Chapter 1: Where It All Began

My youth began with a series of rejections so consistent they felt like a family tradition.

If youth is synonymous with love, laughter, and sweet memories... then I must have taken a wrong turn somewhere in the labyrinth of life.

Back in high school, I gathered every ounce of courage I possessed to confess my feelings to several girls. The result? It was always the same.

"I’m happy we’re close, but as for dating... I’m sorry, I just can’t." "Sorry, Senpai. You’re more like a brother to me." "Sorry, I already have a boyfriend."

Those words weren't sharp enough to kill me. But they were enough to make me drown slowly in a drizzle of persistent, quiet humiliation that refused to let up.

The funny thing was, I eventually became more bored than heartbroken. After being rejected so many times, the pain transformed into a dull routine.

Then, one afternoon after school, a letter appeared in my locker.

"A... love letter?"

My heart reacted long before my logic could intervene. The content was brief: Meet me at the back bench of the school courtyard tonight.

Of course, I went. Humans are remarkably stupid when offered even a shred of hope.

When I arrived, I saw a beautiful girl standing with her back to me. Her silhouette was wrapped in the deep red glow of the sunset, looking like a climax from some cheap TV drama. I swallowed hard. Could this be it? The final heroine who arrives at the very end? Isn't that how dramas usually go? The protagonist suffers first, and the reward comes later.

"Kengo-san, thank you for coming!" "A-ah, don't worry about it. I happened to be very free anyway."

I scratched my head, trying to look composed, even though my heart was beating a war drum against my ribs.

"Kengo-san, actually..." The girl's face flushed crimson. My heart slammed against my chest. This was it. The universe was finally apologizing to me. "Actually... I..."

I waited for the sentence that would change my life. Then she said—

"I like your friend, Jun. So... could you help me get closer to him?"

"What?"

I froze. Completely and utterly frozen. If a bird had landed on my head at that moment, I probably wouldn't have reacted.

Over the next few days, that pattern repeated itself with terrifying accuracy. A girl from the class next door. Then another. Then another after that. They all liked the same person.

Jun.

What was so great about him? To me, he was just an ordinary guy. Yet, somehow, every love story revolved around him like mindless planets orbiting a counterfeit sun.

Eventually, I realized a bitter truth: true love only exists in dramas and anime.

By graduation, all the couples who had once bragged about eternal love broke up one by one. "I'm sorry, Hiroshi. I think we should end it here." I wasn't even surprised. I had known the answer for a long time. Love was just a game. A temporary toy. Never truly serious.

A few months later, I entered the University of Tokyo as a Literature major. On the first day, I stood at the auditorium podium to introduce myself.

"My name is Harumasa Kengo. I am twenty years old. It’s a pleasure to meet you. I hope we can be friends."

My voice was flat. Lifeless. Not a single person clapped. Not that I cared. This new version of me expected nothing from campus life. My targets were simple: study, and keep studying. Boring? Perhaps. But for me, it was the safest way to bury the past.

As I walked back to my seat, I heard a few girls whispering. "He’s actually kind of handsome." "What department is he in?" "I hope we’re in the same class."

Their words drifted past me. I knew it was all nonsense. Empty words always have the loudest echoes.

My days at the university proceeded peacefully. Normal. No drama. No romance. Until a certain rumor reached my ears.

THE HEARTBREAK SOCIETY.

A semi-official campus community for those who had just been dumped, those who couldn't move on, or those lost in the labyrinth of their own feelings. A safe place to speak without being judged. Anyone could come, sit, tell their story, and seek answers for failed loves, rejected confessions, or unrequited affections.

There were no rigid rules. One person spoke, the others listened. Then the discussion began. Some offered hope. Some offered reality. Some were far too honest. It wasn't a place to insult exes or plan revenge; it was a place to understand what went wrong... and whether there was still something worth fighting for.

The irony? The more they discussed other people's love stories, the more complicated their own feelings became.

What kind of joke was this? I thought clubs like that only existed in anime—a group of delusional students drunk on romance because they watched too many dramas.

However, the peace of my life came to an abrupt end when a girl approached me.

"Yo, Kengo-kun. Long time no see, right?"

She stood right in front of my desk. A girl with long black hair, bright eyes, and a smile that was far too confident.

"Do I know you?"

She immediately laughed. "Kengo-kun, you're so funny. My name is Kurumi Mitsuzu. We were in the same class in high school," she said with a tone of pride.

"Sorry. That name doesn't sound familiar."

She flinched slightly. A shadow of unease crossed her face, but only for a fleeting second. The next moment, her bright, artificial smile returned. I knew that look—the face of a woman who was lying.

"Ah, forget it. I’m just glad we’re in the same class again." "Yeah. Whatever."

I thought the conversation was over. It wasn't. During the break, she came back with that same mischievous expression. I immediately stood up.

"Ah, I forgot to buy bread."

I moved toward the canteen. She was faster. Kurumi lunged and grabbed my right arm.

"Kengo-kun, please just listen to me for a second!"

My heart raced. Oh no. Don't tell me it's happening again. Another absurd love confession? I truly hoped I was wrong.

"Actually!" she cried.

Stay calm, Kengo. Think. I was certain she liked some other guy and wanted to use me as a bridge, just like before. I had this script memorized.

"Actually... I need your help as a consultant for the HEARTBREAK SOCIETY!"

I stood there. Frozen. The one group in the world I wanted to avoid the most... had just knocked on my door.