Life has been pretty normal for me. I'm just an average guy, trying to get through my days without any drama. It's worked well for the past nineteen years, even though I feel old as Hell. I try not to focus too much on the fact that each day is one step closer to death – and what better way to distract yourself than attending a mind-numbing college for three years minimum? Don't get me wrong, it's fun. I just wish I could meet more people. I've barely made any friends during my time at college, and I've been attending for almost a year already.

I suppose today would be the day that changes everything for me. I'd always hoped for an exciting life, full of adventure… But this day takes the cake. I always knew I'd finally see the day where I actually made a friend. Maybe even two friends. But… I don't think I'm ever going to forget this day.

…

I let out a soft yawn, finding myself awake during the early hours of the morning, despite it being Saturday today. I suppose I'm far too used to waking up so early, after an insane amount of daily lectures and other general college stuff. Even though I want to fall asleep again – I desperately want to get a couple more hours of rest, because I'm a lazy, good for nothing college student – I physically can't.

Well, fuck you too, brain.

I give a quiet groan, frustrated at life as always. My eyes narrow on their own, as I'm met by sunlight violently shoving its way through the curtains in my room. Curse you, sunlight…! I force myself out of bed, swinging my legs over the edge and pulling myself to my feet. I take a good few seconds to debate whether I should embrace my inner vampire and shut out the sun, or actually embrace it like a normal human being. In the midst of my thoughts, I find myself staring down to my shockingly pale hands. Christ, I really don't catch much sun, do I?

Not today, vampire.

In the end, I take in a sharp breath to prepare myself, and tug the curtains open. The sunlight spills through the growing gap between the curtains, covering almost every inch of my room. I refrain from letting out a pained hiss, and decide to man up, allowing my eyes to adjust to such burning beauty. And from there, I begin my usual boring, repetitive morning routine. Attempt to get my hair under control, reluctantly face the ice demons trapped within the dorm showers, try to find a decent outfit for once, and all that good stuff.

After spending quite some time getting myself ready for the day, I can't help but stop in front of the mirror. Hey, a man can check himself out every so often, right? …Is there a point where it becomes gay? These are questions I ask myself almost all the time. I let out a small sigh, adjusting my glasses on my average face. I fold my arms over my chest, observing my appearance. No matter what day it is, I'm always caught in something too plain. Like today: a simple short-sleeved white shirt, and an even simpler pair of dark blue jeans. My long purple hair runs down my back, in its ponytail.

It's no wonder no one is interested in me. I'm literally the most average guy to exist. My tone is deep, I never sound excited, I'm more pale than a kid who just caught their parents having sex, and I have absolutely no fashion sense. I'm going to die alone. I've never had a girlfriend. Never kissed a girl. I would say 'never had my first kiss', but that would be a lie.

A couple years ago, in high school, I was dragged to some late-night party by some typical bullies. Fast forward all the peer pressure, to a few beers later, and we're suddenly playing this intense game of truth or dare. Long story short, I was dared into kissing another one of the nerdy kids. Since I'm a total lightweight and lost nearly all control, I didn't think much of the dare, and practically threw myself on this kid. I'm pretty sure that kid ended up in counselling. Anyway, I voluntarily committed social suicide and trashed the tiny bit of reputation I still had.

Ah, but I digress… The main thing is that I'm still a complete loser. I've heard of kids totally changing after they leave high school; nerds turn into these hot guys and suddenly have the best life ever. But not me. Nope, little old me is kind of just… here. It bothers me, but I figured it's better to leave all that drama behind. There's only one person I can fully trust in my life. I'm surprised they find me interesting in the first place… But I guess since we've been friends for more than ten years, that shallow stuff doesn't matter.

Today, I planned to meet them in town, just to kind of hang out. We both have the same interests, more or less, so we're going to check out a lot of stores today. We attend different colleges; this is the only time we get to spend together, over the weekend. You know, just hanging out and talking about how much we both hate life and how everyone in our respective colleges are freaking awful. It's more fun than it sounds right now, promise.

