Unveiling Emotions

The wind gusted through the empty classroom, lifting a stray page of Tatsuya's manga and rustling the loose strands of his long hair. As Sakura Tatsuno stood there, book raised to hit him again, she finally saw his face. Tatsuya had beautiful green eyes shadowed by dark circles, and his bright skin tone contrasted starkly with his disheveled hair. For a moment, she thought if he were a girl, he might be even more beautiful than her. Her face flushed a deep red as a strange feeling washed over her.

It felt like love at first sight.

Mesmerized by his unexpected beauty, Sakura found herself following him, almost like a stalker. She watched from a distance as he bought a new manga from a nearby store. Just as he left, a girl she recognized approached him and proposed, but he gently refused, saying, "Let's be friends." Tatsuya truly wanted friends, she realized, and as the girl ran away in tears, Sakura felt a pang of jealousy she couldn't quite understand.

Day after day, she continued to follow him, watching as he bought or sold manga and was approached by girls. Each time, he said the same thing: "Let's be friends." It became clear to Sakura that he genuinely longed for friendship, though he rarely spoke to anyone except through his manga.

Determined to reach out to him, she decided to become his friend. The next day, the class door swung open to reveal Tatsuya, but this time, his hair was untidy, and everyone could see his face. The girls gasped and whispered, "Who is he?" His name was well-known, but his face had been hidden until now.

As he walked to his seat by the window, the class erupted into excited discussion. Tatsuya, oblivious to the attention, sat down and resumed reading his manga. Moments later, Sakura entered with her usual kind aura. She glanced at Tatsuya, remembering his beauty from the previous day, and blushed so hard she couldn't even say hello.

When lunch began, Tatsuya slipped away to the bathroom to fix his hair, returning with his face hidden once again. He never ate lunch at school, preferring to keep his manga streak unbroken. Sakura, curious to see his face, was disappointed to find him the same as always—an otaku loner.

After lunch, the teacher announced a surprise test. Sakura, known for her top 10 admission rank, found the questions challenging. Tatsuya, however, scribbled away confidently, finishing first. Unable to communicate his completion due to his disorder, he returned to his manga. Sakura noticed and thought he was dumb, assuming he couldn't answer a single question.

When the final period came, the teacher began distributing the graded tests, announcing that the class average was a disappointing 60 out of 100. But one student had scored a perfect 100. "Can you guess who it is?" he asked. The class shouted, "Sakura! Sakura!"

The teacher smiled. "No, it's Tatsuya."

The class erupted in disbelief, unable to fathom how the quiet otaku had outperformed everyone. As the chaos subsided, the bell rang, signaling the end of the day. Sakura was appointed to her class rep duties and stayed behind to complete them.

Returning to the classroom, she found Tatsuya spaced out, looking almost dead. She approached and hit him with his manga, bringing him back to reality. Startled, he mumbled a "Thanks" and dashed out, heading to the manga store. Sakura followed, determined to see his face once more.

In the store, she saw the true Tatsuya, not the gloomy facade he wore at school. Blushing furiously, she approached him but struggled to speak. Finally, in an exhausted voice, she managed a "Hello."

Tatsuya looked up and recognized her. Summoning his courage, he stuttered, "T-thanks for today and that day too."

Her heart racing, Sakura blurted out, "I love you," instead of the planned "Let's be friends." As usual, Tatsuya responded, "Let's be friends first," and Sakura quickly agreed, overwhelmed by his kindness.

For Tatsuya, it was the greatest day of his life. He had finally made a friend. Tears streamed down his face as he expressed his gratitude. "This is the first time someone wants to be my friend," he said with a smile, making Sakura blush even harder.

Curious, Tatsuya asked, "W-which school are you from?"

Heartbroken, Sakura replied, "I sit beside you, baka," and ran off. Tatsuya chased after her, explaining that he was just kidding. He confessed that she was his idol because of her communication skills, making her feel a sense of pride and pleasure she had never experienced before.

As they walked home together, a new bond formed between them. But the question lingered: could they ever be more than just friends?

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