A Week Passes By
It's already been ten days since Kazuma and Akari became roommates. Their days have been going on as usual. Slowly but surely, they've started getting used to each other. The whole setup of living together is finally working out. They've learned how to rely on one another, rather than making things more difficult by avoiding each other.
But there days were going too much normal,
It was 8 a.m. in the morning.
I was sitting on the couch, drinking coffee while scrolling through my phone.
I was checking out the account of Akaza Shinomiya, the new student joining the college from today.
This guy is actually very popular on social media—he has over 112k followers on Instagram. But it isn't worldwide; most of his fans are from Japan.
And the good looks give him more popularity.
His content is mostly about his lifestyle and what he does daily.
But to think that this college is so prestigious that it has influencers joining…
I wonder how I got here?
My high school results were way too horrible to even be considered, but somehow, here I am—in a prestigious college I don't even know how I got into, and stuck with a roommate for the next 6 months.
Not to mention… that roommate is actually my childhood crush.
Pretty messed up if you ask me…
Suddenly, Akari came out of her room.
But Kazuma didn't notice Akari coming, as he was too focused on his phone.
She had just woken up, eyes still half-asleep. She looked at Kazuma sitting on the couch, stretched her arms over her head, then muttered sleepily,
— "Good morning."
He didn't respond—still glued to whatever was on his screen.
Akari narrowed her eyes, realizing she was being completely ignored.
She stepped closer and tried again, raising her hand a little,
— "Good morning?"
Still no reaction. He just sat there, scrolling, as if she were invisible.
Now fully annoyed, she marched up right beside the couch and shouted,
— "I said good morning!"
I flinched, almost dropping my phone as I looked up, startled.
— "What is it?"
She raised her eyebrow, arms crossed now.
— "You ask me what is it? I literally said good morning three times and you didn't listen."
— "Oh, I'm sorry. I was focused on something. Good morning."
She looked away with a small "hmph" and mumbled,
— "Why would I respond to you now?"
— "Yeah yeah, you don't have to," I replied casually, still not moving from the couch.
She sighed, then looked back at him with her usual irritated tone,
— "Is breakfast ready?"
— "Yeah, it's inside the oven. First get freshened up," I said without looking.
— "I know. You don't need to bug me about it every morning," she said, before heading toward the bathroom.
I watched her leave, a faint smile flickering at the corner of my lips.
She sometimes acts like a kid…
But it's better now. She's getting used to me.
Way better than the version of her I first met when I moved in.
Yeah No Kidding, that version would've been unbearable to live with.
30 minutes later,
Akari was done with her breakfast and ready to head out for college.
I was still sitting on the couch, scrolling lazily on my phone—just waiting for her to leave so I could head out too.
She reached the exit door, her hand on the doorknob. Then she paused and glanced back at me.
— "What are you waiting for?"
I looked up at her,
— "Waiting for you to leave first so then I can leave too."
She hesitated for a second, then turned back toward the door.
— "Ok then."
But just as she touched the doorknob again, she looked over her shoulder, her voice a little unsure.
— "Well… we can go together."
I raised an eyebrow, surprised.
— "Don't you think that's risky? If someone sees us together, it can cause tr—"
She cut me off.
— "I know that! But it's because of me you always reach college late, and… it kind of makes me feel guilty."
Her voice trailed off as she looked down.
My eyes widened a bit. I never expected her to open up like that.
I let out a soft sigh.
— "You don't need to feel guilty. I don't mind going to college a little late."
She frowned and looked away, a little flustered.
— "You always say stuff like that. You listen to whatever I say. And I can't even think of anything that benefits you… so end of the day I feel the guilt."
I blinked.
— "So you do care about people around you."
She instantly blushed and stormed toward me.
— "I don't care about you! Sorry for even asking. You can go whenever you want, hmph!"
She turned back around, grabbed the doorknob—but didn't open it. Her fingers pressed hard against the handle.
— "Are gonna leave or not?" I said
She glanced back again, flustered.
— "Are you coming or not?"
I stood up from the couch.
— "Well, if you insist… maybe I can."
— "You could've just said yes and not made this much scene, you know?"
She huffed, still annoyed.
— "Ok, ok, I'm sorry. Anyways… I'll ask you again," I paused a little.
"It can be risky for us, going to college together."
She sighed.
— "You don't need to worry. We'll take the subway station road. It's faster, and no students from our college live there—except Hana."
— "Are you sure?"
— "You doubt me?"
— "Absolutely not." I shook my head quickly.
We both head out, locked the apartment door behind us.
And just like that—
Me and Akari, together for the first time,
Head out for college…
As we made our way outside of the apartment, the road looked strangely empty—we couldn't find a single taxi.