I grab my phone which is resting on top of the chest of drawers in my room. It's an extremely old, outdated phone, but I don't really need all this fancy new technology, if all I'm going to do is talk to my best friend. I stuff my phone into one of my pockets, before heading out of the tiny dorm room. The amount of space they give us is outrageous, especially since we pay so much damn money… but, oh well.

I make my way out to the extensive college campus, taking in a breath of the cool morning air. I can hear a few birds chirping away in the nearby trees, along with the breeze delicately pushing its way through many leaves. Ah, the campus is always so peaceful at this time. Part of the reason why I love waking up so early is because it means I can avoid the noisy students. Well, actually, that's the only reason I love waking up early. I hate mornings otherwise.

I begin to take my usual route through the campus grounds, walking along the path covered in crunchy leaves, taking my time since I know the buses won't be here straight away.

"Ah! Excuse meee!"

I raise a brow, suddenly hearing a high-pitched female's voice from behind me. My eyes widen slightly, and I pause in my tracks. Is she… talking to me? I hesitantly glance from side to side, realising there's no one else close enough. Ugh, please, no interactions this early… I give a heavy sigh, slowly turning on my heels. I can see a female dressed in light, pastel clothes running towards me as though her life depends on it. Good lord, what is she doing?

Her short blonde hair, which only just reaches her shoulders, bounces strangely as she dashes towards me. There's also a comically huge white bow in her hair, which appears to be bouncing just as much as her hair. She's extending an arm forward, and her small hand is frantically waving at me. "Please, wait there!"

I fold my arms over my chest, taking some time to observe the female while she comes towards me. She's not that far away now, and soon, she's standing in front of me. She's slumped over, hands pressed firmly against her thighs, breathing heavy. Okay, I hate interactions, but I'm not going to be a complete dick for no reason. Besides, she really seems like she's struggling. I awkwardly rub at the back of my neck, waiting for her to catch her breath. "Um… are you… okay?"

She takes in a sharp, almost dramatic breath, sucking in all the air surrounding her. Yikes. She's not a runner at all. "Gosh! I'm so sorry to disturb you… but I'm new here, and I desperately need directions to my dorm! This map makes no sense at all!" Her tone is currently frantic, high-pitched… Yet there's a hint of sweetness in there.

Despite this, I don't understand why she'd choose to arrive on campus this early. And… on a weekend. "Don't worry about that. Um… You know, you could have chosen to arrive here yesterday?" I try my best not to sound so rude and judgemental. I'm sorry, but she seems like an idiot so far.

"Yesterday? But that was Thursday! I wanted to come at the end of the week, so I could prepare for my classes!" the female protests.

Oh, Jesus. She legitimately thinks it's Friday today. What am I going to do? Should I laugh at her and mock her for getting something so simple wrong? …Or should I tread lightly so I don't crush her poor, fragile soul? After staring in confusion at her for what feels like forever, I break the awkward silence by blinking and then sighing. "I'm sorry, I… I think you have things a bit mixed up. Today is Saturday."

She falls silent, a mix of regret, confusion and anger all crossing her features at once. I can see that she's trying to hide it with a painfully forced smile, and I swear I see her left eye twitch. "If you'll excuse me… I have a couple phone calls to make…" she hisses, through gritted teeth. She has an admirable amount of patience. I would have just screamed by now. "Oh. Thank you, by the way. I'm Rin. Maybe I'll see you around?"

Huh? Is she serious? No, she can't possibly be… Shit, unless she's actually blind. Don't tell me she's physically blind. I don't think I can handle that. Unless… Has the day finally come…? The day I make a friend? I cough slightly, trying not to appear too excited. "Uh, yes, maybe. I'm Gakupo."

She simply gives a nod in response, then turns around to walk down the way she came. I watch her for a couple seconds more; she digs her hand into her pocket, pulls out her phone, and begins furiously tapping away at the screen.

Yeah, this isn't going to be pretty. Shaking my head, I turn around too, facing the way I'm supposed to go. I'm still kind of stunned. A girl hasn't told me her name in… uh… ever? I'm always labelled as 'that creep', or something along those lines. So girls in school avoided me, and I never got the pleasure of finding out their names. Even in college, girls still avoid me. I suppose it's understandable, though… I mean, she said she's new to this college. She doesn't know me, and she doesn't know about all these rumours surrounding me. I'm sure once she's taken a few days to settle in, she'll hear about these rumours, and she'll be yet another girl to avoid me. Oh, well. No big loss.

