Morning sunlight poured through the classroom windows, casting warm golden light across the wooden desks.
Students chatted noisily while waiting for the first period to begin.
Some were finishing homework.
Some were gossiping.
And one particular girl...
"...Hehehe."
...was grinning at absolutely nothing.
"Tara."
"Hm?"
"Why are you smiling like a villain?"
Tara turned toward the owner of the voice.
Kai the pink-haired protagonist of the novel stood beside her desk, holding two cartons of strawberry milk.
"I bought one for you."
Her eyes sparkled.
"For me?"
"Yeah."
"You helped me with math yesterday."
Tara happily accepted it.
"Aww, thank you!"
Kai smiled.
"You've changed a lot."
"Huh?"
"You used to be really quiet."
He tilted his head.
"Now you're always talking."
Tara almost choked on her drink.
"Of course I'm talking!"
"I'm literally talking to my favorite protagonist!"
She coughed twice before laughing awkwardly.
"People change."
"I guess."
Kai sat in the chair in front of her, turning it around so he could face her.
The classroom was still noisy, making it the perfect place to chat.
"So..."
Kai rested his chin on his hand.
"I've been thinking about something."
Tara looked at him curiously.
"Hm?"
"You know..."
"I wasn't this talkative before either."
"Yeah."
"But since we became friends..."
"I feel like I can tell you almost anything."
Tara blinked.
"Wait..."
"This sounds familiar..."
"Don't tell me..."
She slowly narrowed her eyes.
"No way..."
"Is this..."
"The confession arc?!"
Kai scratched the back of his neck.
"I've been thinking about... proposing to someone."
Tara immediately pointed at him.
"I knew it!"
Kai jumped.
"You... knew?"
She wore the biggest smile imaginable.
"It's the blonde-haired guy, right?"
Kai froze.
"..."
"...How?"
Tara's brain stopped working.
"Oops."
"I shouldn't know that!"
She laughed nervously.
"Haha..."
"I mean..."
"I've seen you looking at him."
Kai's ears turned slightly pink.
"...Was it that obvious?"
"Yes."
"To me, because I've literally read the entire manga."
Out loud, she simply nodded.
"A little."
Kai covered his face with both hands.
"Oh no..."
"This is embarrassing."
Tara couldn't stop smiling.
"THEY'RE SO CUTE!"
"HE'S LITERALLY SHY!"
"OH MY GOD!"
Kai slowly lowered his hands.
"I told you before..."
"The guy I met in the cafeteria."
Tara nodded repeatedly.
"Yeah."
"It's him."
"I want to confess."
For a moment...
Tara forgot she had been transported into another world.
Instead...
She felt like she was reading the manga all over again.
Except this time...
She was sitting right beside the main character.
She smiled warmly.
"Go for it."
Kai blinked.
"...Really?"
"Of course."
"It'll be cute."
Kai looked surprised.
"...Cute?"
"Yeah."
"I think he'll be happy."
Kai stared at her for several seconds before asking quietly,
"...Don't you think it's weird?"
Tara tilted her head.
"What?"
"That..."
"We're both boys."
For a brief moment...
The classroom seemed quieter.
Tara looked at him without hesitation.
"So?"
Kai blinked.
"So...?"
"A relationship is a relationship."
She shrugged.
"As long as you both love each other..."
"What does it matter whether you're boys or girls?"
Kai stared at her.
His eyes slowly widened.
"...You're..."
"...really okay with it?"
"Of course."
"I'm your best friend."
"I'll support you."
Inside her head, however...
"Support?"
"No."
"I'm your NUMBER ONE FAN!"
"I LOVE BL!"
"Male couples are so adorable!"
"They're prettier than straight couples!"
"This confession is going to be legendary!"
She somehow managed to keep a straight face.
Kai suddenly laughed.
"You know..."
"I was really nervous."
"But after hearing you..."
"I feel much better."
Tara gave him a thumbs-up.
"You've got this."
Kai smiled brightly.
"Thanks."
The school bell rang.
Their conversation came to an end as the teacher entered the classroom.
But Tara's heart was already racing.
"Today's the day..."
"The original confession..."
"I HAVE TO SEE IT!"
School ended.
Students slowly left the building.
Some headed home.
Others joined club activities.
Meanwhile...
A certain girl was hiding behind a large tree near the back garden.
"..."
"..."
"...This is the perfect spot."
She peeked around the trunk.
"There they are!"
Standing beneath a flowering cherry tree...
Kai looked unusually nervous.
He kept adjusting his school tie.
Across from him stood a beautiful blonde haired boy.
His name...
Leon.
Golden hair shimmered under the evening sunlight.
His blue eyes reflected the soft pink petals drifting through the air.
