This world hates me. It’s like there’s some higher being who just wants me to suffer. Did I do something horrible in my past life to deserve this? Maybe I got cursed at birth to suffer a life of misfortune. Who knows, I definitely don’t.

The whole classroom is in mayhem and people keep gossiping about the unexpected but exciting arrival of the idol Seo Misaki into our school. While everyone celebrates her enrollment, I’m cursing at the world and the gods who thought it’d be a funny idea to bring another potential source of chaos into my life.

Besides, why was she here? Was it for me? If so, how did she even find me? Or for that matter, why did she choose me specifically? It’s not even the beginning of class and my head is already pulsing in pain. 

Just as I finish that thought, the teacher walks in and begins the usual morning routine, “Alright everyone it’s time for class to begin, please go to your seats.”

We did the usual rise and bow before taking our seats, but despite doing the call to attention, most of the class remains restless.

“It seems there's a lot of commotion this morning!” the teacher said innocently as she put down a small folder on the podium at the front of the class.

“Well, I’m glad to see everyone is quite excited and in high spirits! The timing couldn’t be more perfect, as I actually have a surprise announcement to make.” 

Like dogs when they hear the words ‘treat’ or ‘walk,’ everyone immediately focused on the teacher. Some even leaned into their desks, making their chairs screech in the process.

<<Please don’t be the idol, please don’t be the idol>> I pleaded to myself crossing my fingers under the desk, but behind me, Nakai was counteracting my prayers.

“Please be the Idol, please be the Idol,”  this guy already jinxed me once, and if he does it again, I might have to throw some hands.

“Oh my, you all are more excited than I thought, well anyways, I went to the office this morning and Mr. Kenzo told me some very exciting news! Are you all ready to hear it?”

Please teacher, just spit it out, the whole class is dying in anticipation.

“We…are having a new…” with each passing word, everyone leaned in even further and their eyes widened in excitement.

She then remained silent for a bit, looking around at everyone with a smile and her hands together almost like in a prayer.

“A new projector!” she finally said excitedly, 

The whole class let themselves fall back into their chairs and sighed in disappointment, except for a few people like Homura who had been sleeping through the whole thing, and Nino who just seemed confused by everyone’s weird reactions.

While the class remained quiet after such devastating news, I on the other hand…

“YES! HELL YEAH BABY, LET’S GO!” 

“Well, I’m glad to see at least someone is excited but watch your language Naoki. And here I thought you all would enjoy the news of having a projector that doesn’t have issues.” 

“Damn it!” Exclaimed Nakai in a low voice behind me, and as I looked back at him, I could see him sneakily glimpsing at his phone hidden below the desk.

“She joined Katsuo’s class…” he whispered to me.

---------------

With the sound of the bell, nearly everyone rushed out of the classroom, leaving only a few students behind.

“Naoki, come on let’s go! Don’t you wanna also see Misaki!?!” Exclaimed Nakai, tugging the back of my uniform.

“You go on ahead, I need a little time to think”

“Oohh, I see, mentally preparing yourself to meet your favorite idol eh? Alright, me and Katsuo will be waiting for you at his class, but you better hurry, I bet it's gonna be packed as hell.”

Preparing myself huh, well in a way he wasn’t wrong. 

Nakai promptly left in a hurry to go see Misaki like the others. With the classroom so empty, it was very quiet. Only the sounds of people walking and chatting in the hallways or the shouts of people playing sports outside in the field could be heard.

It was the perfect time for me to think of my next move. So after a breath of air, and resting my chin on my hands, I closed my eyes and focused on thinking.

<<Let’s see, there’s two major concerns right now, the first is the matter with Kido. If I don’t do anything about her, then the next time anyone sees me, it’s going to be in a bag hundreds of meters deep underwater. But what do I even say to her? I basically cut off any semblance of a relationship we could’ve had the last time we met…and her father wants me to tell her I love her as well…>>  I furiously scratched at my hair while I struggled to think of a solution.

<<I’ll be lucky if she even wants to talk to me…>> 

But the words of Mr. Sato and the image of Kido running away with swollen eyes came back to mind, making me feel like shit.

<<Haa…For starters I should apologize to her…but then what? Get closer to her like her father wants? Lie to her? That just defeats the point of creating distance between us…and it means I just hurt her for no reason!>>

I slammed my desk with force, making a reverberating sound through the classroom, and in the process scaring Inoue who had remained in his seat looking out the window the entire time.

