After the bell rang, Mr. Takeda stepped into the classroom.
I frowned. Isn't today supposed to be someone else's period?
"Quiet down, everyone. Today, we have a new student joining us. She arrived late yesterday, so she missed the opening ceremony," the teacher said calmly.
Ah, I remember now.
A classic opening scene in school-themed visual novels, the heroine's grand entrance.
"You may come in."
The classroom door opened gently.
A girl with flowing golden hair stepped inside. Every move she made seemed bathed in light. She carried herself with elegance, her confident gaze sharp and commanding. From the way she walked alone, you could tell ,this was a noble lady.
Her style… yeah, definitely your typical oujo-sama.
She adjusted her skirt lightly, placed one hand over her chest, and smiled. It was the kind of smile that said the world revolved around her.
"Hello, everyone," she said, her voice clear and composed with a hint of haughtiness. "My name is Celestine Von Arclight. I've just transferred here from Arclore International Academy."
Celestine Von Arclight…
Sounds like she walked straight out of a fairytale.
"I look forward to getting to know all of you."
The class fell into a brief silence. A few of the guys in the back started murmuring excitedly.
Celestine scanned the classroom slowly, as if inspecting something. Suddenly, her eyes stopped and pointed directly at someone in the back.
She raised her voice.
"You! You're that pervert from yesterday!"
The whole class went dead silent.
Every eye turned to Ren.
He was still sitting there, but something was different. Gone was the usual aloof expression. Ren slowly stood up, face serious, his voice low but composed:
"…What happened yesterday was an accident."
He looked straight at Celestine. No denial, no fear — just firm honesty.
"I didn't mean anything by it. But if you're still upset… then I'm sorry."
The tension in the air was palpable. The usual indifferent Ren had vanished, replaced by someone direct and sincere, a kind of strength I didn't expect.
Celestine glared, like she wasn't satisfied, but she didn't have anything to refute either.
And me?
Yeah, in a game, this kind of "fated misunderstanding" scene is a fun and common trope — a bit of conflict, some comedy… then slowly turning into love.
But watching it unfold live, feeling the awkwardness and the pressure in the room…
It was strangely overwhelming.
I sighed, propping my chin on my hand and turning to stare out the window, letting this "real-life anime" play out on its own.
---
Yesterday…
Celestine had just arrived in town. After finishing her transfer paperwork, she decided to explore the neighborhood a bit.
The afternoon sun cast a golden glow on her hair as she walked, drawing stares from passersby.
And then… fate struck.
She had just stepped out of a small bookstore, arms full of romance novels. Her eyes wandered to a boutique across the street, not paying full attention.
At that exact moment from the alley next to the store , someone came rushing out at full speed.
Ren.
Why was he running? Maybe avoiding a bike, chasing someone, or dodging a cat — who knows?
But he was fast. Too fast to stop in time.
Crash!
He slammed right into Celestine.
Books flew everywhere. Her skirt shifted slightly. Most importantly, she fell… right on top of Ren, in a pose that screamed cliché: the girl-on-guy accidental fall.
Several seconds of silence.
Celestine bolted upright, her face beet red, eyes wide with shock. Ren sat up slowly, no longer the calm and collected guy he usually was — just stunned.
"P-Pervert!" she yelled, then turned and ran off without looking back.
Ren remained seated, rubbing his face, exhaling deeply.
Fast forward to today…
Celestine still glaring at Ren, and Ren still holding his composure.
Mr. Takeda cleared his throat and cut in before the scene escalated.
"Alright, enough. If there's any misunderstanding, you two can sort it out after class. For now, let's focus on the lesson."
He turned to Celestine and nodded.
"Take your seat, the one I showed you earlier."
Celestine huffed, eyes still fixed suspiciously on Ren, but didn't argue. With her usual noble grace, she walked down the aisle.
As she passed Ren, she paused for just a second, gave a slight haughty tilt of her head, and brushed by him like he was unworthy of notice.
Ren said nothing, still a bit stiff after that public "accusation."
Celestine sat down at the desk right in front of me, carefully smoothing her skirt and sitting upright with perfect posture. Every movement radiated aristocratic pride.
---
At lunchtime, The classroom was now empty — only three people remained: me, Ren, and Celestine.
Still pretending to be asleep, I had my head resting on my arm, but my ears were wide open.
Ren sat up and looked toward Celestine, who was now near the classroom door.
"…I'm sorry about what happened yesterday. I didn't mean to."
His voice was quiet but clear, sincere, a tone rare for him.
Celestine folded her arms, squinting slightly. She walked toward him with the elegance of a noble strolling through a royal garden.
"Hmph. Yesterday, I really thought you were just a shameless pervert."
Ren bowed his head slightly. "I get it. But it wasn't intentional."
She stopped right in front of his desk. Her golden hair fluttered gently from the breeze by the window.
"Very well. As a noble, I shall graciously forgive you."
She tossed her hair, turning her face away dramatically — as if granting forgiveness was a grand, generous act.
"However," she added, her voice still laced with that signature oujo-sama tone.
"You owe me a favor. What kind, I'll decide later."
Ren scratched his head, clearly not brave enough to argue.
And me? I was doing everything I could not to laugh.
These two… they were so different. But somehow, when they stood together, they created this weirdly compelling vibe.