I am Vakizaka Retsu, twenty-five years old.
Today was the most terrifying day of my life—yet, it was the day I had wished for every single day.
I stood in the middle of the road, rain pouring down, soaking my clothes to the bone. The coldness didn't bother me. The weight of my drenched jacket, the wetness clinging to my skin—it all felt distant, as if I wasn't even there.
I didn't need to hide my tears. The rain blended with them, washing them away as if they never existed. My expression? I couldn't even tell. Was I smiling? Was I crying? Was I relieved? Or was I terrified?
Just a few steps away, sitting on the bench at the bus station, was her—the person I had always loved.
Her gaze met mine, and in that instant, it was as if time had rewound. Memories I had long buried came crashing back, sharp and vivid, each moment etched into my soul.
I still remember every single fragment…
16.12.2009 – The First Day of High School
The first day of high school. A fresh start. A new beginning.
Or so they say.
For me, it was just another day. Another school. Another group of students who would either ignore me or torment me.
I wasn't particularly excited. School had never been something I looked forward to. I was always average—in studies, in sports, in pretty much everything except one thing: my face.
I had always been told I was too good-looking, even from a young age. A face that made people turn their heads. A face that made girls giggle when they walked past. A face that even some teachers had commented on.
But there was something else.
Something that made people stare at me with discomfort. Something that made even those girls whisper behind my back.
My eyes.
One was a deep, warm brown—the kind of color that most people had. But the other? A sharp, unnatural red.
It wasn't a vibrant, glowing red like some cursed character in a fantasy novel. No, it was subtle, like a dying ember, but noticeable enough that people never let me forget it.
I had heard it all.
"Demon eyes."
"Cursed freak."
"He looks like a monster."
I had been bullied for it all my life.
Ironically, the same girls who whispered about how handsome I was were the same ones who had laughed at me in middle school. I never understood people.
So, by the time high school came around, I had already learned how to fake confidence. I would smirk. I would act like I was above it all. I would pretend that my good looks gave me some kind of control over people.
But deep inside, I was just tired.
I walked through the streets, hands in my pockets, my schoolbag slung lazily over one shoulder.
The morning air was cold, and the sky was still a dull shade of blue. The roads were already packed with cars, the honking and shouting blending into white noise.
After a five-minute walk, I reached the school gates.
The place was massive, far larger than a typical high school. The steel gates stood tall and imposing, the name of the school carved into a stone plaque beside it. It looked just like the schools you'd see in anime—clean, prestigious, and full of students who probably had their whole lives planned out.
My breath was slightly ragged. Not because I was tired, but because I was nervous.
I didn't belong here.
The crowd at the gate was thick. Students stood in groups, chatting and laughing, their voices mixing into a chaotic hum.
Among them were the usual delinquent types—tall, muscular guys with their uniforms worn loosely, ties undone, some even rolling up their sleeves to show off their arms. They looked like monsters to someone like me, a lanky, skinny kid with barely any muscle.
I wasn't weak. But I wasn't them.
And then—
"Oi, Vakizaka!"
A voice called out from the side, rough but oddly friendly.
I turned my head.
It was Kurosaki.
Kurosaki was one of the few people I could actually call a friend.
He was short, barely reaching my shoulders, but he had an energy that made up for his height. His uniform was already messy, his tie half undone, and his sharp eyes carried an almost mischievous glint.
He was the kind of guy who, once he made a friend, stuck with them for life.
He threw an arm around my shoulder and grinned. "So, what's your plan, huh? Gonna make all the girls fall for you in this school too?"
I smirked, playing along. "You'll see."
Kurosaki laughed. "Yeah, yeah. You say that, but we both know you're just a nervous wreck deep down."
I sighed, shaking my head. "Shut up."
The school gate finally creaked open.
Students started rushing in, the excitement of a new year filling the air.
And then, at that moment—
I saw her.
She wasn't close to me, not yet, but it felt as if she was. My heart raced, my chest tightened, and for the first time, I cared about how I looked. My hand reached up, almost instinctively, to fix my hair.
The world around me faded into a blur. The voices, the noise—they all disappeared. I couldn't hear a thing.
All I saw was her.
Every detail. Her long, silky hair tied into a neat ponytail, swaying ever so slightly with each step. Her skin was white as jade, flawless and glowing even under the dull morning light. She had big, round eyes, deep and mesmerizing, like they could pull me into a dream I never wanted to wake up from. Her round glasses framed her delicate face perfectly, giving her an air of quiet intelligence. Her lips, soft and pink, were pressed together in a neutral expression, but even in her silence, she felt untouchable—like something out of a fantasy.
She wore a crisp white shirt tucked neatly into a green skirt, her uniform fitting her slender frame with effortless grace. The way she carried herself, the way she moved—it was as if she wasn't just walking but floating, untouched by the chaos of the world around her.
She was beautiful. The most beautiful person I had ever seen.
Kurosaki jolted me with his elbow. "Oi, Vakizaka! What's up with you? You just froze."
I barely heard him.
My eyes were still on her as she walked through the gates, blending into the crowd.
Kurosaki sighed dramatically. "Damn. You already fell for someone, didn't you?"
I finally blinked and shook my head. "No. Shut up."
He grinned. "Section?"
I still wasn't paying attention. "Huh?"
"What section are you in, dumbass?"
"…Oh. Section C."
His grin widened. "Aha! Same as mine! That's good for a nervous introvert like you, isn't it?"
I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, yeah."
But my thoughts were elsewhere.
I had to find her again.
Even if I didn't understand why—
I just had to.