The Schoolโs Top Idol Is Acting Like Sheโs My Childhood Friend for Some Reason and Just Keeps Closing the Distance on Her Ownโฆ?! ~Stop Getting All Gloomy on Me Just Because I Turned You Down!~
The next day.
High school entrance ceremony.
The uniform I was wearing for the first time in a while felt stiffer than Iโd expected. The brand-new blazer was a little tight around the shoulders, and the shirt collar didnโt quite fit around my neck yet. No matter how I looked at myself in the mirror, I clearly hadnโt quite caught up to the title of โhigh school studentโ yet.
As soon as my mother saw me, she narrowed her eyes slightly.
She opened her mouth as if to say something, but in the end, she only said, โBe careful.โ I felt like that short phrase was packed with meaning, so I gave a vague nod and left the house.
Cherry blossoms were blooming along the way to school.
It was a little too early to call them in full bloom, but the petals at the tips of the branches were gently swaying in the spring light. Here and there on the sidewalk were students wearing the same uniform; some were walking side by side with their parents, while others had already gathered in small groups, laughing.
I walked in a space that didnโt belong to either group.
Trying not to make eye contact with anyone, yet not looking down unnaturally either. The fact that I was walking while thinking about such things made me realize that, as expected, I was a little behind the curve.
A sign reading โEntrance Ceremonyโ had been set up at the main gate. Cherry blossoms, the school building, and the new students. Faced with this sceneโthe very picture of a chapter in youthโI felt a slight pang deep in my chest.
It seemed my parents would be arriving later.
Guided by a teacher, I headed toward the classroom where the new first-year students were gathering.
The hallway still carried the scent of fresh wax. A map posted on the wall, shoe lockers that belonged to no one yet, and an atmosphere tinged with nervous excitement. Even though this was a different school building from my junior high, the distinct smell of a school was the one thing that remained the same everywhere.
I paused for a moment in front of the classroom.
Next to the entrance, the class roster and seating chart were posted.
I looked for my name.
Takahara Seita.
Third row from the window, fourth from the front. Not bad. It wasnโt too far forward or too far backโa spot that wouldnโt make me stand out too much. I felt a small sense of relief inside and reached for the classroom door.
Inside, things felt unsettled in more ways than one.
Some students were already chatting with the person next to them. Others were exchanging social media handles while holding their smartphones. Some stared at the seating chart with nervous expressions, while others sat alone by the window, gazing outside.
And right in the middle of the classroom was someone who seemed to amplify all that commotion.
It seemed as though the light fell differently on that spot alone.
It wasnโt a metaphorโshe stood out so much that it actually created that kind of optical illusion.
Long, brownish hair. A well-defined profile. A posture that stood naturally tall. Even though she was simply wearing a school uniform, she managed to look as radiant as possible within the confines of the school rules. The students around her tried not to stare too obviously, but in the end, they kept glancing her way.
I, too, turned my gaze toward the center of the commotion.
And I held my breath.
The beautiful girl Iโd met yesterday at the bookstore in the shopping mall was standing right there.
However, it was different from yesterday.
No hat, no fashion glasses. And of course, no cheap hoodie of mine draped over her shoulders. Instead, she was perfectly dressed in a uniform that strictly adhered to school regulations, standing there as a face everyone recognized.
The whispers coming from all over the classroom revealed her identity without her even having to say a word.
โHey, thatโs Hoshimiya Rino, right?โ
โThe real deal? So the rumor that she enrolled at our school was true after all.โ
โShe was in that drama last year, wasnโt she?โ
โIโve seen her in commercialsโฆโ
โSheโs already a shoo-in to be the schoolโs top idol before the entrance ceremony even starts.โ
Hoshimiya Rino.
So, she really was the real deal yesterday.
A current middle school student whoโs both a model and an idol. Sheโs been all over TV and the internet lately, making headlines for her ethereal looks and a smile so perfect it looks fake. Even a shut-in otaku like me has seen her countless times in ads and video thumbnails.
That Hoshimiya was the one who, yesterday, picked up the same manga as me and said the exact same words.
And on top of that, I was the one who threw a hoodie over her and let her slip away.
My brain couldnโt process the information fast enough, and I froze near the entrance.
At that moment, Hoshimiya looked over at me.
Our eyes met.
Her eyes clearly wavered.
It wasnโt the expression sheโd shown at the bookstore yesterday, nor the perfect smile from the advertisements. For just a split second, she looked as if sheโd forgotten to breatheโas if sheโd found something sheโd been searching for all along.
But the very next moment, that expression was flawlessly composed.
I suppose I should say, โThatโs what youโd expect from a celebrity.โ Before she even noticed the stares around her, she put on the face she wears in public. A soft, elegant smile that anyone would find likable.
And then, without hesitation, she walked toward me.
The murmur of the classroom parted like a wave.
I couldnโt move.
