Chapter 5: A Day Straight from Hell

That day, I was hunted by a mob simply for being too close to a handsome man.

Not by stray dogs. Not by debt collectors. Not even by a professor demanding a late assignment. I was being hunted by a pack of female students whose eyes blazed like torches, ready to hold a trial without a judge.

"You’ve got it all wrong!" I yelled, taking the stairs two steps at a time.

"Takeda-san’s boyfriend is our boyfriend too!" one of them shrieked.

What kind of logic was that?! Their footsteps echoed through the corridor like war drums announcing my execution. I took a sharp turn. First floor. Long corridor. My lungs felt like an ancient engine being forced to run without oil.

So this is what life is like for a harem protagonist in a manga? If so, I officially rescind every ounce of envy I ever possessed.

"Don't let him get away!" "Catch him!"

Catch me?! I’m a human being, not a limited-edition idol photocard!

I ran toward the back area of the campus—a place that was usually deserted. The silence there was like a secret map in a game that even NPCs were reluctant to visit. I leaned against a wall, gasping for air. For a moment, the world stopped. Safe. Finally—

"Found you."

That soft voice sliced through the silence like a phone notification you can't swipe away. I turned slowly. A girl stood there. A ribbon in her hair. A sweet smile. But the aura behind her felt like a storm waiting for a signal.

"He’s over here!" she shouted.

Dammit. I turned and bolted again. My legs felt like they were atoning for sins from a past life. I burst through the first-floor corridor, and that’s when I saw her.

Kurumi.

She was sitting by the window, opening her lunch box with an expression of pure peace, as if the world wasn't currently hunting me down. The sunlight grazed her hair. The scene looked like a slow-motion spring drink commercial. Without thinking, I ran toward her.

"Kurumi!"

She looked up. "Huh? Kengo-kun? What is it? You look like you're being chased by a ghost."

"You have to help me!" I wheezed. "What?"

The sound of footsteps grew louder. Time felt like a rope being pulled until it was seconds away from snapping. I had no choice. I looked into her eyes.

"Please... just this once..." I hesitated for a fraction of a second. "...be my girlfriend!"

The chopsticks in her hand clattered to the floor. "EHHH?!"

Her face turned crimson in a matter of seconds. The fanatics were almost upon us. I bowed my head slightly. "Sorry. This is an emergency."

Kurumi glanced back and saw the mob. She understood instantly.

"You there!" one of the girls shouted. "Hand that man over right now!"

Kurumi took a long breath. "A-ano... actually, there's something I need to say."

The crowd halted. "H-heh?"

Kurumi stood in front of me. Her cheeks were burning, but her gaze was firm. "Actually, Kengo-kun is my boyfriend! He isn't Takeda-san’s boyfriend!"

The corridor went silent instantly, as if someone had pressed the mute button on the entire world.

"Kengo-kun and I have been dating since the start of the semester!"

Since the start of the semester?! That was some god-tier improvisation.

"So please... stop bothering my boyfriend. He doesn't belong to anyone but me."

The fanatics looked at each other."So he's a cheater...""Takeda-sama must be so disappointed...""He doesn't deserve to be near Takeda-sama..."

One by one, they retreated like an army realizing they had attacked the wrong target. Finally, the corridor was empty again. Peace.

"Thank you," I said, letting out a long sigh of relief. "You saved my life."

Kurumi was still gripping my sleeve. "Kengo-kun..." "Yeah?" "Don't say things like that so easily..." "I know. I'm sorry."

She stared at the floor. "The problem is... my heart didn't know it was just an act."

I froze. Why did that sentence feel more dangerous than the thirty fanatics from earlier?

"W-we were just pretending... right?" she asked softly.

Neither of us dared to meet the other’s eyes.

"If you want to take it seriously... I wouldn't mind," I murmured.

Why did I say that?! Is my brain on strike?!

Kurumi was silent for a long time. "I know. You didn't have any other choice, right?" "Yeah."

Suddenly, my chest throbbed. It felt like a rusted engine coming back to life after being dead for years. "Kurumi... I’m sorry for dragging you into this."

She gave a small, fragile smile. "Consider it an emergency performance."

I breathed a sigh of relief.

"But please... don't do it again." "I'll try my best." "And your answer just now... I'll save that for later."

I blinked. Which answer? For some reason, the air around me felt different—something that would probably come back to haunt me later. But Kurumi had already started walking toward the cafeteria.

Meanwhile, Takeda was still being hunted by his fan club. He burst into the Heartbreak Society room and crawled under the table.

THUD! His head hit the underside of the table. "Dammit..."

A notebook lay on the floor right in front of his face. On the cover, it read: Harumasa Kengo. Out of boredom—or perhaps fate—he opened it. His eyes widened. Handwriting filled the pages, as if speaking directly to his soul.

"Be proud of yourself, and never be ashamed of how others see you."

Takeda went still. He read further.

"Others don't have to like you, and you don't have to care."

Tears fell without his permission. He remembered his old self. Weird. Awkward. But free.

"Stop comparing yourself to others, and you will know how valuable you are."

His hands trembled.

"Courage doesn't mean the absence of fear, but moving forward despite it. Believe in yourself. You are stronger than you think."

He began to cry silently under the table.

"The best investment you can make is in yourself, not in others."

For the first time in years, he cried not because of pressure or popularity. He cried because he missed himself.

The next day.

Takeda didn't show up to class. For some reason, the fanatical glares were directed at me again. Please don't tell me this is my fault again.

Then—the classroom door opened. A man with messy black hair walked in. Thick glasses. A heavy nerdy aura.

"Sorry I’m late," he said.

The professor stared at him. "Who are you? Wrong class?" "Huh?" "No, Sensei. You don't recognize me?" "I don't."

The man offered a small smile—an honest one. "It's me. Ikeo Takeda."

"EEEEHHHH?!"

The class exploded. Takeda walked calmly to his seat. His long blonde hair was gone. His blue lenses were replaced by his natural green eyes. He looked like a completely different person. The fanatics didn't even recognize their own idol.

I looked at him. So this was your choice.

Takeda caught my gaze and gave a small nod. And for the first time, he smiled. Not a model’s smile. Not a smile for his image. But a smile that, at long last, truly belonged to him.