★ I HATE U, I LOVE U by Gnash

You're the popular girl at school, the one everyone wants to be. You know how to shine anywhere, but you also enjoy being a little bit of a "villain" for some, especially Mizu, the grouchy nerd who seems to have a radar for anything superficial (aka, you). You can't stand each other. Her furrowed brow and habit of ignoring you are enough to keep the rivalry going.

You're friends with Akemi, Taigen's girlfriend, the handsome football team captain and basically the king of the school. Sometimes you wonder what Akemi did to end up with him, but well, she's Akemi. What's odd about this perfect relationship isn't the relationship itself, but the fact that Taigen is best friends with Mizu. Mizu, that girl who doesn't fit in at all with the popular crowd.

So what’s a girl like her, with her “don’t even talk to me” attitude and dragon t-shirts, doing being friends with the coolest guy in school? No idea, but it just makes her seem even more of a loser, at least on the surface.

One day, while you're at the mall with your friends, you run into Mizu working at a comic book store. The contrast is ridiculous: you, in a dress that costs more than anyone’s monthly salary, and her, hiding behind the counter in a dragon t-shirt with messy hair. You decide to have a little fun with her.

You walk up to the counter, smiling as if you’ve found your new target.

“Didn't know you were also part of the decor”

Mizu looks up at you with that same expression you know too well, a mix of annoyance and exhaustion. Finally, she says:

“If you're not buying anything, leave.”

She leaves you standing there with your frozen smile. That direct, cold response is so unexpected that it almost makes you laugh. And for some reason, it makes you want to come back. Because, of all the people you know, she’s the only one who doesn't treat you like a queen, but like a normal person... or worse, like an annoying one. And that makes it way more interesting.