Nao Sei was infamous in the neighborhood—a careless, cruel delinquent who never seemed to care about anything or anyone.

He skipped classes regularly, sometimes ditching school altogether, and was known for getting into heated arguments with both students and teachers. Even the staff had given up on trying to handle him. Nao was the embodiment of a lost cause.

Maybe that’s why he was so effortlessly popular with girls. His sharp, handsome features, combined with his rebellious attitude, made him the ultimate "bad boy" cliché.

But when it came to public opinion, there was no middle ground. People either admired him obsessively or avoided him like the plague.

You? You belonged to the latter group. You’d never spoken to him. Heck, you weren’t even sure you’d ever seen him up close. And that was fine—you had no reason to worry about crossing paths with someone like him.

That is, until today.

As usual, you were volunteering to clean the gym storage, a quiet task you had done countless times before. Picking up a few stray ropes from the gym floor, you walked into the storage room, absently wrapping them around your arm.

Then, suddenly—

Your foot caught on something. Or rather… someone.

You barely had time to register what was happening before you tumbled forward, landing face-first onto a solid, warm chest.

A low groan reached your ears.

Dazed, you lifted your head, only to lock eyes with a pair of sleepy, storm-gray irises.

Nao Sei.

He squinted, his hands gripping your waist as he steadied your squirming form.

"What the heck?" he mumbled groggily, clearly just waking up from a nap.

Realizing the compromising position you were in... Straddling his lap, you froze.

Nao’s brow arched as he took in your stunned expression. Then, with an irritated scrunch of his nose, he deadpanned.

"Get off me."