Chapter 1: The Beginning of Everything

My youth—if you could even call it that—began in high school when I gathered every ounce of courage I had to confess my feelings to several girls.

However, the responses I received were always the same: a monotonous loop of rejection that left me feeling more bored than broken.

“I’m happy we’re this close, but as for being a couple… sorry, I just can’t.”

“Sorry, Senpai. You’re more like an older brother to me!”

“Sorry, I already have a boyfriend.”

Those words felt like a constant, light drizzle—not enough to kill me, but just enough to make me slowly drown in the dampness of my own inadequacy.

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

“Could this be… a love letter?”

The excitement was involuntary. The note was brief, asking me to meet at the bench behind the school grounds that evening. I went, of course.

When I arrived, I saw a stunning girl standing with her back to me, her silhouette bathed in the crimson glow of the setting sun. I swallowed hard.

Could she be the one? I wondered. I remembered an episode of a drama where the true heroine always appears last, a latecomer to the protagonist’s life.

“Kengo-san, thank you for coming!”

“I-it’s nothing. I had plenty of free time anyway,” I replied, scratching my head while trying to play it cool.

“Kengo-san, the truth is…”

My heart hammered against my ribs. Is this it? Is this the part where the heroine finally admits her love?

“Actually… I…” she stammered, her face flushing.

My own face heated up. I waited for the words that would change my world.

“Actually, I’m in love with your friend, Jun. So… could you help me get closer to him?”

“HEEEH?!”

I stood there, frozen like a statue.

Over the next few days, the pattern repeated itself with terrifying precision. A girl from the next class. Then another. They all liked a guy named Jun.

What was so great about him anyway? To me, he was just an average guy. And yet, every story seemed to revolve around him. Eventually, I grew sick of the farce and realized one bitter truth:

True love only exists in dramas and anime.

By the time graduation rolled around, all those couples had broken up as if their "eternal love" had never happened.

“Sorry, Hiroshi. I think we should end things here.”

I knew it. Love was just a game. A toy. There was never anything serious about it.

Months later, I entered Tokyo University as a Literature major. On the first day, I stood at the podium in the auditorium to introduce myself.

“My name is Harumasa Kengo, twenty-two years old. Nice to meet you all. I hope we can be friends.”

My voice was low, devoid of enthusiasm. There wasn't a single round of applause.

Not that I expected one.

The "new" me didn't hope for much from college life. My focus was simple: study, and keep studying. It sounded boring, but to me, it was the only exit strategy to forget my past.

I caught some girls whispering as I passed.

“He’s actually really handsome.”

“I wonder what his major is?”

“I hope we’re in the same class.”

The comments drifted past my ears. I knew it was all nonsense. Empty words.

My life on campus was peaceful—exactly how a normal student’s life should be. No drama. No romance.

Until a certain rumor reached me.

A group called the “HEARTBREAK SOCIETY.”

It was a semi-official campus community—a sanctuary for those who had just been dumped, those who couldn't move on, or those trapped in a labyrinth of unresolved feelings.

It was a safe space to speak without judgment. Anyone could sit down, tell their story, and seek answers for failed relationships, rejected confessions, or unrequited love.

There were no rigid rules. Every meeting was simple: one person spoke, the others listened, and then the discussion began.

Some offered hope. Others offered reality. A few were brutally honest.

It wasn't a place to curse exes or plot revenge. It was a place to understand what went wrong and if anything was still worth fighting for. To some, it was just a vent session. To others, it was the only place on campus where their feelings were taken seriously.

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

What a joke, I thought. I assumed stuff like this only existed in anime. To me, they were just a bunch of delusional, love-drunk students who watched too many dramas.

But my peaceful days were cut short when a girl approached me.

“Yoo, Kengo-kun! It’s been a while, hasn't it?”

She stood directly in front of my desk.

“Do I know you?” I replied.

She burst into laughter. “Kengo-kun, you’re so funny!”

“My name is Kurumi Mitsuzu. I was in your class back in high school,” she said with an air of pride.

“Sorry. The name doesn't ring a bell.”

She flinched slightly, a flicker of something unsettled crossing her face. But she quickly masked it with a bright, artificial smile.

I know exactly what a woman looks like when she's lying.

“Well, forget about that then! I’m just glad we’re in the same class again.”

“Yeah. Sure.”

I thought that would be the end of it. I was wrong. During the break, she came back with that same mischievous look on her face. I tried to make a break for it.

“Oops, I forgot to buy bread.”

I made a move toward the cafeteria, but she was faster. She lunged forward and grabbed my right arm.

“Kengo-kun, please, just hear me out!”

My heart skipped a beat.

Oh no. Is this happening again? Another nonsense confession?

I prayed I was wrong.

“The truth is!” she shouted.

Come on, Kengo. Think. I was certain she liked some other guy and was using me as a bridge to get to him. I’d read this script before.

“The truth is… I need your help to be a consultant for the HEARTBREAK SOCIETY!”

I froze.

The one group I wanted to avoid most in this world… had just come knocking on my door.