Before the option to run away even flashed through my mind, she was right in front of me.
โUmโฆ yesterdayโโ
Just as I was about to speak, Hoshimiyaโs gaze drifted over my shoulder.
Beside the classroom entrance.
The class roster and seating chart.
Her eyes traced the text for just a moment.
Takahara Seita.
I knew she had read those four characters.
Then she turned back to face me.
โGood morning, Seita.โ
My name.
My name came out of her mouth.
And her voice sounded as if sheโd been calling me that every morning.
The atmosphere in the classroom shifted.
All eyes in the room turned toward us at once. The attention that had been focused solely on Hoshimiya just moments ago now engulfed me as well. A boy standing by the blackboardโs mouth fell open, and one of the girls let out a soft, โHuh?โ
No, wait.
She definitely just looked at the class roster.
I didnโt tell her my name yesterday. She shouldnโt have known it. Yet, after glancing at the roster by the entrance for just a moment, she suddenly called me by my first name.
No matter how I looked at it, that was information sheโd just acquired.
And yet, Hoshimiya looked as if nothing of the sort had happened.
โLong time no see.โ
She dropped another bombshell.
The murmur in the classroom grew louder.
โLong time no see?โ
โHuh, do you two know each other?โ
โChildhood friends or something?โ
โHoshimiyaโs?โ
My throat tightened.
Someone Iโd only met yesterday was, for some reason, acting as if we were childhood friends right here in the entrance ceremony classroom. And sheโs a top idol, to boot. Before I could even protest, the people around us had already started spinning their own stories.
At the center of all those stares, Rino Hoshimiya reached out toward my tie.
โCome on, youโre just the same as ever. Your tieโs a little crooked.โ
Her white fingertips touched my chest.
Sheโs too close.
Way too close.
Even though she was way too close, she acted completely natural. With the same gentle touch sheโd used countless times in the pastโas if she were looking after a childhood friend she hadnโt seen in agesโshe straightened my tie.
But I didnโt miss it.
Her fingertips were trembling ever so slightly.
Sheโs trying to make it look natural. Sheโs closing the distance with a calm demeanor. But in reality, she must be forcing herself quite a bit. The tips of her ears are slightly red. Her cheeks are flushed beneath her forced smile.
I remember what happened yesterday.
The fact that I didnโt tell her my name, that I put my hoodie on, that I said I hated it when my favorite things were handled roughlyโprobably all of it.
And on top of that, sheโs pretending to be my childhood friend right now.
I donโt get it.
No, even though I donโt get it, one thing is crystal clear.
Top idol Hoshimiya is trying to make it seem like weโve been close for a long time.
โUmโฆ Hoshimiya-san?โ
When I called out to her softly, Hoshimiyaโs hand paused.
She slowly looked up.
Our eyes met.
She was still smiling. But her eyelashes fluttered unnaturally just once. The corner of her mouth drooped ever so slightly, then snapped back into place.
โRino.โ
โHuh?โ
โYou can call me Rino, just like we used to.โ
The atmosphere in the classroom grew even more awkward.
Just like we used to.
There was no such โback then.โ
Yesterday, I hadnโt even properly confirmed her name. She didnโt know my name either. Yet now, sheโs saying my nameโwhich she got from the class rosterโas if it were the most natural thing in the world, and trying to get me to call her by her first name.
Sheโs doing a really sloppy job of pretending to be my childhood friend.
But whatโs scary is how sheโs trying to force it to work with just her looks and acting skills.
โNo, โjust like old timesโโฆโ
ใ
โSeita hasnโt changed a bit.โ
Hoshimiya brushed off my words with ease.
Then she lowered her eyes just a little.
The gesture was beautiful. But it was so beautiful that it felt eerie, like I was watching an unscripted performance.
โYouโve always been like thatโso quick to put up a wall.โ
A small murmur rippled through the crowd.
I clutched my head in my mind.
Wait. I donโt know the past. We met for the first time yesterday, after all. Yet, for some reason, her words carried a strange persuasiveness. The top idolโs ability to control her expressions and the way she modulated her voice were breathing life into a nonexistent โchildhood friendsโ scenario.
The more I denied it, the more we looked like โa couple with some kind of secretโ to everyone around us.
This is the worst.
It might be the perfect opening for a romantic comedy, but from my perspective, itโs a total disaster.
โWe just met yesterday, right?โ
I said it as gently as possible.
At that moment, Hoshimiyaโs blink was delayed by a split second.
Her smile hadnโt faded.
But her fingertips clenched the sleeve of her uniform. A small wrinkle creased the neatly pressed fabric. The light in the depths of her eyes seemed to recede just a little.
โโฆYouโre saying that again.โ
Her voice was soft.
It didnโt sound accusatory or angry. If anything, it was the voice of someone accustomed to swallowing their feelings.
