A Life That Wasn't Like That of a Normie

Sakayanagi Arisu was dumbfounded,

It was one thing for that guy outside to be an idiot, but you're in Class A and a hopeless romantic too?

How did you get into Class A?

I'll ask later.

When he returned to the Class 1-B classroom, everyone seemed to have just finished introducing themselves.

"Miyano Makoto, where'd you go just now?"

Kanzaki Ryuji asked.

He'd said it so strangely on purpose, to make sure everyone in the class knew that this oddball was called Miyano Makoto.

"I went to see my childhood friend."

Miyano Makoto was a staunch believer in pure love. A beautiful girl pursuing him didn't count.

"..."

"?"

"?"

"What did you say?"

"You have a childhood friend?!"

The class burst into an uproar. They hadn't expected to see in real life a relationship that usually only appeared in manga and novels.

"Yeah, and she's a suuuuper beautiful girl~"

Miyano Makoto calmly stated a fact.

"I don't believe you!"

Shiranami Chihiro didn't believe him. She furrowed her brow slightly.

"You just call other people super beautiful girls like that? Did you grow up playing dating sims? Would someone like her really like someone like you?"

"..."

Everyone in Class B fell silent. She had a point. Miyano Makoto was handsome, sure, but there was clearly something wrong with the way he talked!

"I think he just said that to liven things up, right?"

Shibata Sou stepped in to help Miyano Makoto out.

"...Unfortunately, I was stating a fact. As for why I put it that way, it's because I wanted to."

"Come on, there'll be plenty of time to figure out whether Miyano's telling the truth or not. For now, let's get ready to head to the gym for the opening ceremony!"

Kanzaki Ryuji smoothed things over. He was having a hard time figuring Miyano Makoto out, too.

He'd really never met anyone like him...

The girls in the class quickly put the whole thing out of their minds. Only the boys were still discussing it with enthusiasm.

"Hey! Was what you just said actually true?"

On the way to the gym, Beppu Ryota couldn't resist moving closer to Miyano Makoto. He was genuinely curious.

Hamaguchi Tetsuya, walking nearby, pricked up his ears as well.

"What do you mean, 'actually true'? I've been telling the truth this whole time."

Miyano Makoto felt wronged. What normal guy in the world would think Ichinose Honami wasn't a super beautiful girl?

If she didn't count, he'd go hang himself tomorrow... No, why should he care if other people were the ones with a problem?

If that really were the case, he'd have to thank the world.

"Wow, I'm so jealous. You get to experience sweet romance right at the start of the school year!"

Beppu Ryota sighed. He was green with envy.

"What are you talking about?"

"You and your girlfriend!"

"Who said she and I were dating?"

Miyano Makoto thought that was strange. He'd never said she was his girlfriend. He'd always called her his "childhood friend," not his "girlfriend."

"?"

"I'm starting to doubt whether what you said was true, too."

"Same here. Another possibility is that he's impotent."

Hamaguchi Tetsuya couldn't help chiming in. Was this really something a normal man would do?

"No! It's just that if I confessed, think about it—it'd be so awkward... Childhood friends suddenly becoming lovers and all that..."

Miyano Makoto explained. He wouldn't let them talk about him that way!

He was a fine young man!

"Stop explaining. I won't believe you unless you show me proof."

Beppu Ryota waved a hand, having lost interest. He suspected this guy had played so many dating sims that he'd developed delusions.

A super beautiful girl? Maybe she was an idol trainee who'd been practicing for two and a half years!

Just as chickens and basketballs had nothing to do with each other,

super beautiful girls had nothing to do with idol trainees, either.

"Do you really want to date someone?"

Miyano Makoto thought he should try harder to make friends, so he took the initiative and asked.

"Doesn't every normal teenage boy?"

Beppu Ryota rolled his eyes, unable to understand why Miyano Makoto would ask such a dumb question.

"Speaking of romance, aren't high school boys usually the protagonists in manga?"

Kanzaki Ryuji had somehow joined them. He'd thought the classmate seated beside him was in trouble, but they were still on the same romance topic as before.

"Yeah! I wish something like that would happen to me, too!"

Beppu Ryota wailed. He wished he could jump into a manga right then and take the story's protagonist's place.

"If you keep saying things like that, it'll never happen."

Miyano Makoto teased him. That was what daydreaming was like. He knew from experience in his previous life. Luckily, he was now the protagonist of this novel.

"Good point. I'll do my best!"

Beppu Ryota suddenly perked up, giving himself a pep talk.

"All right, we're at the gym. Stay quiet and don't make a fuss, got it?"

Kanzaki Ryuji thought he ought to say that now, in case those two caused some kind of trouble again.

"Got it!"

Miyano Makoto shouted, startling Beppu Ryota beside him. The people around them all turned to look.

"Hey, what was that for..."

"Why'd you have to say it so loudly? Good thing we haven't gone into the gym yet..."

Kanzaki Ryuji sighed and rubbed his forehead. He had a feeling the days ahead were going to be rough...

"It's fine. I'm not afraid of embarrassing myself."

Miyano Makoto said proudly.

"But I am. Could you keep it down later?"

Kanzaki Ryuji pleaded with Miyano Makoto.

Miyano Makoto nodded and made a zipping motion across his lips with one hand.

Seeing that, Kanzaki Ryuji finally relaxed and led the three of them into the gym.

The opening ceremony at Tokyo Metropolitan Advanced Nurturing High School was no different from those at other schools.

The school leaders rambled on and on from the stage while the students below swayed drowsily.

It was a harmonious, natural scene.

When it was all over, the first-year students dispersed.

Miyano Makoto first went to the first floor of the dormitory to pick up his room's key card. After briefly looking around the campus, he went to the cafeteria to wait for Ichinose Honami. It was about time.

He was getting ready to live off her.

"Have you been waiting long?"

A beautiful girl full of youthful energy walked over to Miyano Makoto and naturally took his left arm.

"I just got here, too."

Looking at Ichinose Honami, Miyano Makoto gave the standard reply he remembered. This time, though, it was true.

"I see. Then let's go eat!"

Ichinose Honami linked her arm with Miyano Makoto's and led him toward the serving counter without waiting for an answer.

"Actually, there's something I wanted to ask you..."

Miyano Makoto spoke slowly. He still felt a little awkward about it.