Just thinking about the situation was frustrating enough, to the point I could hear my teeth grinding against each other.

<<Shit, this whole situation just sucks… For now I guess I’ll just try meeting with Kido as soon as I can and apologize to her, then I’ll see from there. Now as for the second matter…how the hell do I deal with Misaki?>>

My cliche detection sensor had been going off the entire time, telling me that it was no mere coincidence she had enrolled in my school. It was like a gut feeling, like when animals know an earthquake will happen beforehand, or when people smell rain or a storm coming. Whatever it may be, I had to be cautious, especially when it came to someone like Misaki. I’ve read enough stories to know where this could go, and so I wasn’t about to find myself getting stabbed by one of her ‘fans’. 

<<What to do…maybe I should hide from her? No, that would get tiring fast. Simply avoiding her could do…or not, how the hell am I supposed to avoid someone until graduation. Maybe I should transfer again… No!>>

Just the fact that I thought about transferring again made me upset. It didn’t help that the classroom which had been quiet until then, began to get louder by the minute.

<<Jeez, why can’t they just let me think in peace>>

<<Anyways, running away is not an option, I’ve run away enough times already, and besides why should I be the one to leave? But I mean, it also did backfire pretty badly with Kido…and I also just reunited with Nakai and Katsuo…if I ditched them I’d be worse than trash. That's right! Enough with the running!>>

I could feel a sudden surge of courage and bravado building within me.

<<I’ve decided! From this moment on, I will face head-on whatever the world has in store for me! So bring it on you damn world!>>

“Ehem,” announced a feminine voice in front of me

When I opened my eyes after the clear indication that someone was trying to talk to me, I was greeted with a divine sight to behold… An extremely pretty and adorable girl looking down at me with a kind and warm smile. Her pink hair was long and curled in such a way that it made it look like it was a soft cloud, and her eyes were like a constellation in the sky above.

<<An angel…?>> I thought to myself, taken away by the sight of the person who I had been watching through a screen for a long time…Seo Misaki.

“Naoki Kurogawa I presume?” she questioned, bringing my sense back to me.

When I looked around, I nearly jumped out of my seat. The classroom’s windows showed a horrifying scene. A hallway full of students, girls and guys alike staring at me with a murderous aura…

In fact, I could spot Nakai and Katsuo amongst the crowd pressing their hands against the hallway windows, their eyes full of jealousy and envy. If this were a manga, then the windows would have probably cracked.

<<Ok maybe I’ll face the world starting tomorrow>> and just like that my surge in courage was gone.

Looking back at Misaki, I finally answered, “Yes…that's me…can I help you?” 

Misaki, who had been intently staring at me, suddenly smiled.

“Yes, as a matter of fact you can help me.”

Misaki then took a few steps back, “You…” she said as she pointed at me charismatically, with the palm of her hand facing up. Just like the many times she pointed at the camera whenever she performed, with the small hip movement and everything.

But at that moment, I got an extremely strong and disturbing sense of deja vu. In the actions of Misaki, I could see a mirage…a reflection of the student council president in my previous school… when she declared to me in front of everyone.

“Be…”

As she continued speaking, my brain entered a state of emergency and panic. With all sorts of thoughts racing through my head.

“My…”

<<Should I escape? Should I run? No, there's no time and everyone is blocking the exit! Shit!!!>>

“Friend!”

“I’m sorry but I'm afraid I can’t be your boyf- what?”

<<Did she just ask to be my friend?>>

“SHIT IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN ME!” yelled Inoue while slamming his desk with both arms and waking up Homura in the process.

“The fuck? What's the problem with you uggo?! WAH! Where did all these people come from?!” asked Homura as she stared at the door filled with students.

“I'm sorry…friend?” I finally answered.

She nodded, “Yes, be my friend.”

“...but why me?” 

With a mischievous smile, she responded, “Just because,” leaving an air of mystery.

Normally I would have thought hard and long on the best way to reject her one way or another, but clearly doing anything of that sort while everyone stared at me with a cold and murderous aura, would get me killed sooner than by the hands of Kido’s father.

So I answered with the only logical response.

“I’ll be in your care” I said as I bowed down to show gratitude to Misaki. 

It seemed school was about to become a lot more interesting. At least she didn’t ask me to be her boyfriend.