the sea of nameless students, I kept on my everyday cheerful smile. Greeting others with a feigned gusto and cheerfulness, it felt like I was a salesman, trying to pitch a counterfeit product to some poor gullible sucker. Unlike one, however, instead of being seen as a mere bug and told to scram, I was warmly received and welcomed as if I were long-lost family.

Suffocating from the palpable feelings of admiration and awe radiating off every person I conversed with, my mind was bursting in ecstasy. Overwhelmed by such enamored and idolizing eyes made me feel a little bit giddy, though I tried my best to keep my composure in check.

Of course this God treatment wasn't completely universal. Some students, the Otakus in particular, seemed to hate my guts, giving out frequent death glares and mutters of "Riajuu explode!" as I walked towards my shoe locker. Uttering those exact words, they so keenly reminded me of that bastard when they did so.

Had I traveled some 25 years ago in the past, I probably wouldn't be able to tell the difference between them.

That upsetting comparison aside, my everyday school life was a quaint little thing. Sure I was hated by some students but for the vast majority I was a God-King incarnate. It wasn't particularly bothersome that a few future Hikkimorris hated my guts, I hated them too.

Reaching my shoe locker as I continued to think, I prepared for my commute home, the topic of interest now shifting to academics. February had just arrived, and with it, preparation for finals. Although I didn't study particularly hard, I still wanted to maintain my place within the top 10. I had to fulfill expectations at home and more recently, in public as well. The perfect image I had painstakingly cultivated needed to be maintained.

Last year was an all too apparent example of that.

It really sounds worse than it seems. Hiding behind a venner of plaseasntness and joy in spite of your own inner feelings or emotions was merely a small trade. Sure it was a sacrifice, but what in life wasn't? Wherever you looked in society, sacrifices were present. From working a terrible job in order to make a living, to writing a fiction novel instead of studying for a Calc exam, life was a delicate tradeoff between pain and pleasure. You might be carefree and negligent in your youth but when the dues were to be collected, your future would suffer. In other words, pleasure reaped pain and vice versa.

Keeping up the image of some friendly generic-esque anime protagonist might be physically revolting to me, but in the end, all the admiration paid the bills of my self-esteem. If it brought success, then practically anything was worth the price. Like that famous Italian guy said, "The ends always justify the means" or something like that.

Opening my locker, I notice a pink envelope snuggly tucked inside, standing out like a sore thumb. Of course it was just my luck that the very same envelope was spotted by some classmates, a small crowd soon gathering around.

Can these idiots just leave?

"Look! Higashi-san got another confession!"

"I wonder if he'll accept it this time though?"

"There are some rumors going around that a lot of 3rd years and even a few university students are thinking of confessing."

This day keeps on getting better doesn't it?

Slightly exasperated, I could only clench my jaw in annoyance. Under normal circumstances, any sort of praise and attention would be welcome, perhaps even reciprocated with an insincere humble response. However confessions were a completely different matter. Scandalous to usually hormonal high schoolers, they were always hot topics on the grapevine, becoming the talk of the school for weeks sometimes. In other words, besides the small ego boost offered, personally dealing with a confession was a pain in the ass.

Turning my attention away from the still growing crowd and back toward the letter, I steadfastly resolved two things; 1-to blow off these pests and 2- to deal with this sickening confession later this afternoon.

It really irked me that because of some morons, my whole afternoon was disrupted. Now the option of just tossing the letter into the trash and pretending to never even receive it was next to impossible.

Pasty pink and covered in shimmering glitter with numerous decorated heart shapes all around the surface, the letter itself gave the impression of a tacky grade school art project.That was to say I was certainly not impressed by the sender's artistic talent.

Well, talent or not, I wasn't going to accept anyways.

Raising my head to face the still hovering onlookers, I begin the annoying process of cleaning up this whole mess, swiftly putting on my signature smile.

"Sorry guys, could I have a bit of room? Confessing is a very brave thing to do and I really think it would be nice if this matter remains private and personal."

"But Higashi-kun-"

Putting on a look of heartfelt sympathy, I tried my best to pull off a melancholic expression.

"It's really embarrassing to confess to someone when you don't know their answer. If things don't work out too, then you have to face all the rumors and humiliation the next day. " I mutter softly.

