Chapter 4 - How to be a normal highschool girl 3

Step 3: Get the attention of the brooding loner or the charming popular guy.

The only guy who seems remotely interested in me is my seatmate, and by interested, I mean he looks like he's mentally tallying up how fast I'll crack under social pressure. His name is Hayashi Ren, and he has that "I'm too cool to care" vibe down to an art form.

He's the type of guy who doesn't smile much, and when he does, it's usually in a way that makes me think he's plotting my downfall. He's always got that slightly bored expression, like he's already seen everything this school has to offer and has decided that none of it is worth his time.

But, hey, maybe that's my chance, right? Maybe I could be the one to make him care.

So, here's the plan: I need to get his attention. Not just any attention. No, I need to get his impressed attention. The kind that makes him think, "Wow, Aika Kurohata is someone I might want to talk to someday. Maybe even on the same day she trips and faceplants in front of the entire school." Because that's what I've been really great at so far—tripping. A lot.

Okay, back to Ren. He's sitting two seats to my left, tapping his pen rhythmically on the desk, looking as if the world were a boring, black-and-white movie, and he was the only one who got the memo. I've been trying to get his attention all week, but so far, all I've managed to do is knock over my pencil case and nearly fall out of my chair while attempting to look casual.

But today? Today will be different.

I glance at my watch. The clock ticks slowly, like it's mocking me. I know he's watching me. The way his eyes flicker over to my side, only for a second, makes me think maybe, just maybe, he's aware of my every move.

Alright, here goes.

I casually stretch my legs out under the desk, trying to look cool and nonchalant while I accidentally knock my water bottle over. It spills everywhere, of course, soaking my notebook and some of the papers in the process. Classic.

I wince and quickly grab a few tissues, desperately trying to mop up the mess. Ren's gaze flickers over to me again, and I swear I can see the faintest smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. Is he... laughing at me? Inside his head, I'm sure he's rating my clumsiness on some scale.

"Smooth, Aika," I mutter to myself, mortified. "Really smooth."

I glance over at Ren once more, only to find him staring at me with a completely neutral expression. It's like he's trying to figure out whether I'm genuinely embarrassed or just faking it for the drama.

At least he's not ignoring me, right? That's a step in the right direction. I mean, maybe it's not the best step, but it's a step nonetheless.

I finish cleaning up my mess and sit back in my chair, my shoulders slumped. Great. Another chance for me to look like a total disaster. But at least, I tell myself, I'll always be memorable.

"Nice one," Ren says suddenly, his voice flat, like he's trying not to sound amused. "You should've gone for a bigger splash. Make a statement."

I blink, staring at him. Was that... was that an attempt at humor? I think I just witnessed a mild joke from Ren.

I can't help but grin. "Oh, trust me, I would have, but I didn't want to flood the whole classroom."

He gives a barely-there shrug. "Pity. You'd have made an impression."

"Ha. Glad to know you're watching," I reply, trying to sound casual, even though my heart's doing weird things in my chest. Is this a conversation? Is he actually talking to me?

A few beats of silence pass, and then I cough, clearing my throat. "So, uh... do you always just sit there looking like the world is a never-ending disaster, or is that just a Ren thing?"

He looks at me, his gaze cool and unbothered. "I'm not really a fan of the world's drama. It gets old after a while." He leans back in his chair, like he's trying to be as uninterested in everything as possible.

I nod, doing my best to match his laid-back vibe, even though I feel like I'm about to explode from all the awkwardness. "Yeah, tell me about it. It's like high school is just one big soap opera, except the plot makes no sense and nobody can act."

He raises an eyebrow, a glimmer of something flickering in his eyes. "You're right about that."

I'm not sure what to say next. I mean, this is progress, right? We're talking. This is the first time I haven't been completely ignored by him. I could almost start to think we're friends. Maybe.

But then my gaze flickers toward the front of the class, and I realize that the teacher has started talking about some new assignment. Of course, I have absolutely no idea what the lesson is about because I was too busy being awkward, but hey, I'll pretend I was paying attention.

Ren doesn't even look at the teacher. His eyes are still on me, like he's trying to figure out if I'm going to do something else ridiculous. I give him a subtle glare, like, "What, do you think I'm always going to mess up?"

The corner of his lips twitches. "I wouldn't be surprised."

Oh, he's good. He's definitely going to be trouble.

The class bell rings, signaling the end of the lesson, and I make a beeline for the door, eager to escape the awkwardness of the last hour. Just as I'm about to step into the hallway, though, I hear Ren's voice behind me.

"Hey, Kurohata."

I freeze. Kurohata? Did he just... use my last name? That's not weird at all. It's not like I've been trying to keep my identity a secret or anything.

I turn around, already preparing some witty comeback, but then he continues.

"You know, I saw you yesterday, by the alley."

I blink, confused. "What?"

"The alley. When you were, you know..." He pauses, his expression unreadable, almost cold. "Taking care of those three idiots."

My heart skips a beat, and I immediately feel a chill crawl down my spine. I've been trying to forget about that incident. How could he—how could he possibly know about it? I thought I was being discreet.

Ren's gaze sharpens, his eyes no longer just distant, but intense. "I wouldn't say I saw it. More like I watched it." His voice drops a pitch, and suddenly I feel like the temperature in the room just dropped several degrees. "Funny, though, how you managed to hold your own against them."

I swallow hard, trying to mask the panic rising in my chest. "I... I wasn't— I mean, it wasn't what you think. They just—"

"Stop pretending it was some accident." His voice cuts through the air, harsh now. "I saw you take down all three of them without breaking a sweat. Don't act like you didn't mean to make a statement."

I feel my breath catch in my throat. How does he know? How does he know everything? This guy—he's not just observant, he's almost... calculating. I start to back away, my pulse pounding in my ears. "I— I didn't mean to make any kind of statement. I wasn't even trying to—"

He steps closer, his presence towering over me, and his eyes are locked on mine, making it hard to breathe.

"You know," he murmurs, voice lower now, like he's savoring the moment, "you're a lot more interesting than I thought."

I barely manage to choke out a response, my mind swirling with confusion and fear. "What are you talking about?"

He tilts his head, studying me with a look that sends shivers down my spine. Then, in a voice that could freeze the air around us, he simply asks, "Who are you?"

My heart stops. I've never felt more exposed in my life. My mouth goes dry as I stare at him, unable to answer, the weight of his gaze pulling me into an uncomfortable silence.

Did I get found out?