Japan, Tokyo, Toyogasaki Academy.
The roof of the main school building.
"Just to ask, are you planning to jump? This wire fence is three meters high, which isn't very convenient for a lady looking to jump off the roof." He'd skipped class to sleep on the very top level of the rooftop—
That was, the highest level, surrounding the stairwell.
It was called a rooftop, but it sat even higher than the roof itself. A secluded place most people would never see, even if they came up here.
And yet.
That was exactly why a boy who'd skipped class to read a novel and fallen fast asleep was jolted awake by a sudden commotion. He looked toward the source of the noise and offered what seemed to him the most reasonable response.
At least, he thought it was perfectly reasonable.
Utaha Kasumigaoka had been feeling rather troubled lately. After becoming the top student at Toyogasaki Academy, she'd taken up a hobby in her spare time.
A few months ago.
"Hey, this novel is pretty good."
"The author's amazing. They've described the main characters so vividly."
"..."
Listening to the chatter around her, Utaha couldn't help frowning. Come on, was it really so hard for an author to write the main characters well? What were these people even reading?
This was her first time reading a light novel.
Light, fun, and enjoyable to read—that was what a light novel was.
I see.
Utaha nodded, not entirely sure she understood.
But then she thought, What's the big deal? I could do that too!
So, after studying the genre diligently, she put pen to paper.
With inspiration constantly bubbling up in her mind and a solid literary foundation, she felt as if she had divine assistance.
The first volume of her novel was quickly picked up for publication.
It wasn't exactly a runaway hit, but for a newcomer, it was already an impressive achievement.
Of course, it was nothing special. She was Utaha Kasumigaoka, after all!
But she knew little about the industry, and her inspiration had dried up. As a result, sales of the second volume plummeted, and it was on the verge of being canceled.
What could she do? She was desperate too. She'd poured so much effort into writing it—why weren't readers buying it?
When all was said and done,
Utaha Kasumigaoka was just an ordinary high school girl.
During this time,
her editor, Sonoko Machida, had told her, "The poor sales aren't your fault, Utaha. It's all those idiots in the marketing department. They don't even promote newcomers' work."
Those words weren't untrue. But the guilt and disappointment in Sonoko Machida's eyes only made Utaha feel more miserable.
To her, this editor in her twenties who still hadn't gotten married was probably already a friend. And she, Utaha Kasumigaoka, couldn't live up to her friend's expectations.
The sales were just awful...
At school, Utaha could only maintain her aloof persona. The one place where she could catch her breath was probably the school rooftop.
For fans of anime and manga, Japanese school rooftops were places where countless stories had unfolded.
In reality, though, rooftop doors were usually locked to prevent students from being ostracized and jumping. Of course, that couldn't stop Utaha. As the top student in her year, with her naturally aloof persona, she had no trouble getting the key from the school administrators or teachers.
Only...
Today, she'd barely had time to catch her breath in her own little world when a voice disturbed her.
At first glance, he was a handsome boy.
Only...
"Just to ask, are you planning to jump? This—"
"Tap, tap, tap!" Utaha had only heard half of what he said before she felt a rush of anger surge inside her. Before she knew it, her legs were trembling.
Her annoyed little foot tapped out a steady rhythm against the rooftop.
This guy had actually decided she looked like a girl who wanted to jump! She was Utaha Kasumigaoka, the current number one at Toyogasaki!
And so,
as soon as the boy finished speaking,
Utaha took her turn.
"Hey, hey, have the Gorilla of Urd evolved? Do they now go out of their way to strike up conversations with troubled girls? Wow, or did I only sleep for a day and even paramecia evolved intelligence?" She lifted her chin and looked at the boy, her wine-red eyes full of mockery.
Hearing that, the boy rolled over, sat cross-legged, and scratched his cheek.
"Ugh, so this is what they call a sharp-tongued character? What a pain. Hey, girl, I was just writing a review of a troublesome tsundere rich girl and a sister who's called a rich girl but is actually a good-for-nothing..."
"As for you..." The boy looked at Utaha.
"You've got quite the expressive face, girl. I watched you go from blazing with anger, to indignant, and then finally to completely at ease. Given that, it's pretty normal to guess you were going to jump, right? By the way, are you studying acting?"
The reckless boy smiled.
Then,
"Hoho..." Utaha felt dark energy filling her from head to toe. At that moment, she wasn't alone. There was Yuno Gasai, Kotonoha Katsura...
"So, you saw everything I just did, right?"
Looking at the person on the verge of breaking down, the boy decided to back down for once.
"I was joking. Didn't I tell you? I was writing a review for a novel recommended by a tsundere rich girl and her good-for-nothing little sister. How would I have time to pay attention to anything else? If you hadn't rattled the wire fence, I probably wouldn't even have known you were here."
Utaha Kasumigaoka: "..."
She was so angry. So angry. Normally, she didn't want other boys paying attention to her and had snapped at plenty of them. But this stranger's attitude, acting as if she didn't exist, made her want to hit him even more.
Turning around and leaving was a privilege every girl had...
But when Utaha turned, she saw the boy holding a novel, nodding as he typed something into his phone.
Utaha fell silent for a moment.
Then she looked at the boy and hesitantly asked, "Just to ask, what do you mean by writing a review?"
"Thanks to a certain tsundere rich girl who's all awkward about it, I got to hear things like, 'What? It's not like I'm asking you for help,' and, 'Why is this book so good, yet not popular...'"
"What do you think of it?" Utaha asked, interrupting him abruptly as the word "good" made the corner of her mouth twitch upward.
"What?" The boy sounded a little surprised.
"Do you think the novel you're holding is good?" Utaha pressed him.
The situation left the boy speechless. This was already the third girl to ask him what he thought of the novel. Could it be some kind of cheat code for getting through life?
He glanced at the cover again: Love Metronome.
Girls really did mature faster than boys.
"Your name?" The boy sat up a little straighter.
"Huh?" Utaha looked surprised. "You don't know who I am?"
"An answer that reeks of narcissism." The boy smiled. "Do you think a new transfer student has to recognize every celebrity at his new school?"
Utaha Kasumigaoka: "..."
Sure enough, she didn't recognize the boy from memory.
The boy continued smiling. "So, when you ask a stranger something, introducing yourself first is basic etiquette. Go ahead and give your performance."
What a jerk!
Utaha felt that the boy was doing it on purpose. It was just a self-introduction—why was he calling it a performance? Did he think she was a performing monkey?
Suppressing her anger, Utaha calmly began, "Utaha Kasumigaoka, second year—"
"Sogo Doma. By the way, everyone says I'm a scumbag with a sadistic streak. But seeing you all looking furious and utterly helpless against me is truly delightful!" The boy—no, Sogo Doma—stood up and cut Utaha off.
He wore a radiant smile.
Before you continue