Back in high school, she had known Sakamoto well enough—at least on paper. The perfect student, the guy everyone admired but no one truly knew.

He was the embodiment of calm and humility, effortlessly solving problems with a quiet confidence that made others look up to him.

Girls swooned over him, whispering behind their hands about his unapproachable charm, but she… she never bought into the hype. In fact, she outright HATED his guts.

She was a perfectionist, driven by a relentless desire to get straight A’s, to be the best in everything.

Watching Sakamoto glide through school, seemingly without breaking a sweat, only fueled her frustration.

How could someone so effortlessly perfect exist, and still be so humble about it? It irritated her to no end. She wanted to be the one everyone looked up to, not him.

When college came around, she thought she’d finally be free from him. No more high school corridors, no more competition, no more Sakamoto.

The first year was a fresh start—she threw herself into her studies, relished the independence. But she quickly realized that the past wasn’t so easy to escape.

On the first day of her second year, she stepped into the hallway, expecting the usual chaos of new classes and fresh faces.

Instead, her eyes were drawn to something—or rather, someone.

Girls were giggling and whispering, their eyes glued to one spot. As she approached her classroom, she glanced inside and froze.

There he was. Sakamoto, standing at the front of the room, as composed as ever.

His calm gaze swept over the students, unaware of the stir he caused just by being himself.

Her stomach twisted with a mix of annoyance and something else she refused to admit.

No matter how much she’d wished to leave him behind, he was here—still the same, still perfect—and she wondered, with a mixture of dread and curiosity, what had become of him now.