I continue down the path, minding my own business once more. I pull my phone from my pocket, deciding to check through my emails to pass the time as I walk. It's a convenient way to stay in touch with lecturers, to get updates about my assignments and such. I've also shamefully subscribed to a few newsletters for online anime clubs. Yeah, I'm an otaku, sue me.

As I glance through my emails, I notice there's one from a lecturer: Miss Megurine. Ah, a teacher from one of my core classes. I wonder what she could possibly want… I try my best in all my core classes, and I've never had a problem before. I check the time it was sent. Eh…? This morning, at 7am? Damn, I guess teachers never sleep. I tap on the email and begin to read through.

'Good morning, Gakupo-san. Apologies for the very early email, but it seems as though I've remembered something very important regarding one of your assignments. If you could come to my classroom whenever you're free – preferably today – that would be wonderful. Thank you in advance.'

I blink in confusion at the screen, trying to process the words. I spend a good few moments just staring down, slowly dragging my feet across the path. Oh, man. I don't remember messing up on any assignments. This has literally never happened to me. But the more I think about it, the more I end up convincing myself I might have made a terrible mistake somewhere in one of my assignments, without even realising. Perhaps I was half-asleep and did a terrible job at skimming through, checking for mistakes. Or perhaps someone sabotaged me?

I gulp hard, stuffing my phone back into one of my pockets, dismissing these thoughts for now. Okay… It's no big deal, right? I'm sure Miss Megurine just misunderstood something. I can explain it to her once I'm back from my day out with my best friend. Ugh… This day has been so confusing so far. Please, just let me have a normal day out in town. For the love of God.

I manage to make my way to the bus stop just outside of college, without any further interruptions or unexpected meetings. I feel relieved. I've never dealt with so many interactions in such a short space of time. Well, I've hardly ever dealt with interactions altogether. I let out a quiet sigh, setting myself down on the bench near the bus stop. I glance around, noticing there's not many people waiting for the bus. There's also not many cars on the road at this time. I'm sure it'll start to pick up soon. I think the bus is coming shortly, too.

After a few minutes of waiting, I can suddenly see a female coming up the path towards the bus stop. She's carrying quite a few bags, and they look rather heavy. She looks like she's struggling a bit with them. I can't help but watch, probably out of boredom, since there's nothing else happening right now. Her hair is long and flowing; it appears to be a sort of teal colour, and it's tied into two simple pigtails. She's wearing casual clothes, or casual enough – an oversized light blue jumper, and a white skirt with red polka dots, which falls just past her knees.

As she begins to come closer, I turn my head away after observing her appearance for a few moments. Don't want to seem like a creep or anything. Plus she looks like the type to be intimidated easily. You know, people just give off certain types of auras. I fold one leg on top of the other, leaning back against the bench.

Suddenly, a voice pipes up beside me. "Ah… um… e-excuse me…?" Well, it's more of a quiet squeak.

My eyes grow wide once more, just like they did when I heard that other girl talking to me. God, not again. Not more interactions! I take in a breath, looking up to the female, who's now only a few steps away from me. She's nervously staring down at her feet, and I swear I can see a blush staining her cheeks. Man, I thought I was bad.

"Yes?" I try to raise my natural deep pitch just a bit, so I don't make her feel even more scared.

"I-I'm so sorry to bother you… b-but… Well, I kind of took the wrong bus, and ended up here…" she quietly says. Oh… The poor girl is embarrassed beyond belief. Heh, okay, I'd be embarrassed as Hell if I did something that dumb, too.

"Oh? Do you need some directions?" I ask, with a warm smile. Don't be a dick, don't be a dick.

She slowly lifts her head up, her bright blue eyes sparkling with tears. She frantically nods, and it's like she can't get any words out. Okay, now I feel bad. "I… I need to get to the train station… I just don't recognise this part of town, so…"

"Ahh, I see." I pull myself up from the bench, and move towards the bus stop. I gesture for her to look at the bus timetable. "Now, there's two here that can take you to the train station…" I begin to explain to her the difference in routes and how often they come by this stop, and eventually, she comes to a conclusion and appears to be a lot calmer.

