"What opportunity?"
"Getting back together!"
"…"
"Miki, I love you soooo much! Please be my girlfriend!"
"…"
"Miki?"
"Idiot!"
Beep—beep—
Watanabe Tetsu clicked his tongue. He really had been too impulsive—his brain completely clouded by the thought of earning points.
How could such a simple confession possibly win over Yūki Miki?
"You got rejected," Seino Rin said with a soft laugh.
Not only her—the three girls from the wind ensemble nearby were also sneaking strange glances at him.
You carefree fools could never understand the depth of my hatred… nor my desperate hunger for points!
Tetsu turned to Seino Rin, ready to fire back, when a sudden thought hit him.
She's a super-beauty too… If I managed to win her over, I could use the Seino family's influence—and earn a mountain of points.
He sighed inwardly.
Forget it.
Seino Rin refused to lie. She probably did think he was being stupid. But for that honesty alone, he admired her a little.
To exploit someone so pure—that wasn't something a "Tokyo Handsome Guy" would do.
Tamamo Emi was greedy; all she required was money.
Yūki Miki was an enemy; deceiving her emotions didn't matter—in fact, getting points off her and using them for revenge only made it sweeter.
Seino Rin wasn't perfect, but she wasn't the kind of person one could casually use. To earn points from her, he'd have to make her sincerely fall for him.
And he had no intention of doing that.
Seino Rin watched him zoning out while staring at her and lifted a hand to her shirt collar.
"Tetsu-kun, rainy weather does awaken the criminal impulses within humans. If your beastly instincts are urging you to assault me, at least choose a clean, empty place."
"…"
Tetsu snapped back to reality.
The gazes around him made him want to die!
He could faintly hear whispers like:
"So the Newspaper Club was right!"
"The Human Observation Club is so filthy!"
"Turns out he's a sleazy guy!"
"Should we call the police?"
All slander!
He let out a helpless sigh. His reputation was in shambles.
"See you tomorrow, Seino-san. Be careful on your way home."
He bolted.
Unlike students who could wait for their parents to pick them up, he had to rely on himself in Tokyo. The rain didn't look like it would stop anytime soon, so he simply treated the run home as part of his training.
Behind him, Seino Rin instinctively reached out a hand, wanting to call him back.
She wanted to ask her driver to take him home as well.
"Refreshing!"
On a rainy day, Watanabe Tetsu sprinted from Yotsuya Station along the Marunouchi Line.
Aside from trains, cars, and motorcycles, no one could keep up with him.
His tie, soaked by the downpour, clung to his chest before the wind whipped it upward repeatedly, slapping his face.
If you didn't care what others thought, running wildly in the rain wasn't embarrassing at all.
Tetsu finally realized that.
That exhilarating feeling continued—until his sneakers became waterlogged.
Every step was a puddle. His socks clung to his feet like wet snakes.
In an instant, reality came crashing back.
And suddenly he noticed the shopkeepers, fruit vendors, and umbrella-holding pedestrians staring at him.
"Welcome!"
"Thanks for your patronage!"
He bought the cheapest transparent umbrella—300 yen—even though he was already soaked from head to toe.
Affected by the world's judgmental gazes, Tetsu felt he was still far weaker than Seino Rin.
What kind of resolve had allowed her to maintain her truthfulness for so many years?
Was she driven by disgust toward lies?
In this world, avoiding hatred was easy—just yield, compromise, disguise yourself.
But facing your own heart, ignoring others' stares, refusing to create lies—how many people could live like that even for a day?
Yet Seino Rin had done it for more than ten years.
Standing under the convenience store awning, Tetsu gritted his teeth… and placed the umbrella back into the communal umbrella rack.
In this storm, the rack was completely empty. That one transparent umbrella stood out—just like Seino Rin.
"A 'Tokyo Handsome Guy' never loses to others—and will stand at the very top!"
Under the cashier's bewildered gaze, Watanabe Tetsu charged back into the rain.
Halfway down the road, he regretted it.
Why was I trying to act cool?! Even if I was going to run back drenched, I should've at least taken the umbrella!
That was 300 yen!
"Damn it! Die, you waterlogged sneakers!"
Ashamed and annoyed, Tetsu vented his frustration at his shoes.
Truly, Watanabe Tetsu—destined for greatness—still had a long way to go.
After running home, he showered, made curry with the last potato sent from home, drank barley tea, and continued watching Downton Abbey as he ate.
Before going to bed, he still cringed thinking about the stupid things he had done earlier.
Still, after the first time, maybe he'd care less next time?
At least when it came to sprinting in the rain.
The next morning, the rain continued. Tetsu ran into Seino Rin at the shoe lockers.
Trying to demonstrate he was more impressive today than yesterday, he began telling her about his daring run through the storm.
One spoke, the other listened, as they walked upstairs.
"I see."
Seino Rin nodded after hearing everything. "I understand what you mean, Tetsu-kun. You're saying you no longer care about others' opinions."
"I can only say I've started," Tetsu replied modestly.
He lifted his right hand, palm up, and gestured toward the rain-soaked courtyard.
"Seino-san," he said confidently, "I can tell—at this academy called Kamikawa—only you and I are destined to truly stand out."
"What about Yūki-san?" Seino asked seriously.
"She—"
Tetsu tried to dodge the question.
"What about her?" Seino stared straight at him, pressing for an answer.
"She… she's already standing out."
Seino tilted her head slightly. "Didn't you say you don't care about others' opinions? Why not just ignore my question?"
"Well…"
"Tetsu-kun, you really are excellent, and I do believe you'll become even more exceptional.
But right now, putting yourself on the same level as me—it's still too early."
With a mischievous grin, she flicked her slightly damp hair and glided into Class A.
Left standing in the hallway, Watanabe Tetsu felt his mood plummet.
After watching her sit down, he headed toward his own classroom. As he passed by, his eyes met the furious gaze of Tamamo Emi.
[You Have a New Message]
[Tamamo Emi Check-in Interrupted]
[You Have a New Message]
[Temporary Event: At 8:03 a.m. on May 27, as a "Tokyo Handsome Guy," you are once again dumped unilaterally by your girlfriend.]
Event 1: Successfully reconcile with Tamamo Emi
Event Time: One week
Reward: Mastery-Level Singing / +100 Points
Event 2: Successfully reconcile with Yūki Miki
Event Time: One week
Reward: Grandmaster-Level Piano / +5000 Points
Event 3: Successfully reconcile with both ex-girlfriends
Special Reward: Transcendent-Level Regeneration / Free
According to safety regulations and basic human rights guidelines:
Events 1 and 3 carry severe life-threatening risks.
Please participate with caution.
Tetsu rolled his eyes.
Why wasn't he warned during the Yūki Miki event?
Why would he have ended up like this otherwise?
Wait.
Actually… the Yūki Miki event was safe.
The pepper spray, stun baton, and high-power flashlight he bought were useless.
He got kissed by a beautiful girl instead.
The danger came after the event ended!
Transcendent-Level Regeneration? What even is that? And it's free?!
Tetsu tapped the ability description.
[Transcendent-Level Regeneration: A healing ability surpassing human limits. Can cure all non-fatal injuries, including severed limbs.]
Side Effects: Massive stamina consumption; if stamina is low, regeneration slows.
Cannot heal injuries caused by machetes.
"I want it…"
Tetsu's eyes darted between "severe life-threatening risks" and "Transcendent-Level Regeneration / Free."