Chapter 1

It was a very cold day in February.

Alone in the apartment, as she gazed at the accumulating snow, she spoke.

"Shin Yamamoto-kun…! W-will you… marry me…?"

I couldn't understand what she meant and thought I must have heard her wrong.

But her eyes, which were fixed on me, were very serious, and the small hands clasped in front of her chest were trembling slightly.

"What are you talking about—"

"Wait…! D-don't say no yet…!"

She looked at me with pleading eyes, and I involuntarily fell silent.

I wasn't trying to refuse.

I just couldn't understand the situation at all.

In such a state, there was no way to say yes or no.

But her desperate expression made her think I was going to reject her, and she pleaded earnestly.

"I've prepared to meet any request for cooking, whether it's Japanese, Western, or Chinese…! I love cleaning, so you can entrust all household chores to me…! I also have basic knowledge of DIY, which might come in handy. A-and when bugs appear, I'll do my best to deal with them! I'm a bit scared of spiders, but for your sake, I can fight them…! I've completed correspondence courses in mental care, lymph massage, self-defense, nutrition, traditional Chinese medicine, and candle mastery! If there's anything else you need, I'll learn it thoroughly!!"

After speaking in one breath, she took a painful breath and added in a barely audible voice.

"…So… please… Shin Yamamoto-kun… will you marry me…?"

"…!"

I had no idea where to start.

Was this some kind of joke?

Or a penalty game from a bet?

Being a hardcore introvert, I couldn't even laugh and ask what she meant, and I just stared at her with a slack-jawed, foolish expression.

"……Well, anyway"

"Yes!"

"……What's a candle master?"

The room was so quiet that you could almost hear the sound of the snow falling outside the window.

I remember feeling as if I was being swallowed by the gradually increasing heartbeat.

◇◇◇

Plain appearance, average academic credentials, and such a thin presence that even classmates would say, "Shin Yamamoto? Was there ever such a person?"

I'm bad at communicating with people, and because of that, I've never had a girlfriend, let alone a female friend.

I only hang out with guys who, like me, look uncomfortable in the corner of the classroom.

During break times, we'd look through back issues of Movie Treasures and get excited about zombie specials, and when the girls would say things like, "Getting excited about zombies? What's wrong with you guys?" in loud voices, I'd feel even more uncomfortable—such was my daily life.

I, Shin Yamamoto, never thought even God could have predicted that I would get married as a high school student.

And the person who became my wife was none other than—

"Oh, it's 'Hanae Riko' Princess!"

In the classroom before the fourth period, as I was chatting with Sawa, he looked out the window and exclaimed.

I had just been thinking about Hanae Riko, so I followed Sawa's gaze to hide my awkwardness.

The April breeze blowing in through the open window carried the scent of new leaves.

On the playground, the girls who were about to have PE class were chatting.

Since PE is gender-segregated, it's usually a joint class of two groups, with about fifty students, but even among that number, Hanae Riko stood out as a special presence.

Hanae Riko.

With her light brown hair that just touches her shoulders, large, moist eyes, a cute nose, and plump, small lips, she is a beautiful girl.

Most of all, she has a transparency that makes her seem perfect for a soft drink commercial.

Since her first year, she has been hailed as the school's most beautiful girl, but despite her appearance, she is modest and rather quiet.

She is always surrounded by girls, laughing softly with her hand over her mouth.

She is smart and has excellent athletic ability, but she doesn't show off.

That's why everyone likes her.

Students, regardless of gender, continue to look at her with admiration and envy, and it's not uncommon for people like Sawa to call her 'Princess.'

"Sure, she really stands out. Princess Riko is amazing."

Sawa, thinking the same thing as me, sighed.

"What can I say? She has a certain aura. A girl like that would make a great celebrity, don't you think, Shin?"

"Uh, yeah."

"What's with that lackluster response!"

Of course, I think Hanae Riko is cute.

But as someone who usually gets cold stares from girls, I have a strong aversion to them.

"Because she seems harmless, I tried to be nice, but when she misunderstood, it was creepy."

A traumatic line from a girl came back to me, and I shuddered.

Since that incident, I've become afraid of girls, to the point where I find them scary.

Even Hanae Riko is no exception.

I just want to avoid being in their line of sight and don't want to get involved.

If I accidentally catch their eye, they might look at me as if I'm something dirty, and if I'm unlucky, I might hear a devastating rumor in a loud voice.

It's better not to touch what you don't understand.

With this mindset, of course, I can't have a girlfriend.

But I didn't mind.

I'm not just being tough; I think it's much better to be alone than to get hurt by trying to get close to girls.

I don't want a girlfriend at all; they are terrifying.

Even if I die without experiencing the happiness that the popular kids enjoy, as long as my mind is at peace, that's fine.

While I was thinking about this, Sawa suddenly put his arm around my shoulder with a serious look.

"…Hey, Shin."

What does it mean to look at me like I'm a pitiful guy?

"Shin, you're even more quiet than usual when we talk about Hanae Riko. Are you not interested in girls? Have you been so popular that you've given up?"

"Given up…?"

It's not about being interested or not.

This topic is just bad.

Trying to change the subject, I looked back at the playground, trying to escape.

At that moment, I felt that Hanae Riko, who was the only one looking up at the school building, met my eyes.

"…Whoa!? Shin, I just made eye contact with Princess Riko!?"

"Ah! …Oh, right, that's great."

It wasn't me, but Hanae Riko made eye contact with Sawa.

I felt incredibly embarrassed for jumping to conclusions.

"But, man, I was really surprised… Because Princess Riko usually doesn't look at guys at all. I didn't think something like this would happen…"

As Sawa said, Hanae Riko, despite being very popular, never tries to talk to guys.

In the early days of high school, boys would confess to her every lunch break, but no one could have a proper conversation with her.

Even the most popular seniors, the soccer team's ace, the basketball team's captain, and the baseball team's rookie, all failed to get a response from her, who would just shake her head with a frightened look.

The more she rejected the handsome guys, the more popular she became.

Of course, to guys, she seemed like an unapproachable high-class flower, but I think she preferred it that way.

Gradually, everyone started to think about protecting her quiet school life, and now, no one easily confesses to her anymore.

"No one can win the heart of the school's most beautiful girl. It's hard to imagine any guy being allowed to even talk to her."

Such rumors have been circulating, which is why Sawa was making a big deal out of just making eye contact.

"What should I do, Shin? What if Princess Riko fell in love with me just by looking at me from the window…!?"

"…I respect your positive attitude, man."

"Since she's rejected all the handsome guys, maybe she likes not-so-handsome guys!?"

Sawa's high-pitched voice was so loud that the girls nearby turned to look at us.

"What are you talking about, Sawa? There's no way Hanae would like someone like you. That's why unpopular guys are unpopular."

"That's harsh… Girls are so mean…"

Sawa's shoulders slumped.

I, who am even more unpopular than Sawa, also felt the sting and hung my head.

◇◇◇

—But no matter what happens, when I get home, I have a dream-like happiness waiting for me.

At 6:30 PM.

The tension I feel when I step out of the elevator on the seventh floor of the apartment building, a five-minute walk from Oofuna Station, hasn't faded even after a month of this life.

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