"Thank you so much for the help," she softly says, giving a warm smile to me.

I wonder how she deals with something worse than this…

"So, I take it you're a student around here? You seem to know a lot." She begins to enquire about me a bit, and I can't help but feel confused again. Nevertheless, I entertain her until my bus shows up.

I give a nod, with a shy grin. I'm so not used to talking to people. Some of my weirdness might slip out. "Yeah. I've been here for about a year."

"I thought so," she giggles. "You look so smart! It's cute!"

I fall speechless at the female's sudden compliment. I can barely believe what I'm hearing. And… I think there's a blush sneaking up on my cheeks. Shit, keep your cool. Is she blind too? Is this entire town suddenly blind? "Ah… thank you…?" I really have no idea how to respond to being called cute. The only woman who calls me cute is my mother.

"I'm Miku, by the way! And you?"

Wow… Miku. You have no idea what you're getting yourself into. I take in a light breath, before responding. "Gakupo. It's nice to meet you. Ah… do you go to school around here, or…?"

Miku gives a nod, and I can't help but notice how her flowing teal hair lightly bounces with her movements. "Well, kind of. I work at a café in this one part of town… But today, I'm travelling to another area, since a wonderful job opportunity has come up."

Hmm, I see. She must love work. "Oh, so you have an interview?"

"Mhm," she happily hums, nodding once again. "In all my years here, I've never actually had to hop on a train and go somewhere else. So, of course, I ended up getting lost. Hehe, I don't even know how I managed that… I'm so silly."

"It happens to the best of us," I say, giving an awkward laugh, before shrugging. I take my glance from the female for a couple moments, to keep an eye out for my bus. As I look up, I can see it turning the corner. "Ah, my bus is here. I'll… uh… see you some other time, maybe?"

She smiles softly, a blush forming on her cheeks. "Y-Yeah… I might have to… 'get lost' again soon…"

My eyes grow wide as I hear these words from her. I can't find anything to say in response. Did she just…? I have no time to answer. I can hear the bus come to a stop beside me. I immediately turn on my heels, looking away from the female in embarrassment. I hate to leave so awkwardly, but… but… What the hell am I supposed to do?!

Gulping hard, despite my mouth being dry, I head onto the bus. I give one last look to her over my shoulder, and she's grinning brightly at me. I decide to give her a little wave in return, and I finally get back on track to my friend. After paying the fare, I make my way to a seat near the back of the bus. Sliding into a seat by the window, I let out a heavy sigh. I keep my glance to the side, unable to bring myself to make eye contact one last time with the female as the bus drives off.

Did that really just happen? It barely even feels real, as lame as that sounds. I feel like I'm repeating myself, but… I've never had so many conversations in such a short amount of time! Two girls told me they'd see me later. Two! Oh God, I sound incredibly pathetic right now. My inner virgin is shining brightly at the moment. I just don't understand why they'd talk to me. I mean… Have they seen me? I might as well have 'NERD' stamped on my forehead. Ugh… I guess I'm just over-reacting. I have low self-esteem; it's no wonder I'm finding this all so surreal. You shouldn't be so hard on yourself… Of course, there's bound to be someone out there who finds you attractive enough. I shake my head, trying my best to clear my mind of all these thoughts. I'm going to become extremely shallow if I keep focusing on it. I just need to relax… and look forward to seeing my friend.

…

After a bus ride that lasts around twenty minutes, I can finally see the main part of town coming into view. It's always so lively, no matter what time it is. There's many workers rushing down the path; there are small children holding onto their parents' hands. I see things like this all the time, and I often find myself wondering what it'd be like if I were in their shoes. What if I was some rich, fancy businessman, who wore flashy suits, taking calls all day and had a beautiful partner to come home to every night? Or what if I was a cool, yet loving father, who took his children to see the wonders of the world?