Having an almost instantaneous effect, the minute those very words leave my mouth, the entire vibrant atmosphere crashes, becoming dreary and gloom-like. For a few seconds, the air itself seems to turn stale with depression as if we all were attending a funeral procession for a dear friend. Being an individual who considered no one his friend however, I was perfectly content to just lean back and savor the amusing sight before me.

Watching my classmates' downcast eyes and expressions, my heart was filled with amusement and glee. Bearing witness to the power I held over these ants, the view was absolutely exhilarating, nearly endearing enough for me to thank whoever sent this letter for such an opportunity … nearly.

Which idiot had the retarded idea of confessing right before exams? Wasn't dealing with that stressful enough already? Now because of some dumb bimbo, the next few days I would not only have to deal with cramming but on top of that an enormous pile of gossip and rumors. Whomever the sappy airhead was, she would definitely pay a steep price for ruining my entire week.

Extra steep if she was ugly too.

Finishing my venting, I quickly put up another smile, realizing the still depressed crowd surrounding me. Unsurprisingly these idiots were about as independent as toddlers, giving me the responsibility of brightening the mood.

"Now now everyone, let's not get hung up over hypotheticals here. Why don't we all go karaoke- I'll join in as soon as I'm finished taking this confession. My treat." I offered cheerfully, trying my best to hide my growing grimace at the thought of paying for these mutts. Thankfully I had some dirt on the owner, a decent discount was probable.

The things employers do with their workers nowadays …

Brushing aside such unsavory thoughts, it appears my proposal is a complete success. A storm of excitement begins at once, droves of people quickly exclaiming their thanks before leaving to the nearest karaoke center. Watching the whole event play out reminded me of a swarm of locusts hungrily devouring everything in their path before leaving for greener pastures.

It was not the first time I questioned whether this popularity was really worth the sacrifice.

As the last stragglers leave campus, I finally put on my outdoor shoes, tiredly reading the letter that has caused me so much trouble. Opening up the envelope I pull out a neatly folded sheet of paper and begin to read its message, Meet me in the school courtyard near the chem lab today afterschool -XOXO ❤️

Somehow her confidence scares me a bit.

…

As I wait, leaning against the single cherry blossom in the middle of the courtyard, my foot rapidly taps the ground in an impatient stacco. By now I was incredibly annoyed, my whole schedule being put off course in just a few seconds. No matter who this confessor turned out to be or her reasoning, I was going to give her the rejection of a lifetime. Of course if this wasn't considering the fact that I was seriously contemplating just leaving campus right this very moment.

Just as my patience is about to run out, I hear the sounds of frantic footsteps pattering, rhythmically beating against the ground as they make their way toward me. Turning around to finally meet today's annoyance, we at last meet face to face, my pride soaring to the roof, once realizing who she was.

Lustrous lavender hair fashioned in a single neat ponytail, smooth flawless pale skin, piercing dark gray eyes, rosy red lips, and a respectable bust size (based on popular observation) the person confessing to me was none other than Nagata Katsumi, the so-called "school beauty queen."

Standing in the middle of the afternoon winter rays, her radiance seemed to only increase, sunlight unnaturally wrapping itself around her body, hugging her form intimately like a holy cloak. Luminescing with an otherworldly eminence, I couldn't help but feel as if I was meeting an angel or an actual goddess herself.

"Humpf hmm hu …hmpfff"

Bracing her body against the nearby wall, I watch as Nagata pants heavily in excursion, attempting to catch her breath from her run. Staring as she continues to breathe thunderously, my eyes, much to my embarrassment, eventually make their way up to her chest, seemingly hypnotized by the rhythmic heaving.

Continuously fixated on the sight, it takes only a few seconds before she notices, letting out a cute squeak before promptly covering up her chest, a bright blush adorning her face. Moving a bit too robotically, the entire action seemed almost forced, as if it had been planned entirely in advance.

It was a good effort to say the least. Though sadly for Nagata even such perky features couldn't save what a terrible first impression I had received. Tardiness had always been a big pet peeve of mine and the fact it felt like she was attempting to manipulate me so transparently irked me a bit.

For most highschool boys the situation still was to die for, regardless of any initial misgivings. A stunningly beautiful and popular schoolgirl racing her heart out to confess her feelings towards you was universally seen as a pretty amazing thing. Most would probably have to dream for such an occurrence, doomed by reality to live in their world of printed pillows and 2-D figurines or what not. Truly pitiful.

It was just too bad that I truly despised Nagata and her kind.