Is the protagonist always in the right spot at the right time?

Experience is the best teacher, everyone knows that.

Without experience, the actions people take can seem strange, unusual or just plain out stupid.

If my actions seem like the latter, then I don't blame you.

It's only natural to think that someone who constantly contradicts themselves must be either an idiot or an airhead.

It's like a preacher ignoring their own sermons or a firefighter who likes to commit arson. It's just too silly and ironic.

However, I can say with certainty that my actions have a semblance of logic… at least most of the time.

So if you're asking yourself why I'm outside the classroom of the girl who I apparently promised to marry, with everyone looking at me, then I'd respond with another question.

What is the number one enemy of clichés?

The answer is so simple and often overlooked by protagonists in novels that it often makes me irrationally angry.

That's right. It's-

"Excuse me… are you looking for someone?"

I turned toward the source of the voice and spotted a short girl peeking out from behind the classroom door.

A hamster…?

That was the first thought that crossed my mind. With her oversized round glasses, messy haircut that vaguely resembled a certain wizarding boy, and her small, jittery frame, she looked like a tiny, nervous critter bracing for danger.

She gripped the door tightly, as if ready to slam it shut at a moment's notice and avoided making eye contact for more than a few seconds.

Each time she turned away, she glanced nervously at something behind her.

I followed her gaze and- ah.

A group of students in the far corner of the classroom were sneaking obvious glances our way, doing a terrible job pretending they weren't eavesdropping.

So that's how it is. This poor girl lost some kind of twisted classroom lottery and got sent to interrogate me.

"If… if you're looking for Tomiko," she hesitated, voice barely above a whisper, "th-then I'm afraid she's not here…"

Of course, I expected this situation. There was no way Tomiko would even consider staying in the classroom after our little exchange, which is why I was confident I could come to her classroom without worrying .

"Don't worry, I'm not looking for her," I said.

The girl blinked in confusion. "Eh?"

"Then… are you looking for someone else?"

I sighed internally. Right now, everyone in that classroom must think I'm some tragic drama protagonist, abandoned by the girl I love, wandering the halls like a lost and depressed puppy.

TO HELL WITH THEIR DELUSIONS.

The fact of the matter is that I know next to nothing about Tomiko to even consider that an option, hell, I don't even understand what's going on with her situation. That's why I'm here. To figure out what cliché number fifteen is about to throw at me.

"Well… I guess you could say I'm here for someone else," I replied.

The hamster girl nodded hesitantly. "I see. If you tell me their name, I can check if they're here."

I glanced at the other students again. None of them looked like people I wanted to deal with.

"I was actually hoping to talk to you."

"Huh?" The girl immediately took a step back and looked flustered, "M-me?!" she stammered.

Oh boy. What troublesome thing is she imagining now…?

She spun around and started whispering frantically to herself, her expression shifting between deep concentration and sheer panic.

"Whatever you're thinking, it's not—"

"I apologize!" she suddenly blurted, bowing deeply. "I don't know you well enough!"

…Why am I getting rejected out of nowhere?

"Like I was saying! I just want to ask a couple of—"

"Wait!" she interrupted me once again, looking at me with an expression of pure distress. "But… but you already have Tomiko!"

She isn't even listening to me.

"Ah!" She gasped; her eyes widened as if she had stumbled upon some grand revelation. She suddenly turned back to me, pointing.

"Are you perhaps… a f##k boy?!"

"HOW DID YOU ARRIVE AT THAT CONCLUSION?!"

The entire classroom went silent. I swore I heard a pin drop.

This girl, despite her innocent demeanor, had quite a foul imagination.

I exhaled, raising my hand in surrender. "You- Ah whatever… Let me rephrase. I was hoping to find someone who could tell me more about Tomiko, and I think that person happens to be you."

I hope this is clear enough for this delulu girl.

The girl froze.

"Oh…"

The deep blush on her face didn't fade and got stronger, but she looked away, covering part of it with her sleeve. However her bright red ears gave her away.

Misunderstanding averted… barely. I just hope not every girl in this school is like this…

"So," I said, snapping her out of her thoughts before she slammed the door in my face out of embarrassment. "Can you help me?"

She hesitated for a moment before tilting her head slightly. "You want… my thoughts?"

"Yeah. Probably an odd request, but you'd be doing me a favor."

Something in her expression shifted. For the first time, she looked at me directly, without immediately turning away.

She stole another glance at her classmates, as if making sure no one was about to interfere. Then, she looked down, deep in thought.

Finally, she spoke.

"Tomiko is… a very warmhearted person," she said softly.

She hesitated for a moment before continuing.

"Everyone always acknowledges her for being smart, talented, and, well… attractive. Things I can't say I really relate to," she admitted with a small, self-deprecating chuckle. "But to me… she's also incredibly humble and kind."

I studied her face. The way she spoke about Tomiko wasn't just admiration, it was something deeper, something personal. There was likely a story behind that look in her eyes.

Humble and kind, huh…?

"That's why," she murmured, her voice growing sad, "it's a bit heartbreaking to see her by herself all the time."

A frown formed on my face. "By herself? But I thought she was popular?"

"She is… in a way. But almost all the time, she's alone."

So what happened earlier on the field wasn't just a one-time thing…

"Is she being bullied or something?"

"No, of course not! It's just that… how do I put it…" She searched for the right words, then sighed. "She's too distant."

"…Hah?"

"What I mean is, nobody approached her because she felt different from the rest of us… like she was on a completely different level! And so at first, everyone simply felt too nervous to approach her."

A sour expression formed on her face, "But over time, that nervousness turned into something else entirely. Like… an unspoken rule. Like everyone in class was keeping each other in check to make sure no one got too close.