It's not that I feel envious, though. Those things can become boring eventually. A flashy business job is going to keep you tied down in one location. Being a father with responsibilities is also going to keep you tied down. At least, as a student, I have all the opportunities imaginable available. I can take a year off whenever I feel like it, to travel the world, and see so many wonderful things. Sure, I may be a lone wolf of sorts, but at least I'm free to do as I please.

I pull myself up from my seat, lining up behind the many other people who were piling off the bus. Even though it's still fairly early, there's quite a lot of people around. They must be in work early… Or maybe they just want some time off. As I come off the bus, I can see a familiar face eagerly scanning the crowd of people.

A light smirk pulls at my lips almost instantly. Oh, yeah. My best friend always waits at this bus stop for me. And she's always so excited when the bus pulls in at this time. I make my way off the bus and she runs over to me straight away.

"Gaku-kun, there you are!"

I let out a laugh, just as excited as she is. Man, it's so great to see her after being apart during the week. I can't help but scan her appearance, like I always do. Her short green hair is as messy as ever. Her eyes are surprisingly bright for once – but I know they'll be dull when we talk about college. She's also wearing her favourite outfit, one I've grown to enjoy too: a bright orange jacket which is almost falling off her shoulders, a light green tank top with a matching light green pair of shorts, and some black suspenders which come up from her shorts and over her shoulders. If there's one thing I know for sure about this girl, it's that she loves bright colours.

"Ah, here she is, the main attraction at this year's festival of lights!" I put on my worst sports commentator voice ever, and she rolls her eyes so hard that I'm surprised she doesn't strain them.

She throws a hard punch to my left arm. I let out a slight huff of air in pain, but I'm used to being her punching bag by now. "Don't make me push you in front of a bus."

"Wow. You're so cruel to me, Gumi."

We tease each other like this all the time. It's a beautiful friendship, if you ask me. We begin to walk together through town, coming to one of the main areas, hoping to find somewhere decent to get lunch. The number one rule is: food first, shopping second.

Anyway… At least today, I'll have something interesting to tell Gumi. There's not much I can tell her when we meet up, because my life is so boring. I always tell her the same old 'nothing interesting has happened, really'. But not today. "Hey, so you won't believe what happened to me this morning."

"You finally embraced your inner vampire, and now you want to suck my blood?" Gumi looks at me with an overexcited grin plastered across her face. Like she's really hoping that's what happened.

I hate to be the one to crush her dreams, but… "Not quite."

"Aww, man…!" She lets out a huff in disappointment, a pout taking over the grin. "Okay, okay. For real this time. I have no idea."

"Well, it's nothing too serious, but… Still weird, at least for me," I say. As I open my mouth to speak, I'm suddenly cut off. I can see a familiar group of students up ahead – ones who tease me frequently. I know, it's lame, but I instantly feel intimidated when I catch sight of them.

Gumi knows them well. I have to hold her back, because otherwise, she'd beat them all up most likely. "Ugh… Not these clowns," she groans.

I gulp quietly, trying to find an alternate route to a café. If we walk back the way we came, it'd be pointless. I take in a breath, glancing forward to the group. There's only four of them, but they're still pretty mean. And right now, they've spotted us. They're looking towards me in particular, and one of the girls nudges the guy with silver hair. I can't remember his name exactly, but I know he's not nice at all.

"If they say something, I'll handle them, Gaku-kun." Gumi sends a smile to me, and I feel better already.

We both pause a few steps away from them, ready to confront them. This is it. This is the day I finally defend myself against these people who tease me. I open my mouth to say something, but before I can get a word in, one of the girls pipes up.

"Hey! Gakupo, right? Our friend Dell reaaally wants to speak to you privately!" The girl who had previously nudged the guy with silver hair speaks, and she's pointing to the same silver-haired guy.

I blink in confusion, turning my curious glance to him. No way. There's no way this guy would want to talk to me in private. His eyelids are heavy, and he looks pretty pissed off right now. He has a real rough look to him overall. Gulp.

"Ugh, knock it off, Mayu…" His tone comes out deeper than I thought it would be. I haven't heard him speak much – he usually just sends threatening glares my way.

