Prologue

♠♠♠

Tsuchiya Bunta had one simple pleasure in life.

It was catching a glimpse of his “Saint”—Omotekawa Yui—on the commuter train to school.

 

(Ahh… I feel so healed.)

 

Sitting diagonally opposite from him, at a corner seat, Omotekawa’s appearance was, quite literally, a feast for the eyes.

Her golden hair, which reminded him of a mystical, shimmering river, was done in a half-up braid. Her skin, as smooth as white porcelain, was flawless.

Every one of her features was first-class.

And yet, she lacked the unapproachable thorns so typical of beautiful women.

Her every gesture carried an elegance that spoke to a refined upbringing.

In fact, the uniform Omotekawa wore was that of a prestigious private academy. She was a genuine, high-class young lady.

Her very presence seemed to heal any onlooker with its overwhelming visual splendor, asking nothing in return—truly like a saint.

There was simply no fault to be found in her.

 

(Maybe the Saint would be nice even to a geek like me… It’s the delusional guys who think that way that end up becoming stalkers, isn’t it?)

Tsuchiya Bunta was excellent at self-assessment.

He was fully aware that his looks, grades, athletic ability, and personality were all average. And while he harbored a secret desire to get closer to his Saint, he never let it show.

(If I try to talk to her and she thinks I’m a creep, I’ll never get to see her again. I have to avoid that, no matter what!)

For Tsuchiya, who delivered newspapers to fund his otaku hobbies, admiring Omotekawa was a vital part of his daily routine, a way to soothe his exhausted body.

That was precisely why he was so careful not to make her uncomfortable.

He never got too close. Never spoke to her. Never stared. He always chose a seat where she was just at the edge of his vision, then quickly shifted his gaze to his manga or games.

He paid meticulous attention to his behavior, making sure not to seem suspicious, and to his own cleanliness.

Leering or looking at her in a sexual way was completely out of the question.

He was content to be healed from a distance, without her knowledge. He knew he shouldn’t expect anything or get the wrong idea.

That was why Tsuchiya didn’t even know Omotekawa’s name. He felt he didn’t need to.

She was a flower on a high peak from another school—no, a flower from another world. A saint.

He was keenly aware of their one-sided relationship and never forgot to be grateful.

A thorough commitment to being completely and utterly harmless.

That was Tsuchiya Bunta’s creed, the etiquette of someone receiving comfort.

To put it harshly, he was a coward, spineless. To put it kindly, he knew his place.

That was Tsuchiya Bunta, a high school boy you could find anywhere.

 

At that moment, he had no way of knowing that a strange turn of events was about to disrupt his daily life.

 

◯●◯

 

Omotekawa Yui had two faces: a public one and a private one.

 

The former was that of a young lady from a distinguished family.

To bear the Omotekawa name meant that her words and actions carried great responsibility.

Therefore, in her public life—in any environment where others were watching—she never let her mask slip.

At first, she had switched between her personas like an actress, but now, it had become a part of her personality.

She could act in a manner befitting a daughter of the Omotekawa family without even consciously trying.

 

Then there was the latter, her private face. This was the real Omotekawa Yui. To put it simply, she was a gyaru.

She was sensitive to trends, brimming with curiosity, obsessed with makeup and fashion, and loved social events. Social media was essential for her, both for sharing and gathering information.

For those who only knew her as the prim and proper young lady, it would be unimaginable, but her true self was upbeat, friendly to everyone, and a girl who absolutely loved to talk.

 

(Ugh… that geek is looking this way again.)

 

“Geek-kun”—that was the nickname Omotekawa had given Tsuchiya Bunta.

On the commuter train, Omotekawa, in her proper young lady mode, had noticed his gaze.

However, if you were to ask her if it was the kind of look a boy gives a girl he’s interested in, she would have to tilt her head in confusion.

(Hmm, he’s definitely not giving off those thirsty vibes. Like, I don’t sense that ‘I’m gonna make you mine’ ambition at all. The moment I feel his eyes on me, he’s already absorbed in his manga or game again. Is he really satisfied with just a single glance? So weird.)

It should go without saying, but Omotekawa Yui was popular.

As the eldest daughter of the Omotekawa Group, there was no shortage of men who wanted to get a piece of that action.

From business owners to figures in sports, entertainment, and media—she was constantly being approached by men from every profession and walk of life imaginable.

She lived in an environment where she never lacked for opportunities to observe people. Because of this, Omotekawa had been cultivating her ability to read people since she was a child.

 

(Whenever Geek-kun looks at me, he gets this expression like a weight has been lifted from his shoulders. And I don’t get any creepy vibes from his gaze at all… Alright! I’ll try to poke around a little.)

It was a whim. That was the only way to describe her motivation.

Perhaps the strain of having to spend most of her day as a proper young lady had caused some sort of distortion in her.

This impulsive thought would be the catalyst that sparked the peculiar relationship between Omotekawa Yui and Tsuchiya Bunta.