I frowned. The more I heard, the stranger this situation became.

"That's why nobody talks to her? They just… stare like a bunch of weirdos?"

"...I'm afraid so."

I crossed my arms. "What about friends? She must have some outside of class, right?"

"Not that I know of."

Ha~ This girl's situation was even more troublesome than I thought.

"I see. Well, thanks for telling me this Lulu."

"No, it was nothing... wait lulu?"

Oh crap the nickname I just made for her slipped out.

There were still unanswered questions, but at least now, things were a little clearer.

I gave Lulu a small nod before turning to leave.

But just as I reached the end of the hall—

"Wait!"

I glanced back.

She stood in the middle of the hallway, fists clenched. Even though she was clearly the quiet type, there was something burning inside her now, something pushing her to speak.

She inhaled sharply, then bowed deeply.

"P-please… don't break her heart!"

Her words stung.

Like many things that kept repeating in my life, I had already heard that phrase before.

I stared at her for a moment, and in response I could only smile.

Without another word, I walked off.

….

"She's too distant," huh…

I walked through the hallway, my thoughts still lingering on that conversation. Just as I rounded a corner, my ears picked up on the rapid chatter of a group of girls.

"Like, seriously, isn't it kinda insane?"

"Right? Ojou-sama is, like, super-rich."

"Ugh, must be nice…"

In front of me stood three girls, their manicured nails waving dramatically as they discussed the school's biggest enigma: Tomiko.

"Wait, wait, so you're telling me her family has, like, actual mansions?" one of the girls continued.

"Uh-huh. Like, multiple ones. With butlers and everything."

"Ugh, can you imagine? She probably doesn't even know what instant ramen tastes like."

I wasn't planning to eavesdrop, but the trio of gyarus blocking the hallway made it impossible not to. Their conversation wasn't malicious either, just pure fascination. Tomiko's absurd wealth was apparently prime gossip material.

What a coincidence… I didn't even have to dig for this information.

I wasn't sure if I should be glad that the world had decided to hand me this knowledge on a silver platter or be worried that I was on track for another event.

"I heard she has, like, a vacation home in France."

"No way. But wait, didn't someone say her family owns a hot spring, too?"

"Ugh, imagine living like that."

The two girls who had been conversing until now, turned to the girl in between them.

"Hey, Rei! You're in her class, aren't you? Know anything?"

In response the girl in the middle simply let out a sigh.

"No I don't." she said abruptly. "Also It's bad manners to gossip about someone you don't know."

One would expect the atmosphere to turn awkward after that response, but rather than being offended or looking uncomfortable, the two gyarus smiled and looked visibly proud.

"Mmm! You're right"

"That's our Rei for ya!"

"How bout' we go to Karaoke after school!"

"Sounds like a plan!"

The trio cheerfully and loudly walked off.

Huh… so there's still people like that…

It was an unexpected but pleasant surprise to see their interactions.

But now, thanks to them, I had my answer.

I arrived to class shortly after the bell rang.

From the doorway, I spotted a few students already inside, including Inoue, who was fully embracing his protagonist role, gazing out the window with his chin resting on his hand.

But before I could step inside, a firm grip landed on my shoulder.

"Kurogawa-kun, a word with you if I may?"

Ms. Inoue's voice was calm, but the sheer pressure radiating from her made my stomach drop.

What followed was exactly what you'd expect. A long, exasperated scolding about skipping class, a lecture about "responsibility" and "setting a proper example," and finally, the inevitable punishment.

One full week of cleanup duty.

By the time I actually sat down in my seat, I was thoroughly drained, not from guilt like she wanted me to feel, but from the sheer endurance test of standing there nodding for five minutes straight.

As if on cue, Ms. Inoue returned to the front of the classroom and clapped her hands together.

"Alright everyone takes a seat! Class is about to begin" Ms. Aoi announced.

I sighed.

No time to recover, huh?

"Next week is the start of the club fair, if you are in a club, please make sure to remind your club leaders to participate! If you haven't joined one, then please do so! Clubs are mandatory and the school isn't accepting half-assed clubs anymore, like the going-home club Nakai."

This guy…

"Common teach don't put me on the spot like that" Nakai said while scratching the back of his head.

Meanwhile everyone in class laughed and giggled.

Clubs huh… I guess I'll have to start thinking of one to join.

….

As I walked back home, I kept thinking about what club I should join.

After all, last year I was simply part of the literature club, although I was only a member in name since most of the time I got dragged out by those three one way or another.

Still, this choice required serious consideration. Every club came with what I liked to call an Event Probability Meter, in simpler terms, a pain-in-the-ass probability score.

A chance that something troublesome will happen as a result of joining that club.

Join the literature club again? Absolute not.

Get involved with the occult club? Over my dead body.

 Well known clubs like those are nothing but walking red flags.

Honestly, I wouldn't have minded pulling a Nakai and joining the prestigious Going-Home Club had it not been disbanded.

I'd much rather enjoy the serene ambiance of walking back home, soaking in the beauty of nature.

The clean and fresh scent of the ocean, the soothing sound of waves gently brushing against the rocks, and the soft orange glow of the sun reflecting on the crystal-clear surface of the water. 

Hell, sometimes I get the urge to just lie down on a grassy slope, arms behind my head, gazing at the vast, endless sky without a single care in the world—

 "NAOKI KUROGAWA" 

…Aaaand there it is.

A voice shattered my blissful moment, ripping through the air like a goddamn battle cry.

I turned around only to see the girl who had sent me flying with one swift kick.

The time had finally come, Cliché #15: The Aftershock.