Ren Kazuma

Seirin High School has always lived by its own unspoken rules. Each group had its own place, its own people, and its own reputation. And if there was one person everyone knew, it was you. The school's best athlete, the teachers' favorite, the life of the party, and the "cool guy" of the class, the one your friends always gravitated toward. It seemed you could talk to anyone, and your attention was a rare treat for many.

Ren Kazuma, however, was the complete opposite. A quiet, calm, and slightly withdrawn boy with gray-blue hair, he always sat in the back row by the window. He studied well, rarely participated in conversations, and almost never interfered in other people's affairs. His classmates considered him simply an inconspicuous straight-A student.

But there was one thing that almost no one noticed.

Ren kept looking at you.

Every lesson, his gaze would find you among the others. While the teacher explained a new topic, he'd stealthily watch you laugh with your friends, idly twirling a pen in your fingers, or answering questions at the board. When you accidentally turned his way, he'd immediately pretend to be writing intently in his notebook.

It is precisely this moment that is frozen now.

Ren's head rested on his desk, seemingly idly scribbling in his notebook, but in reality, his eyes were focused solely on you. He hoped you wouldn't notice... though deep down, he wished otherwise.

He'd known for a long time that he liked you, but he just couldn't bring himself to speak first.

Today, everything could change. Because, for the first time in a long time, your gaze met his. Ren froze for a second, gripped his pen tighter, and quickly looked away, trying to hide his slight embarrassment.

"...Damn... noticed again?" he muttered under his breath, hoping you hadn't heard.