CBGBE 01

Chapter – 01

Huh?

Lately, I’ve been thinking that the world of school is really quite small.

It’s not uncommon for some minor incident that happened yesterday to be known by every student by the next day.

For example, when the science teacher, Old Man Maru, got a new wig that was way too obvious, by the end of that day even the underclassmen who didn’t have his class were talking about it.

And if it’s a big incident, well, it becomes common knowledge among the entire student body in the blink of an eye.

Experiencing this deeply and firsthand, I truly feel that school is a small world.

Now then.

This doesn’t just apply to incidents and events—it applies to people too.

“Hey, hey! I heard Koyatori-san got confessed to again!”

“And apparently this time it’s that Bandou-senpai!”

“No way! Let’s go see!”

Three female students dashed past me.

In the same direction I was heading, which gave me a slightly bad feeling.

As I kept walking, that bad feeling proved to be spot on.

A crowd had formed in the courtyard surrounded by the school buildings.

You’ve gotta be kidding me. I need to get through there.

“Thanks for coming, Koyatori.”

“Can we get this over with? I don’t have time to waste.”

“Hah! Don’t be so cold.”

A boy and a girl, the center of everyone’s attention.

I didn’t know the guy, but I did know the girl.

Because she was probably the most famous person in our school.

—Koyatori Saya.

With her refined features and her signature long black hair.

Her slender, outstanding figure made her truly a breathtaking beauty.

On top of that, she’s smart, always sitting at the top of the rankings in regular exams.

Despite her otherworldly appearance, her personality is also quite distinctive—she constantly pushes others away, and if you get too close, she’ll sting you like a bee.

Her blunt way of speaking contains no sugarcoating, and many interpret it as sharp-tongued.

Despite that, Koyatori is quite popular with the opposite sex because of her looks, and apparently she gets confessed to quite often.

Well, I guess good-looking people always have some flaw in their personality. That’s prejudice, I guess. Or maybe just wishful thinking.

“So, I’ve got something to say to you.”

“Can you stop calling me ‘you’? It makes me sound like I’m beneath you.”

“Don’t be like that.”

Pretty sharp-tongued, but the guy doesn’t back down—instead, he wears a smug grin.

What’s with this guy? Is he a masochist?

“Anyway, here’s the deal, Koyatori. Be my girl.”

Whoa.

That’s the first time I’ve seen someone say that in this day and age.

The burly guy seems completely unaware of how cringe he is, still smirking with an air of victory.

“Ugh, so people like this really do exist. Amazing. I feel like I’m watching an old delinquent manga.”

I couldn’t agree more.

“As for my answer—of course, it’s NO. Don’t ever come near me again.”

Obviously.

From the start, his impression was bad, and with a confession like that…

Besides, Koyatori has apparently been turning everyone down, so she probably never intended to date anyone in the first place.

I thought that would be the end of it, but—

“H-hey, wait? What are you saying? We’re perfect for each other, so the answer’s obviously YES.”

The guy persists.

Man, this guy is painfully cringey.

“NO.”

“No way, you’d definitely be better off dating me! I’ll make every day fun for you!”

“I’m not desperate enough in life to need your help.”

“What did you say?!”

The guy keeps resisting.

The crowd has completely lost interest, their excitement cooling down.

Koyatori’s reaction is firmly set, so this confession is as good as over.

There’s no point in being held up here any longer.

Alright, time to pass through.

“B-but why are you turning me down?! There’s no reason to say no!”

“Just go home, would you? I don’t recommend pushing this any further.”

“Tch! Fine! It’s not like it’s gonna cost me anything!”

Even so, the guy won’t back down.

Even Koyatori lets out an exasperated sigh.

Taking advantage of the students starting to disperse, I tried to casually walk past the two of them.

“Hey, come on! Are you even listening?!”

The guy steps closer to Koyatori.

—At that moment.

“Uh?”

I felt a sudden grab on my arm, and before I knew it, I was standing right in front of the guy.

“This person is my boyfriend. So it’s not happening.”

…Huh?