Her reaction made me feel, for some reason, as if I were the one whoโd done something wrong.
No, wait.
I shouldnโt be the one at fault.
If someone you just met yesterday pulled a โchildhood friendโ move on you in the entrance ceremony classroom, anyone would want to confirm it. In fact, it would be strange not to.
Yet, when I looked at Hoshimiyaโs expression, a small pang of guilt welled up deep in my chest.
She took a single shallow breath, then returned to her usual beautiful smile.
It was a smile that made it obvious she was forcing it.
โItโs okay. You donโt have to force yourself to remember.โ
โNo, I meanโโ
โBut I remember.โ
Hoshimiya took a step closer.
Her face filled my entire field of vision.
I could smell her sweet shampoo. She was close. Even closer than before. I could feel the buzz of the crowd around us being suppressed, as if on the verge of exploding.
She whispered in a voice only I could hear.
โAbout how you helped me yesterday.โ
Those words, at least, werenโt a lie.
Her fingertips, resting against my chest, grew just a little warm. At this impossibly close distance, her eyes locked directly onto mine.
โThat you didnโt see me as Hoshimiya Rino. That you cherished what I loved without even asking my name. I remember all of thatโฆโ
This was different from the โchildhood friendโ act sheโd been putting on until just a moment ago.
There was a strange warmth in her voice.
I recalled the expression on her face yesterday on the bench when she took the manga with both hands. Her ears, slightly reddened under her hood. The look on her face when I refused to tell her my name. I donโt know what she was thinking at that moment.
But judging by the way she looked now, it seemed that moment had stayed with her far more deeply than I had imagined.
Hoshimiya suddenly lowered her gaze.
Then, for some reason, she smiled triumphantly.
โSo, starting today, we can just be childhood friends, right?โ
โNo, we canโt.โ
I answered immediately.
Hoshimiyaโs lips tightened just a little.
Her long eyelashes fluttered. It looked as though only the outline of her smile remained, while the expression behind it had vanished for a split second. She quickly regained her composure, but she couldnโt hide the tension in her fingertips gripping her sleeve.
โโฆSeitaโs always been shy, after all.โ
โYou just made that up, didnโt you? That โalwaysโ part.โ
โI didnโt make it up. Weโre just going to create more memories and turn them into the past.โ
โThe timeline is all over the place, though.โ
Someone nearby let out a small chuckle.
That laugh served as a trigger, and the tension in the classroom eased just a little. But the attention didnโt fade. If anything, the fact that Hoshimiya was having a normal conversation with me was spreading rapidly throughout the classroom.
Hoshimiya lowered her gaze to my hands.
Her eyes softened just a little.
โHey, Seita.โ
โWhat is it?โ
โStop using honorifics.โ
โI canโt.โ
โEven though weโre childhood friends?โ
โWeโre not childhood friends.โ
Her shoulders slumped ever so slightly.
The movement was truly imperceptible. To anyone watching from a distance, it was probably unnoticeable. But I was close enough to see it.
The tension in her lips.
The moment her gaze dropped for just an instant.
That brief pause before she formed her next smile.
Just like when I helped her yesterday, Hoshimiya is good at smiling in front of others. Because sheโs too good at it, the tiny cracks that appear before she smiles stand out all the more.
She quickly looked up.
โSo, Iโll make a reservation.โ
โA reservation?โ
โIโll reserve the spot as Seitaโs childhood friend.โ
โThereโs no such seat.โ
โIโll make one, so itโs fine.โ
โItโs not fine.โ
What on earth am I doing talking to the schoolโs top idol in a classroom before the entrance ceremony?
I just wanted to live a normal high school life. Go to school normally, attend classes normally, and go home normally. I didnโt want to stand out or cause any trouble; I just wanted to gradually get back what Iโd lost in middle school.
Yet, the girl standing right in front of me is trampling all over my plans from day one.
And sheโs not doing it without malice.
Sheโs probably doing it on purpose.
Because yesterday, I didnโt tell her my name.
Because yesterday, I didnโt treat her as Hoshimiya Rino.
Because yesterday, I acted like some half-baked romance comedy protagonist.
As a result, top idol Hoshimiya Rino saw my name on the roster at the entrance this morning and started pretending to be my childhood friend right in front of the whole class.
Itโs beyond unreasonable.
But her eyes held a intensity that couldnโt be dismissed as just a joke.
โNice to meet you, Seita.โ
Hoshimiya said that and let go of my tie.
The knot sheโd just fixed feels strangely unsettling.
The buzz in the classroom wouldnโt die down. If anything, the atmosphere around us was strangely charged. Someone was furtively checking their phone, while someone else was comparing my face to Hoshimiyaโs.
In the midst of it all, she was the only one smiling beautifully.
And then I knew for sure.
My high school life probably wonโt be normal.
Or rather, itโs already doomed before it even begins.
Maigetsu