As a "Perfect Superhuman," Rui Kuroki was a perfectionist through and through.
However, it seemed her obsession with perfection wasn't limited to just academics and athletics.
"Back in middle school, you were the only boy in our class who didn't confess to me, Izumiya-kun."
(Wait, are you telling me every single guy except me had a crush on her?)
I had no idea why Kuroki was telling me this now.
But it was as if she were saying that because I was the only one who hadn't confessed, her record wasn't "perfect."
In the first place, was she even telling the truth?
Logically, it was impossible that every single boy in my middle school besides me had confessed to her. It just wasn't realistic.
And yet—it was strange how easily I could believe it wasn't a lie simply because she was Rui Kuroki. Precisely because she was such a rare, perfect existence, I could understand why every guy would want to make her his.
"Ah—are you doubting me, by any chance?"
"N-No, it's not that..."
"Just so you know, it's the truth. Every single boy in our grade during middle school confessed to me at least once. You were the only one who didn't, Izumiya-kun."
As she spoke, Kuroki curled the corners of her mouth into a calculative smile. It was a smile as warm as a sun that had no business being out on a rainy day like this.
No matter how beautiful she was, I knew better than to swallow everything she said whole.
"Let me ask you one thing. What about the guys who were dating other girls?"
"They only chose other girls because I rejected them, right? Fufu, everyone really had their hearts set on the Chateaubriand, but they had to settle for kalbi or loin... Love can be so cruel, can't it?"
(The only thing cruel here is your choice of words...!)
I barely managed to suppress the urge to retort.
"But—you were different, weren't you, Izumiya-kun?"
"M-Me...?"
"In your case, you didn't even look at the meat to begin with. You're a 'herbivore,' so to speak... That’s what makes you different from all the other 'carnivores.'"
I'm a herbivore...?
I don't think there's a carnivore out there with tastes quite as voracious as mine, actually... I mean, I live for big breasts and thick thighs.
"Right? You actually like me too, don't you, Izumiya-kun? You were probably just too shy to say it."
"...S-Sorry, but I don't feel that way—"
"You actually like me, don't you? Hmm?"
Kuroki leaned in, pushing her luck with a full-force smile.
(This girl... she's trying to force my feelings to change just to satisfy her own perfectionism.)
I’ll admit, her face was lethally beautiful. And to be honest, a lovely scent had been wafting from her prized black hair for a while now, making my heart pound uncontrollably.
(However... sorry, but I don't like you.)
The reason was simple: while Kuroki was certainly perfect, she was fatally lacking in the one area that mattered most to my specific tastes.
"Come on, just say you like me."
"I told you, I—"
As I tried to deny her again, Kuroki suddenly brought her face right up to my ear.
"Now, repeat after me: 'I wuv Kuroki-san... I weally, weally wuv her...'"
"Don't talk to me like you're some Hypnosis Audio! Cut it out!"
"H-Hypnosis Audio...?"
Because she had started whispering like some kind of Hypnosis Countdown ASMR artist, I instinctively tried to pull away. Then I realized I’d get soaked if I stepped out from under the umbrella, so I hurriedly moved back toward her.
(Wait... because of the rain, there's nowhere to run.)
"Fufu, did you finally realize?"
"You don't mean—"
"Now then, let's play a little game."
Kuroki's face lit up with the widest smirk she'd worn all day as she laid down the law.
"The rules are simple. Until you say 'I like you' right here, Izumiya-kun, I'm not budging from this spot. If you really don't want to say it, I'm perfectly fine staying here until morning if that's what it takes."
"D-Don't be ridiculous! I-I'm going home!"
"Oh, the rain is getting stronger again... I can't believe you'd leave a girl behind in a downpour like this... Izumiya-kun, you're so mean."
T-This woman...! Does she really want me to confess that badly?!
"Once I have your word, you'll be mine..."
"W-What do you mean, 'your word'?"
"Never mind that. What’s it going to be, Izumiya-kun? Are you going to leave me here at the school gate, or are you going to get it over with and confess?"
What was I supposed to do?
No matter how much of a transcendent, multi-talented beauty Kuroki was, a forced confession didn't count for anything.
"Just stop teasing me. I’m absolutely not saying I like you. Besides, you wouldn't even be happy hearing a confession that you forced out of me, right?"
In my desperation, I threw a perfectly logical argument at her.
"...And what if I told you I would be happy?"
"Huh? T-There's no way—!"
"It's true. Because, ever since that day, I've always—"
It happened right then.
From behind, a beautiful hand with light blue nails reached out and grabbed Kuroki’s shoulder.
"Wait a sec. Is that you, Rui?"
When I turned around, I was greeted by the sight of thick, supple thighs peeking out from beneath a skirt.
(Those thighs... Ichinose!)
Even though I had deliberately avoided looking at her during class today, those thighs were burned into my memory whether I liked it or not.
"Why is Rui going home with this guy? Rui, you promised to walk home with me. If you’re looking to flirt, do it with someone else."
"A-A promise to go home with Ichinose...?"
"Airi took Rui's umbrella because she had a date with her boyfriend or something, so Rui promised to walk with me. I told her to wait a bit because I had work for the Cultural Festival Executive Committee... So why are you with Izumiya?"
That’s strange.
Before we left the school entrance, Kuroki had definitely said that Miyama told her to borrow my umbrella.
"Tch... See ya, otaku."
Ichinose clicked her tongue again, then pulled Kuroki—who had been sharing my umbrella—into hers and began to walk away.
Left standing there alone after the sudden disruption, I watched them go.
(W-What is with that Ichinose? Calling me an otaku when she's one herself...)
While I felt a strange sense of whiplash from how cold she was being compared to yesterday, it was a fact that she had saved me.
(Thanks to her, that showdown with Kuroki ended in a draw... I should be grateful.)
With that thought, I started walking as well, only for the phone in my pocket to vibrate. It was a LIME notification.
『Ichinose: I was cold because I was in front of Rui. Sorry, Izumiya.』
I see. So that’s why she was acting so harsh. Ichinose had actually gone out of her way to apologize.
(She has it rough too, being caught in the middle like that...)
Just as I was about to put my phone away, another notification popped up: "You have received a message from a user who is not on your friends list."
"Not a friend...?"
The name on the account was "Kuroki."
No way...
『Kuroki: Fufu, we got so close today that I went ahead and added you ♡ Keep what happened earlier a secret from everyone, okay? If you blab... I don't know what might happen to you ♡』
『Kuroki: Also, I'm definitely going to make you fall for me, Izumiya-kun ♡ So just wait patiently, okay?』
Two consecutive messages arrived, and they were as terrifying as a horror movie. I didn't feel "patient" at all—I felt nothing but pure dread.
(Why does a gloomy otaku like me have to be targeted by the strongest beauty of our generation?!)
My peaceful life... it was definitely over.
And so, quite against my will, I had ended up holding the secrets of all three girls at the top of the class caste.
Because of the seat change, I now knew things about the girls sitting near me that no one else suspected...
I had a sinking feeling that my high school life was about to become something truly outrageous.