Chapter 1

On the rooftop of a certain high school.

After school.

In a place that was normally off-limits, two male high school students were chatting.

From the way they were dressed in slightly disheveled uniforms, they didn't seem to have the best behavior at first glance.

"Haa..."

One of them, a boy with black hair and blue eyes, Kosegawa Yugen, let out a large sigh.

He had a very lethargic expression on his face.

"What's wrong, Yugen? Why the sudden sigh?"

"Listen to me."

Yugen began to complain to the boy next to him, Sato Soichiro.

"Recently, the marriageable age for both men and women has been lowered to fifteen, right?"

"Yeah. ...So what?"

"I don't know if it's because of that, but ever since I graduated from middle school, my grandparents have been nagging me to get married... and to go on a blind date."

They would ask Yugen at every opportunity, "Do you have a girlfriend?" "Do you like anyone?" and even go as far as to arrange matches and push for blind dates without his knowledge.

Of course, Yugen had no interest in matches that had progressed without his knowledge, so he firmly refused...

"But you're only fifteen, right? It's way too early. ...Why are they doing this?"

"They want to see their great-grandchild."

"That's... true, they won't be able to see it if you don't get married soon."

Soichiro burst out laughing.

To Yugen, it wasn't something to laugh about.

Yugen lives alone, so he doesn't usually see his grandparents, but he can't avoid them when he goes back to his hometown.

He will definitely be nagged about it during the early May holiday, and might even be forced into a blind date.

"I don't have a girlfriend, and I don't want to fall in love... but having a fiancé in the future would be a hindrance, and going on a blind date when I have no intention of getting engaged would be a waste of time... Is there any way to avoid it?"

"Then... how about setting some impossible conditions?"

"Impossible conditions?"

"If you want me to go on a blind date, bring me a super beautiful girl! That's what I mean."

"That's... yeah, it's a good idea. ...What kind of impossible conditions can we think of?"

"Hmm, blonde hair and blue eyes? Your grandpa probably can't provide that, right?"

"No, he might bring someone from abroad. He has connections overseas."

It might be much harder to find someone in Japan, but you shouldn't underestimate an old man who wants to see his great-grandchild.

"How about adding the condition that she must speak fluent Japanese? It would be troublesome if there's a language barrier, so make sure she's at least fluent in Japanese. If you narrow it down this much, it shouldn't be easy to find someone, right?"

"True... well, if you're going to marry her, you'd want someone with a solid background. Adding the condition of being fluent in Japanese would make it even harder. ...Alright, let's go with that."

Just as Yugen made this decision, his phone rang.

"Hello, hello."

"Yugen! When you come back during the holiday... will you accept a blind date? It's a once-in-a-lifetime request. I want to see my great-grandchild while I'm still alive..."

"Sure."

"Wait... what? Really, Yugen!?"

"But there are conditions."

To the grandfather who was shocked on the other end of the phone, Yugen stated his "impossible conditions."

"I'll consider a blind date if the girl has blonde hair, blue eyes, and fair skin. Oh, and she must be around my age and have Japanese nationality. It would be troublesome if there's an age or language barrier. And..."

Yugen gave Soichiro a look.

Soichiro then typed something on his phone and showed it to Yugen.

Yugen read out the text on the screen.

"She should have large breasts and a big butt... in other words, a good figure. She should be gentle, refined, and a true Japanese beauty. And... she should be good at cooking, smart, and athletic. ...Such a girl doesn't exist."

Yugen said this with a look of exasperation, and Soichiro shrugged.

He then typed "It's good that she doesn't exist" on his phone and showed it to Yugen.

"That... even I find it a bit too strict..."

"It's fine if it's impossible. I won't be bothered."

"Alright... I'll try to find someone by the holiday. Be prepared!"

"Sure, sure."

Yugen hung up, wondering what he was supposed to be prepared for.

He then asked Soichiro.

"Is he really that eager to see his great-grandchild?"

"Who knows? You'll find out when you get older... By the way, there is a girl who fits the conditions you just mentioned, right?"

