Chapter 1: April — The Beginning

“Tsumugi-san! Please go out with me!”
At the boy’s unexpected words, the girl’s chopsticks came to a stop.
When she looked up, she saw the nervous face of the close-cropped boy.
“Huh? What made you think you’d get an OK?”
She frowned and replied quietly.

The boy—Takayanagi Shingo—flinched a little, but regained his composure.
“W-what? What’s wrong with me? Please tell me! I’ll fix it!”

Just as Shiome let out a sigh and was about to speak, the boy opened his mouth again.
“Ah—anything except my hairstyle, please.”

“…That’s not something so trivial.
It’s your complete lack of delicacy about time and place.
And—who even are you?”
Tsumugi spoke in exasperation, to which Shingo replied with a cheerful smile.
“My apologies for the late introduction.
I have the honor of being a student in the class next door—Takayanagi Shingo.
I’m ashamed to admit, the first time I saw you, Tsumugi-san, was—”
“Spare me the life story.”
Sensing the conversation was about to get long, Tsumugi cut him off.

“Ah! I did choose the right time and place!
I want everyone here, enjoying lunch in their classroom, to know how I feel!”
He looked straight into Tsumugi’s eyes, clenching his fist tightly.

“You call this choosing…?”
Tsumugi muttered under her breath, but her voice was drowned out by the faint stir and scattered applause of her classmates.

“My answer’s no. Now hurry up and get back to your own class.”
Waving him off, Tsumugi resumed her meal.

“I guess that’s good enough for today.
But—I won’t give up!
Someday, I’ll prove myself to be a man worthy of you, Tsumugi-san!”
“That’s enough. Just get back and eat your lunch.”
With a smile, Shingo waved to the expressionless Tsumugi, then returned to his own classroom.

Watching him leave, Tsumugi muttered quietly,
“Did he just say ‘for today’…?”