She was known at school as a girl who was almost never noticed in a good way. Her hair was always neatly braided, round glasses resting on her nose, and the school uniform she wore looked too big for her small frame. Not as a fashion choice, but simply because she never cared much about her appearance. The oversized uniform made people think she was hiding her fat beneath the loose fabric, when in truth, it was quite the opposite.

Her behavior was often considered strange as well. She would sometimes chuckle softly or unconsciously blushing reading books—a habit she never realized she had. Small things like that were enough to make people keep their distance, choosing to stay away rather than trying to understand her.

A nickname eventually stuck to her. “Duck.”

Scruffy, nerdy, and unattractive—that was the label people at school placed on her without ever truly knowing her.

Even the popular boys like Naruto, Sasuke, Gaara, and Shikamaru shared the same impression. Not because they were cruel or judgmental, but simply because she never entered their radar. She was too ordinary. Too invisible. While nearly every girl in school adored those four boys.

But that day, misfortune—or perhaps fate—decided to fall upon Naruto.

In the crowded school hallway, Naruto was walking casually beside Sasuke, chatting as usual. He never expected someone to suddenly crash into him from the side.

“Thud!”

Everything happened too fast.

Naruto’s body hit the floor, his back slamming painfully against the hard surface. Sasuke stopped in reflex, while the person who had collided with him fell as well—landing directly on top of Naruto.

In the chaos, Naruto instinctively reached out to steady her, his hands unconsciously gripping the girl’s waist to keep them from rolling further.

Naruto grimaced as pain shot through his back. But before he could complain, his senses picked up something unexpected—a faint, soft scent, and the surprising lightness of the body resting on top of him.

A small, slender waist?

That was… his type.

Naruto slowly opened his eyes, expecting to see the face of a stranger—or perhaps one of the popular girls who often walked these halls.

Instead, what he saw made his entire body tense.

It's her.

The girl nicknamed “Duck.” The nerdy girl he had never paid attention to. The girl with braided hair and round glasses was now hovering right above him, her face so close he could see the same shock reflected in her eyes.

It felt as if Naruto’s blood stopped flowing.

He stared at the girl on top of him in pure horror, his breath caught in his throat, while his hands—without him realizing it—remained firmly on her waist.