Tuesday – Tenkaichi Elite Academy
Aeron entered the classroom just as the bell rang, his black hair slightly tousled from the breeze. He walked with his usual unbothered pace, ignoring the dozens of eyes that trailed after him.
In this world—where women dominated every social and professional sphere—a boy like him shouldn't exist.
Men were supposed to be delicate, soft-spoken, shielded by protective families. Most rarely even raised their voice in public.
But Aeron?
He was unreadable. Quiet. Not shy, but cold.
Not meek, but… untouchable.
And for some, that made him irresistible.
---
Classroom Buzz – Midmorning
"A new transfer?" someone whispered. "She's famous!"
"Isn't that…?"
Before the sentence could finish, the classroom door slid open.
Hiyori Aozora stepped in.
The idol. The rising star. The girl with pink twin tails and golden eyes that glimmered under the lights of any stage.
Her uniform was perfectly pressed. Her expression, as always, carried the practiced sweetness that melted audiences.
But right now—her smile was real.
Because her eyes were locked on him.
"Aeron-kun~!"
He looked up. Calm. Mildly annoyed. "...You again."
---
Unexpected Reunion
Whispers exploded in the room.
"He knows her?!"
"Wait—is she chasing him?"
"That doesn't make sense… he's not even acting honored!"
Because in this world, men were the pursued, not the pursuers.
A girl publicly fawning over a boy like this?
It was unheard of.
And yet—
"I transferred," Hiyori said, stepping closer. "So I could be near you."
Aeron sighed. "I'm not your therapy."
"But you were," she whispered, just for him. "When my smile stopped being real, you were the only one who didn't ask me to fake it."
---
Hallway – Yume's POV
Yume watched them from the door, her heart sinking.
Another one.
And not just anyone—a celebrity.
But even more shocking?
He wasn't surprised.
He didn't shrink.
He didn't flirt.
He didn't even care.
> "Is that why we all want him…?"
"Because he's the only one who doesn't play this world's game?"
Yume clenched her fists.
"I liked him before this circus. I won't lose."
---
Rooftop – Later
Hiyori followed Aeron to the rooftop during lunch.
She placed her lunchbox beside him without asking.
"You're even colder than I remember," she teased.
He didn't reply.
She smiled anyway. "That's okay. I came here to be with the real you. Not the one on stage. Not the boy everyone expects you to be."
He glanced at her for a moment.
"I'm not interested in people chasing something they don't understand."
"Then let me understand you," she said. "Even if it breaks me."
---
Meanwhile – Ayaka's Room
Ayaka watched Hiyori's old concert clips online.
> Perfect smile. Perfect tone. Perfect fake.
She hated it.
> "She doesn't know the real him."
"Only I saw the side that smiled after years of silence…"
She typed furiously.
[Ayaka]: "Misora. Emergency."
[Misora]: "Another girl?"
[Ayaka]: "This one's famous."
[Misora]: "Want me to leak something? 😇"
[Ayaka]: "Tempting."
She sighed, laying on her bed, pillow pressed against her chest.
> "If she touches him… I might actually lose it."
---
Side Story – Sera Nakamura, the Artist
Sera, maroon hair tied back in a messy bun, flipped her sketchbook closed.
She stared at her drawing: Aeron's profile. Cold. Beautiful. Still.
"He doesn't even know I exist," she muttered, teeth pressing against her pencil.
Then she grinned, wickedly.
"Maybe it's time I fix that."
---
Closing Lines
That night, Aeron laid on his bed, eyes open.
He thought of Hiyori's eyes. Ayaka's silence. Mirei's ambition. Yume's warmth.
And for the first time…
He wondered what would happen if he broke his own rules.