"No, don't back out now, Dell!" The female, Mayu, continues to push her friend. This causes the other girl and the other guy to start laughing. This is a prank. I can feel it.

"Gaku-kun isn't going anywhere." Gumi steps up to defend me, folding her arms over her chest. I can hear the anger in her voice. She barely knows these people, yet she's so willing to protect me. What an amazing best friend.

"Ugh… I just… I just need a few minutes of his time, that's all," Dell quietly scoffs, rolling his eyes. Wow, don't sound too excited there, buddy.

I simply give a shrug, deciding to go along with it. If it's just with him, it shouldn't be a super bad prank. I'm sure I can live with it. "Alright…" Besides, I'm worried they'll cause even more trouble if I refuse to go along with him.

Dell huffs quietly, leading me over to the door of some random shop. It's not too far from his friends, but it's far enough so that they can't hear what we're saying.

"Look, if you just want to tease me, you don't need to do it privately…" I softly sigh, folding my arms.

"No, I… I don't want to do that…" Does he seem… flustered? Shit, I can't tell anymore. Today's previous interactions have messed me up. He averts his gaze, looking down to his shoes. I keep my eyes on him, despite the fact that I'm starting to feel uncomfortable. "I just… wanted to let you know… I didn't mean to treat you so badly. I don't know how else to express myself, that's all."

"Well, what's done is done. I don't care, really," I nonchalantly respond, waving my hand to signal it's no big deal. Well, that's what I say. I'm used to it, but it's still fucked up. I'm not sure if one apology should cut it.

"No, I feel pretty bad," Dell says, his voice dropping to an almost inaudible mumble. "I should have stopped the others from… you know… everything. But I've told them to back off."

I raise a brow in confusion. Why…? Why now? "Well, that's nice and all, but the damage has already been done." I decide to speak bluntly, wanting him to know how awful he's been.

A look of guilt and sadness crosses his features. I can't tell if it's genuine or just straight up bullshit. His voice has the same guilt-ridden tone to it as he speaks. "I really didn't mean to… It started off as a joke, and… and it got out of hand…"

Ugh. I feel so damn conflicted right now. I remain silent for now, though.

"One day, I found that… I wanted to protect you from it all… I didn't want them to hurt you anymore. But it was so hard to tell my friends."

My eyes slowly grow wider and wider, the more he talks. Oh, sweet mother of God. Is this going where I think it's going? Is this real life? All I can do is swallow hard, even though my mouth is more dry than the Sahara Desert. I'm growing more and more nervous with each word he says, and I'm preparing myself for the worst. My knees feel weak, and my hands are all clammy.

"They thought I wasn't being serious… but… but I really like you, Gakupo…!"

I stare at Dell, my eyes wide in horror. He's screwed his eyes shut, presumably out of embarrassment, or anxiety, or both. There's a very noticeable blush on his pale cheeks. No… No, there's no way this is happening right now. The universe is playing some sort of sick joke on me right now, isn't it? Okay, it was funny while it lasted, but you can stop now! First Rin. Then Miku. Now Dell? Fuck this, I refuse to believe so many people have taken an interest in me, in one fucking day!

"Nope. No way. I'm not doing this."

Dell slowly opens his eyes, looking up to me. His dull brown eyes appear to be sparkling, as if he's on the verge of tears. Shit, don't cry. That's my one weakness…! "I-I… I understand if you don't feel the same…"

I frantically shake my head, hoping to God this is just a messed up nightmare. Or maybe Dell and his friends are just playing a really sick prank on me. Maybe they're waiting for me to crack under the pressure and give a genuine, heartfelt response. Then they'll tease me relentlessly once more, and spread rumours across campus that I'm gay.

"I need some time to think." That's all I can say. That's all I'll ever say to Dell. Because if he thinks I'm going anywhere near him again… Nope. I quickly turn on my heels and practically run back over to Gumi.

She stares at me, seeming to be confused yet angry at the group of students. "What happened?"

Not wanting to hear their judgemental shouts, I grab hold of Gumi's hand, tightly wrapping mine around hers and pulling her down the street.

"Hey, hey! Take it easy…!"

