I really don't want to have a girlfriend.

Whether it's a misunderstanding or not, there's no doubt about this feeling.

Because she liked him, she ignored the rumors and went to the library to study with him every day from then on, rain or shine.

Because she liked him, she ignored her laziness every day afterward, and even when she was at home, she would constantly review the questions she had gotten wrong that day.

Autumn goes and winter comes, winter goes and spring comes.

Yui Yuigahama knew that she was getting closer and closer to her goal.

Even though her progress was slow, she became an outsider in the class, and was called a persistent pest who was doing nothing, she never thought of giving up.

Because someone said that he has great perseverance and is a promising talent worth saving.

Yui Yuigahama was unwilling to betray this trust, and she wanted to prove herself not only to him, but also to those who were just watching the two of them make a fool of themselves.

If there's only one thing in a person's life that they can dedicate their full effort to—then for her, it might be now.

"Yuihama, do you believe in miracles?"

"Are you saying that unless a miracle happens, I have no way to get into Zongwu High School?"

"No, am I that kind of devil?"

The day before his high school entrance exam, before parting ways at the library, he smiled and said to himself.

"Those who believe in miracles are themselves as remarkable as miracles."

"I believe in you, so... you have to help me become an amazing person."

"Tomorrow, let them see your true strength!"

Looking back, those were sentimental remarks that perfectly reflected the personality of a middle school student.

However, Yui Yuigahama, while wiping away tears, looked at him with unwavering determination:

"Well! I will."

As Yuu Tenkuji nodded in satisfaction and prepared to turn and leave.

"Also, you said something similar to me last time, it's so unoriginal~"

"...Ugh, so noisy."

The tied-up dumpling was flicked so hard it almost fell apart.

……

In the warm spring of March.

The results of the high school entrance exams have been released.

Twenty students from Shimizu Junior High School were admitted to Soubu High School, including Yuu Tenkuji and Yui Yuigahama.

Getting into Soubu High School isn't unusual, since it's just the high school with the highest deviation score in the city, not a nationally renowned university like the University of Tokyo. But the fact that a student who was originally ranked in the middle and another who was in the lower middle ranks improved their grades by an astonishing amount and eventually became one of the top students and successfully got into Soubu High School is surprising enough.

Not to mention, with the help of some people, the story between Yui Yuigahama and Yuu Tenkuji became widely known. Almost everyone who loves gossip has heard of it: a silly girl went to the library every day pretending to study in order to pursue a boy, but her real intention was to pester him.

After the results came out, those who mocked and scorned her seemed to have never existed, and the story changed to "a girl studying hard for love, just to attend the same high school as the person she likes," which caused quite a stir.

Not only their friends who had drifted apart, but even teachers and students who were not familiar with them were sending them blessings and praise. They were even called up to the stage by the principal to praise them during a morning assembly. No matter how much they denied it, no one believed them, and they were teased with ambiguous smiles.

Yui Yui didn't understand what Tenkuji Yu was feeling—and for her, although it brought a lot of trouble, it was undeniable that this period of time was the most enjoyable school time she had ever had since she started school!

Her first effort paid off, and she and the person she liked were recognized as a model couple—two happy things happening at once. And these two joys brought her even more happiness.

What she gained was a blissful time, like a dream... She even began to feel that since they would be attending the same high school, it would be only natural for the rumors to become true and for them to develop into a relationship.

So on graduation day, she asked Tenkuji Yu to meet her at the library in their usual corner.

"Perfect timing, I also have something to give you."

"Huh?" Yui Yuigahama sat down, pressing her skirt down nervously. Upon hearing this, she looked at him in surprise.

Could it be that he shares the same thought...?

"This is for you, happy graduation."

Pulling a beige-covered notebook out of his bag, Tenkuji Yu handed it to him with a smile: "Thank you for your hard work during this time. You truly are a student I taught!"

"...That's so narcissistic." Yui Yuigahama chuckled, hiding her barely perceptible disappointment, and happily accepted the notebook. "I thought someone as cold-blooded as Yui wouldn't even bother to give me a graduation gift!"

"Where am I cold-blooded? When I'm helping you with your homework and exercises, no one is more passionate than me, okay?" Tenkuji Yu pouted and leaned back lazily in her chair. "And what about you? Don't you have anything to give me? Are you going to become the cold-blooded guy you're talking about?"