— "Where are all the taxis?" I asked, looking around, a bit annoyed.
— "If there's none, we can just walk, you know?" she said casually.
— "It'll take too long, don't you think?"
— "Not really. It'll take 10 minutes of walking to reach the college if we go through the Subway Station road."
— "Ok then, let's go."
We started walking toward the station road.
For a while, neither of us said anything. I glanced at her from the corner of my eye—she was completely focused on the road, walking with a quiet confidence. And despite this being the first time we were walking to college together, it didn't feel awkward at all.
We weren't talking, but the silence wasn't uncomfortable. It honestly felt like we'd been walking to college like this forever.
Suddenly, she turned and caught me staring. I looked away quickly.
She raised an eyebrow, still looking at me.
— "What were you staring at?"
I slowly looked back at her as she asked the question.
— "Sorry, I was just watching how you were so focused on the road. Not getting distracted once," I said honestly.
— "Is that so? Thanks for distracting me then," she replied dryly.
— "I didn't do it on purpose," I said in my defense.
— "You did though. That makes you guilty."
I sighed and gave up the argument.
— "Whatever you think," I muttered, looking away.
A few more moments passed before she broke the silence again.
— "Hey Kazuma, I want to ask you something."
I glanced at her, a bit surprised. She looked serious. My heart skipped a beat for a second.
What does she want to ask now? Why does this feel nerve-wracking?
I took a slow breath and answered as calmly as I could.
— "What is it?"
— "It's just that I get frustrated at you most of the time, right? Do you feel annoyed towards me?" she asked.
I blinked, caught off guard. That was unexpected.
What should I even say to that?
I couldn't lie.
— "I do feel annoyed towards you," I said.
She smiled faintly and turned her gaze back to the road.
— "I figured you would. Of course you'd feel annoyed if a person is constantly being rude to you for the smallest reasons. I'm sorry. I've always been like this since middle school. I get frustrated over little things. I can't get along very well. But I noticed something, When I get mad at you, you still act nice with me. Why is that?"
She turned her head to look at me directly. Her eyes searched mine.
I took another breath and answered truthfully.
— "Like I said, I got annoyed at you when we first became roommates. I didn't like your attitude. It bugged me so much. But staying mad at each other won't get us anywhere, right?
Then I thought—maybe the only way to fix things is if we actually try to get along. But since you were hard to get along with… I needed to know more about you. And in some days I tried to understand you rather than staying mad at you,
And since I know you a little more now, I can say I don't mind you getting mad at me, Becuase end of the day I need to live with for another 6months Right? To make it comfortable I want to know you even better..
I just can't stay mad you know?
Her eyes widened. A faint blush appeared on her cheeks as she looked away quickly, trying to mask the flustered feeling rising inside her.
Why is he so blunt about everything?
No one ever told me that,
No one ever said they don't mind me getting mad at them,
They all left one by one, but his telling me that he will do anything just to get along better,
I feel guilty, hes making me feel guilty about everything I said to him,
She took a deep breathe, keeping her composure, Before replying
— "So that's the only reason you don't get mad at me?" she asked.
— "Yes. Getting mad just ruins both of our peace. Since I can control my anger, I can reassure you."
She let out a sigh.
— "And you're making me guilty with this one. I can't promise I won't get mad at you, but I'll try to be less than before. I'm sorry."
— "Like I said, I don't mind you getting mad at me. I do want to know y—"
She cut me off.
— "Yeah yeah, I get it. Don't need to say stuff so bluntly. It's weird."
— "Well, it is kind of weird when I think about it, but it's the truth."
— "I know the truth, all right. Don't need to say that out loud all the time."
— "Um, alright? Not like I was planning to tell the whole college about it."
— "Of course you won't," she said, walking again. Then she looked back, unsure. "You won't, right?"
— "Well—"
She narrowed her eyes.
— "Just try to say it."
— "Didnt you just say you won't be mad at small things?" I said, laughing.
— "Hmph, I said I'll be less annoyed not comepletly the nice girl type," she responded, looking away, slightly pouty.
— "Whatever you say" I said also focusing back to the road.
After a few more minutes, the college came into view.
It really took a lot less time than the way we used to go. I looked at her,
— "I guess we should split up now. We're almost at the college," I said.
— "Yeah, probably. See you at class."
— "See ya."
She walked into the college first and entered through the gate.
Once she was inside, I figured it was the perfect time for me to go too.
But just as I was about to approach the college gates, I saw someone sprint past me.
It was Hana.
— "Oi, Hana!" I called for her
She stopped when she heard me and turned around.