Once I'm confident we're far away from the group, I let out a shaky breath and release Gumi's hand. I pause in my tracks, gripping loosely at my pounding forehead with a clammy hand. I don't even know how I should react anymore. I just feel… weird. There's no way this is just a coincidence. Not in such a short amount of time.

"Gaku-kun…?" Gumi shyly speaks up from my side. I can hear the concern in her voice, and if I had my eyes open, I bet I could see even more concern on her face.

I take in a few shaky breaths, attempting to calm down. "I don't understand, Gumi. Why… why do so many people suddenly find me attractive…?" I feel so damn pathetic. I slowly open my eyes, looking at her face. Her face… I always feel so much more at ease when I see her soft features…

"What do you mean?"

"Dell told me he liked me."

Her eyes grow wide, resembling the same horror I felt just a few minutes ago. "What?! You're kidding!" She's in utter disbelief.

"I wish," I simply say, letting out a quiet groan.

"Oh God. You're for real?"

"As always."

Gumi then lets out a long ass sigh. It seems like she's trying to process this all, too. "Okay. So what do you mean when you say 'so many people'?"

I take in a deep breath, and awkwardly begin to explain the interactions I had today. How two girls told me they'd see me later; how one of them even called me cute. How they both seemed to take such an interest in me, despite it never happening before today. I'm being deadly serious, by the way, I've never heard a girl call me cute before. Unless she said it behind my back… Which probably didn't happen much.

By the end of my explanation, Gumi looks perplexed. In fact, once I stop speaking, there's an awkward silence for quite some time. She lets out a sigh eventually. "Gaku-kun… Honestly… You've beaten yourself up so much over your looks. You've always thought of yourself as average… It was only a matter of time before some people came along and proved you wrong."

I lower my glance to the ground, unsure how to respond. "But… why today?"

"Just a coincidence?" Gumi hesitantly suggests, giving a short laugh. "Plus, I'm pretty sure that Dell guy was forced to do the whole confession thing by his friends. Did you see the way they were all whispering and giggling?"

"Ugh, yeah. That freaked me out," I admit, sighing. "I mean, you know me. I like guys, too… if the right one comes along. But there's something off about Dell."

Gumi nods in agreement with me, her grin growing brighter. "Mhm. Look, I've always told you, you're not that average. You're a handsome young man, y'know?"

I can't help but rub at the back of my neck, somewhat nervously, feeling a light blush creep up on my cheeks. Gumi's words make me feel so much better about myself. "Yeah…" I mumble.

"I don't know why it's just started today, but I'm glad it has. Maybe you'll be able to find a nice girl for yourself in no time. Or a nice guy, whatever works," Gumi laughs. "Now! Can we pleaaase go get some lunch? I'm starving over here!"

A light smirk pulls at my lips as I hear this. "Make way for the drama queen! Coming through!" I suddenly yell out, causing quite a few people in the area to stare over at us.

"God, Gaku-kun!" Gumi exclaims, in a tone of utter embarrassment.

And with that, Gumi and I spend a normal day together. We bitch about life together, we each give a list of highlights from this week's drama, and we do pretty much what we normally do. I'm able to forget all about what happened with those girls, and that guy who always teases me… and it's all thanks to Gumi. I feel so relaxed and carefree around her – but that's probably because we've been best friends for a long, long time. I don't know how I got so lucky to have her stick around in my life for so long. But I'm glad I have her.

…

Before I know it, our time together is over. Gumi and I have to take separate buses back to our respective colleges, so we say our goodbyes at a bus stop. There's some small talk in between, but we've exhausted all our conversation options for the day. It's always a bit upsetting to part ways with such a good friend, but I know we're going to spend some time texting back and forth during the upcoming week. We'll probably video chat a couple times, too.

After such an exciting day out, I almost forgot about my meeting with Miss Megurine. I just hope my grades aren't in too much danger. Surely they won't be. On the bus ride back to college, I can't seem to find much time to come up with a reason why Miss Megurine wants to see me. Nevertheless, I head back to the campus, almost reluctantly.