"Hehe, guess~ I'll give it to you later." With a sly smile, Yui Yuigahama temporarily put the notebook into her bag without looking at what was written in it, and then straightened her posture slightly.

Then, he coughed twice.

"Xiaoyou, I called you here to talk about some rumors that have been circulating at school recently."

"Rumors?" He paused for a moment, then quickly realized, "Ah, you mean our secret relationship and studying together for love, right?"

That's way too direct!

While internally complaining, Yui Yuigahama maintained a calm and composed expression, though her face gradually turned red, and her fingers twisted into a tangled mess under the table.

"That's right, the rumors from before were already outrageous, but now they've evolved to this level, it's really..."

Yuu Tenkuji rolled her eyes, seemingly thinking she was complaining about it: "Yuihama, you've always cared a lot about what others think... Don't worry, starting tomorrow, whatever the Shimizu Middle School guys say is their business, it has nothing to do with us Soubu High students."

"No, that's not the issue..." Her voice trailed off, causing Tenkuji Yu to frown.

"What's the problem?"

"..."

Yui Yuigahama took a deep breath, closed her eyes, mustered her courage, and slowly began to speak in a tone that sounded natural and casual but was actually incredibly nervous:

What I mean is, since everyone's saying that anyway... why don't we just start dating?

The moment the words left her lips, a warm current surged through her chest, as if the emotions that had accumulated from the past could no longer be suppressed, and she wanted him to know more about herself.

Yui Yuigahama clenched her fists, trying not to look away from his gaze, and forced her voice out from her timid throat.

"Xiao You, I have always... always loved you!"

This courage was given to me by him.

This confidence comes from him.

This relationship was also given by him.

On the day I graduated from high school, I wanted to tell him how I felt and get a reply from him.

Even though my mind went completely blank, I couldn't help but close my eyes in nervousness, my whole face felt so hot that I couldn't feel anything.

Yui Yuigahama has no regrets, because she learned from him the belief to persevere to the end for her dream.

My last dream has come true, and now... I just want to be with the person I like.

"I like you, please go out with me!"

In the quiet library, this confession was as bright and clear as the sky outside.

The trees swayed, casting sparse shadows through the window onto the two of them.

The air seemed to freeze, as if time had stopped.

"Yuihama, it's not that I dislike you, it's just that I don't want to be in a relationship right now."

The words, tinged with a sigh, fell softly to the ground.

"So, I'm sorry. I can't date you."

Yui Yuigahama remained silent for a long time before finally opening her eyes and giving him a helpless, bitter smile.

"I see... Well, there's nothing we can do about it then."

"Let's continue to be good friends."

He looked at himself, and for once, he showed a somewhat helpless and slightly flustered expression.

But not knowing how to comfort her, he could only scratch his cheek and shrug with a forced smile, saying, "Of course, we're partners who worked together to get into a good high school. This revolutionary friendship won't be so easily erased as a road!"

"Haha, I don't understand what you're saying..."

Yui Yuigahama also smiled and sighed.

That's great, he still cares about himself.

That's great, he doesn't want to distance himself from me because of this.

That's great! I got to see a cute side of him that I don't usually see.

Thank goodness, she still had a smile on her face and didn't let him see her tears...

After all, we had an agreement.

I will never cry in front of him again.

……

The day I graduated from junior high school.

The cherry trees burst into a radiant pink display like fireworks. The footsteps treading over the petals carried smiles, tears, and the confident strides forward.

In a corner of the library, the spring sunshine was dazzling and the shadows of the trees were swaying, etching one of the most unforgettable moments of youth.

Yui Yuigahama, 15 years old, experiences the taste of rejection for the first time.

Three months of unrequited love for him have passed.

Then, April, the month of heartbreak, is coming.

……

"Yui, school starts tomorrow, go to bed early."

My mother's voice came from outside the door.

"……understood."

Yui answered listlessly, then pulled her head out of the pillow and saw her reflection in the dressing mirror.

Her eyes were red and swollen, her hair was disheveled, and she looked just as pathetic as a girl who had been seduced and then abandoned—but in reality, it was just unrequited love that had no future.

It wasn't exactly an earthquake, but the feeling of a young girl's heart being broken still left her feeling lost and helpless, unsure of how to calm herself down.

"Not wanting to be in a relationship is definitely an excuse. You never saw me as a potential partner in the first place... Xiaoyou, you're still so gentle."