— "Kazuma?" she said, walking back toward me. "That's unusual… You're here way too early."
— "Oh, yeah right… Me and Akari came together today, so I got here early."
She tilted her head, a little confused.
— "Wasn't that risky? What if anybody saw you guys together?"
— "Yeah, I was worried about that too. But Akari said no one would see us if we took the subway station road—and that's how I agreed."
She smirked.
— "Wow, you guys are really getting along. Big progression from the first day at college."
— "I know, right? It's definitely better this way. And it's only been 10 days. If things keep going on track, I think we'll make it through the 6 months in no time."
— "Well, best of luck with that. But where's Akari now?"
— "Oh, she went in first. She might already be in the classroom."
— "Then I should get going. See you in class."
— "Yeah, see ya."
As Hana ran off toward the gates, I slowly made my way in too.
Today's the day that other Shinomiya is supposed to join our class.
It's been bugging me all morning that he shares the same last name as me.
I wonder what kind of guy he is…
But for some reason, I can already tell—
Today's going to be different from every other day so far.
I walked through the college gates, taking a deep breath, then headed straight to the 2nd floor of Building-4, where the first-year classes are held for now.
As I stepped inside the classroom, the usual noise welcomed me.
Every single person was either chatting or glued to their phones. And since the teacher hadn't arrived yet, no one was even pretending to care about studies.
I slowly made my way in.
My eyes instinctively landed on Akari—she was sitting at the middle bench beside Hana. But I quickly looked away. I can't stare at her much in class… nobody even knows I know her.
I scanned the room until I spotted Daiki at the last bench on the right side, his eyes focused on something outside the window.
— "Found you," I said out loud without thinking.
A few students turned their heads toward me, but I ignored them and walked toward Daiki.
Yeah… I've got doubts about many things,
But one thing I'm certain of:
This habit of speaking out loud is definitely going to kill me someday.
Daiki didn't even notice me at first.
— "Delusional as ever, huh Daiki?" I teased as I reached him.
He finally turned to look at me.
— "Oh hey, Kazuma. You're here pretty early today?"
I shrugged, walking around the desk.
— "Oh, I found a taxi today. Luckily."
Yeah, that "I didnt found a taxi" excuse was the only thing I used to say when I came late,
Ironically, today was the only day I didn't find a taxi—
and I still had to lie about it.
I sat beside him. We were the only two sitting at the last bench on the right.
— "So, you found out anything about that Akaza guy who shares the same last name as you?"
I leaned back in my chair, arms folded.
— "Oh, that guy. I don't think he's related to our family. If he was, I would've definitely known about him."
I said it with confidence, but my gut still didn't feel convinced.
— "Bro has some insane reach on his Instagram account. People from all over the country know about him," Daiki said, half-impressed. "But to think that someone like him would join our college… Well, it is one of the most prestigious colleges in Tokyo. I won't be surprised if we get another actor or maybe an idol next."
— "That definitely has a possibility," I said sarcastically.
But in all seriousness…
This place having influencers and celebrities enrolling left and right…
I still wonder how I got in here.
What kind of pull did you really use, Dad?
A few minutes passed as we kept chatting. Then, the classroom door opened, and the teacher walked in.
The students at the front rows quieted down immediately, while those in the back? Still chatting. Still on their phones.
Nobody really cared about the lesson.
But the teacher didn't begin with any coursework.
— "Attention everyone. I would like to introduce a new student who recently joined our college as a first-year, and is going to be one of your classmates from today onwards."
Daiki nudged me.
— "And that must be him."
— "A proper introduction? Is this high school? Why is he getting an introduction?" I muttered.
— "I guess it's because of his celebrity status."
The teacher went on.
— "Our college is honored to have him."
The classroom buzzed with immediate confusion.
Chairs creaked. Students sat up.
Heads turned. Voices rose.
"Who the hell is this guy?"
"What's the meaning of this?"
"Did he just say the college was honored to have him?"
Even I was blinking at that one.
— "I wouldn't go as far as saying the college is honored. They're going too far dont you think?," I mumbled.
— "Money can make you say anything at this point," Daiki replied, shaking his head.
— "Maybe, but a prestigious college like this? You'd think they'd be more guarded about their own reputation?"
— "You also have a point. But I can't think of any other reason."
The noise was rising fast now. Whispers and murmurs bounced across the room like firecrackers.
In the middle row, Akari sighed heavily.
— "What's the fuss about? It's just a new student. Why are they introducing him?"
— "I wanna know too," Hana replied, sounding just as annoyed.
— "It's so annoying. Why aren't they getting done with it already?"
Hana chuckled under her breath, watching Akari's irritated face.