"Someone nearby?"

"Yukishiro. Your classmate, Yukishiro Erisa."

Yukishiro Erisa.

A well-known female student in the school.

She has slightly light brown (flaxen) hair and beautiful green eyes.

Her skin is as beautiful as snow and as smooth as porcelain.

Her body is slender, but upon closer inspection, it has a well-defined figure.

She exudes an aura that keeps people at a distance.

Such a girl.

A mysterious, picture-perfect beauty, she is envied by male students and receives frequent confessions. However, she seems to have rejected all of them.

"Her eyes are green, not blue. Her hair is more light brown than blonde. I don't know if she's good at cooking or if she's a true Japanese beauty..."

Unfortunately, Yugen isn't close enough to know her well.

They only exchange brief greetings, and he's not sure how much she recognizes him.

"It would be interesting if Yukishiro Erisa came."

Soichiro said this half-jokingly.

However, ignoring the subtle differences in hair and eye color, personality, and domestic skills, Erisa is the person who fits Yugen's conditions the most, so it's not impossible.

"Even if he says he'll look, he won't put an ad in the newspaper. He'll choose from among his connections. Whether Yukishiro is among his connections is another matter. And... would Yukishiro even want to go on a blind date with me? She'd have to be somewhat interested for it to start."

"Well... the idea of a blind date at this age is strange anyway."

"Right?"

It's not like they're from ancient nobility or samurai.

Yugen thought it was doubtful that he could even find a "girl" at all.

"Okay, let's say... if Yukishiro Erisa came, what would you do? Would you accept it? She is a super beautiful girl."

Indeed, for students who are in love with or have already been rejected by Erisa, a blind date with her would be a dream come true.

But for Yugen...

"I think she's beautiful, but I don't like her. I don't think she's a bad person, but she seems cold... I'm not really into that type. At the very least, I wouldn't want her as a wife."

Erisa isn't bad at expressing emotions, and she isn't emotionally distant...

She simply seems to reject relationships with others.

She maintains a proper distance from the class, and has no intention of making close friends or a lover.

That's the impression she gives.

"Also, her eyes... don't they seem a bit dead? They're beautiful, but they lack emotion."

Her eyes are like a clear lake where no fish live.

Erisa's eyes are that color.

Soichiro nodded in agreement with Yugen's impression.

"Come to think of it, you're right. And if she's going to be a lifelong partner... it's safer to choose based on personality rather than looks. What matters is compatibility. In the end."

Yugen nodded in return.

"Exactly, being together and having fun is important. Erisa... she's more like a decoration."

Just looking at her is a visual treat.

In fact, Yugen sometimes gazes at her without being noticed.

She's so beautiful that just looking at her is somewhat soothing.

"Jokes probably won't work with her. She'll probably look at me with a cold, serious face. ...But maybe that's not so bad."

"That's a bit creepy, man. ...But I get it a little."

Yugen and Soichiro burst out laughing.

...At this point, Yugen still didn't understand.

The old man's determination to see his great-grandchild.

---

Some time later.

In the latter half of the early May holiday—Golden Week.

At a ryokan in a certain part of Tokyo.

Yugen, dressed in a kimono, sat across from a girl with flaxen hair who was kneeling.

She was wearing a beautiful kimono with hydrangeas depicted on it.

Her skin was as white as porcelain, and her facial features were perfectly balanced.

A girl who could be described as a beauty of the world, she looked directly at Yugen with her green eyes, placed her hands on the tatami, and bowed.

"I am Yukishiro Erisa. It's not our first meeting..."

She said this while looking at him with her clear, but lifeless eyes.

(...How did it come to this?)

Yugen held his head in his hands.

Current level of affection: 0%

---

Note: The story is set in a modern Japan, but some laws may differ from reality for the sake of the plot.

I don't know if it's common for a classmate to show up for a blind date in real-life Japan.

If you find this interesting, I would appreciate it if you could bookmark and rate it (change the stars at the bottom of the table of contents from ☆☆☆☆☆ to ★★★★★).