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't slightly nervous. Maybe even afraid. I can barely take in my surroundings as I walk through the college grounds; I'm too lost in thought. After a relatively quick walk towards the block of classrooms, I find myself outside Miss Megurine's door. "Well, here goes…" I quietly mumble. She should still be here – I know some lecturers stay behind, to catch up on marking papers or something like that.

I lift a hand up to lightly tap on the door a few times, and then the waiting begins. Just a couple moments after I knock, I can hear the teacher's voice from the classroom.

"Come in…!"

I squint my eyes for a brief moment, unable to pick up the exact type of tone she's using. Giving a sigh, I push the door open. Nothing could have prepared me for the sight I was about to witness. It's so… so unholy…

Miss Megurine is sat in a rather suggestive pose on her desk; one long leg crossed over the other, heels practically dangling off her feet. Her back is arched as she leans back slightly, her palms pressed firmly against the desk. And her uniform… Fucking God, her uniform. With the way she's leaning back, it's terribly difficult to pull my eyes from her chest – her huge chest – and there's no way in Hell I can gloss over the fact that a couple of her buttons are popped open. Is this real life?

I have no idea how long I've been staring at this woman now. It's like some sort of gruesome train wreck. You want to look away, but holy shit, you just can't. I think my jaw's dropped a bit, too. Don't get me wrong, I've always thought Miss Megurine was kind of cute. But THIS? She's full on exposed! For me!

"M-Mi-Miss Megurine— Y-You wanted to see… m-me…?" My words can barely come out. I'm stuttering like an absolute fool. I close my wide jaw, and no matter how much I want to gulp to push some nerves down, my mouth is so dry. I physically cannot swallow.

"That's right, Gakupo-san…" Shit. Now I can pick up on her tone. It's 100% seductive and it's honestly freaking me out. In fact, I'm so freaked out, I think I have a confusion boner coming on. Wait, no! Please don't tell me this is happening again. I can't handle so many people being interested in me – especially my freaking teacher! Remain calm, Gakupo. "I've had my eye on you for quite a while, you know…"

I chew hard on my lower lip, and I swear it's going to start bleeding at any moment. I continue to choke my words out. "B-But, Miss…" My voice trails off. What do I even say? This is getting ridiculous! Fuck being logical – someone is screwing with me! Is the universe just taunting me for being a lonely, pathetic virgin?!

"Come a little closer, Gakupo-san," comes her almost hypnotic command. She extends a hand ever so slightly, and I can see her dark pink nails pointing straight at me. She beckons toward me with her index finger, her long mascara-coated eyelashes fluttering.

I'm almost 100% certain Miss Megurine literally wants to fuck me, right here, right now. And by the Gods, I'm no sinner! I refuse to have my first sexual encounter with a woman much older than I am. "Oh, I'm sorry Miss, I didn't realise the time! I really need to be going – I, uhh, promised to call my Mom, bye!" As I frantically get my words out, I slowly back away to the door. When I finish, I spin on my heels and dash out of the room, not even getting to see her reaction.

I run through the halls as swiftly as I can, probably very clumsily too, but I don't care. I shove past several students, earning some more irritated glances and whispers from them, possibly trashing my reputation even further. But damn it, I don't care. I'm in the middle of a crisis here! What am I going to do? Should I call Gumi? Will she even believe me if I tell her a teacher tried to seduce me?

This is just… this has been the worst day of my life. I think I can say that with confidence. Maybe I'm in one of those stupid dating simulator games. That would explain why two random girls have just popped into my life out of seemingly nowhere. It would explain why some guy who always teases me suddenly had a change of heart. Would it explain why a teacher suddenly wants to seduce me? It's either one big coincidence, or people in this town have been affected by some sort of higher power, causing their personalities to completely flip. Maybe we're in an alternate universe, where I'm no longer an undesirable nerd?

Not that it matters… I think I have some decisions to make.

…

Author's Note: Was considering making this a one-shot, but then I got the idea to write out different endings for each of the protagonist's "love interests". I'll still keep up the whole poking fun at dating sims thing, but an ending for each pair might be cute. If you're interested, leave a review or PM me about whose ending you'd like to see first! If not, I'll update this eventually in my own order. :) I still have a couple characters to introduce, as you can probably tell by the cover photo.