— "You're getting pretty annoyed by this."
— "Really annoyed at this," Akari muttered.
The teacher clapped his hands once, voice rising over the chatter.
— "Silence everyone! And allow me to introduce…"
The whole class went still.
Just who the hell is this guy?
— "The newest student at Shinjiku Technical…"
Come on, just spit it out already.
— "…His name is Akaza Shinomiya."
The room fell silent.
No breathing. No talking.
Not a single sound moved.
I looked around. Every student had frozen.
Eyes widened. Mouths parted.
And then—
The class exploded.
— "That Akaza?"
— "No way."
— "It can't be him!"
At the middle row on the left, a pencil clattered to the ground.
Hana's fingers were shaking.
Akari's head turned sharply to her, eyes concerned.
— "Hey… are you alright?"
The chatter grew louder again.
Everyone in class was either in disbelief or just flat-out losing it.
Suddenly, the classroom door swung open.
Akaza Shinomiya stepped inside.
The moment he entered, the classroom erupted in even more noise.
He walked in slowly, confidently, almost like he was used to this kind of attention. As he made his way beside the teacher's desk, all eyes were fixed on him.
He had long brown hair, a sharp jawline, and wore a white long sleeve shirt with casual black pants. Despite being a social media figure, there was nothing flashy about him—he looked effortlessly stylish and confident, like this was nothing new.
"It really is him!"
"Akaza Shinomiya is going to be our classmate?"
"Isn't this the guy from Instagram?"
The whispers and gasps turned into a full-on storm. Girls in the class were practically swooning over his looks.
Back at the last bench on the right:
— "Okay, the guy is popular alright," I said, shocked at how many people actually recognized him.
— "Told you. Everyone in Tokyo knows him," Daiki replied.
— "But he only has 112k followers on Instagram. I know that's not small, but how does everyone know him with just that?"
Daiki smirked, clearly holding back something.
— "Oh… I might've forgotten to tell you something."
I raised an eyebrow as he continued.
— "He has over 3 million followers on TikTok."
I blinked, caught off guard.
— "What?"
Meanwhile, in the middle row on the left:
— "Hey, Hana, are you alright?" Akari asked.
Hana's hands were trembling. She placed a hand over her chest, trying to calm her racing heart.
— "I'm alright… It's just that… the guy who just walked in…" she mumbled, cheeks flushed, "He was my middle school crush."
Akari's eyes widened. She looked back and forth between Hana and Akaza, stunned.
— "That guy? Seriously—?"
At the front of the class, beside the teacher:
Akaza stood with his school bag casually slung over his right shoulder, calmly surveying the classroom.
He looked completely unfazed by the attention—if anything, he seemed like he was enjoying the buzz.
Then, all of a sudden, he raised his voice.
— "SHUT UP, EVERYONE!"
The class instantly went silent.
Akaza let out a sigh, brushing his hair back casually.
— "Finally… you guys stopped buzzing. Now listen to me—my name is Akaza Shinomiya."
"We all know you, Akaza!
"We love you, Akaza!"
"He's our country's golden boy!"
"He's so handsome!"
The noise surged up again like a wave.
Akaza scanned the room and frowned slightly as the voices escalated.
He raised a hand with authority.
— "Okay, now listen to me."
Once again, the crowd hushed, giving him their full attention.
— "Even though you might know me from other platforms, I'm just a regular student attending this college. So treat me like a classmate, not a celebrity. I'm glad to be here."
He nodded politely after finishing.
"This guy is so humble…"
"Well, what did you expect? He's Akaza Shinomiya."
"He's actually… cool."
I scratched my head at the reactions.
— "I thought he'd be more cocky about his status. Seems like a nicer guy than expected."
— "Or maybe he's just acting to win people over," Daiki shrugged. "He does have potential acting skills."
— "Yeah… that does sound possible."
The teacher then stepped forward, glancing over the classroom before turning to Akaza.
— "We're terribly sorry, but there aren't many seats left in the front. The only available one is in the back—last bench on the right."
Akaza smiled casually.
— "No worries, I can sit there. But…"
He narrowed his eyes just slightly, his tone shifting.
— "If there wasn't any… now that would've been a problem. Don't you think, Teach?"
He smiled again—cool, casual—but there was something off about that moment.
The teacher chuckled awkwardly, visibly nervous.
— "Yes… I deeply apologize again."
And then Akaza turned and began walking toward us.
I watched him carefully as he approached.
The teacher… he wasn't scared because of Akaza's celebrity status. This college already has high-profile students. They wouldn't be that rattled by just another influencer.
No… this felt different.
Something way deeper.
Just who the hell are you, "Akaza Shinomiya"?