"He's even prettier in real life..."
Tara whispered dramatically,
"No wonder he's the love interest..."
She quickly hid again before either of them noticed.
A few seconds later...
Kai finally gathered his courage.
"Leon."
Leon smiled.
"Hm?"
"I..."
Kai took a deep breath.
"...I like you."
"..."
"..."
Silence.
Tara covered her own mouth.
"OH MY GOD..."
"HE SAID IT!"
Kai continued,
"I've liked you for a long time."
"I know we're both boys..."
"And I don't know how you feel..."
"But..."
"Would you... go out with me?"
Leon stood completely still.
For a few terrifying seconds...
Nobody spoke.
Even Tara became nervous.
"Please say yes..."
"PLEASE..."
Then...
Leon smiled.
A gentle...
Warm...
Beautiful smile.
"I thought..."
"I was the only one."
Kai blinked.
"...Huh?"
"I like you too."
Kai's eyes became watery.
"...Really?"
Leon nodded.
"So..."
"My answer is yes."
Tara silently clenched both fists.
"YES!!"
"MISSION SUCCESS!!"
"THEY'RE DATING!"
Before she could celebrate any further...
Leon stepped closer.
Kai's cheeks immediately turned bright red.
"W-Wait..."
Leon smiled.
"Can I?"
Kai shyly nodded.
"...Okay."
Leon gently cupped Kai's face...
And kissed him.
"..."
"..."
"..."
Tara's eyes became as wide as dinner plates.
She immediately covered her mouth with both hands to stop herself from screaming.
"AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!"
"THEY KISSED!!"
"THEY REALLY KISSED!!"
"THIS IS EVEN CUTER THAN THE MANGA!!"
She started stomping her feet silently behind the tree.
"So cute..."
"So cute..."
"So cute..."
"I'M GOING TO DIE FROM CUTENESS!"
Just then
A voice suddenly came from directly behind her.
"...Who are you stalking this time?"
Tara froze.
Her soul practically left her body.
"H-HUH?!"
She slowly turned around...
And nearly screamed.
Standing behind her with his hands in his pockets...
Was Adrian.
He raised one eyebrow.
"I got curious."
"You told me you stopped following me."
"So..."
"Who's today's target?"
Tara's face instantly turned bright red.
"W..WHAT THE HECK?!"
"W..Why are YOU here?!"
She nearly jumped backward in panic.
Adrian looked completely calm.
"I was taking a shortcut."
"Then I saw someone suspicious hiding behind a tree."
"So I came to check."
He glanced toward the direction Tara had been staring.
"..."
His eyes landed on two silhouettes beneath the cherry blossoms.
Kai.
And Leon.
Still standing close together.
Adrian blinked.
"...Oh."
He looked back at Tara.
"So..."
"You were stalking..."
"...two birds?"
Tara's brain crashed.
"W-WHAT?!"
"You kept saying, 'They're so cute.'"
"So I assumed..."
He looked toward Kai and Leon again.
"...You call boys birds?"
Tara waved both hands wildly.
"N-No!"
"I-I wasn't!"
"I mean..."
"There was..."
"A bird!"
She pointed randomly toward the sky.
"Two birds!"
"They were... um..."
"Kissing!"
The moment those words left her mouth...
She wanted to bury herself alive.
Adrian slowly looked back at her.
"...Birds."
"...Kissing."
"...Yeah!"
"..."
"...Interesting."
Tara felt heat rush to her face.
"WHY DID I SAY THAT?!"
"WHAT IS WRONG WITH MY MOUTH?!"
Without waiting another second
She turned around.
"A-ANYWAY!"
"I HAVE TO GO!"
She ran away as fast as she could.
Leaving Adrian standing alone beneath the evening sky.
He watched her disappear...
Then quietly smiled to himself.
"...Interesting girl."
A few days passed.
To Tara's relief, everything was going according to the original story except for one important difference.
Kai and Leon were dating much earlier than before.
And they looked...
Disgustingly adorable.
"..."
"...I'm so jealous."
Tara muttered while watching them from the hallway.
Not jealous because she wanted a boyfriend.
No.
She was jealous because she wanted popcorn.
"This is better than reading a manga."
"I'm literally watching the romance happen in front of my eyes!"
Kai suddenly noticed her standing there.
"Tara!"
She snapped out of her thoughts.
"H..Huh?"
Kai jogged over with the biggest smile on his face.
"You know what happened yesterday?"
Tara immediately guessed.
"Date."
Out loud, she tilted her head.
"What happened?"
Kai scratched his cheek shyly.
"Leon invited me out after school."
Tara gasped dramatically.
"A date?"
Kai nodded.
"Yeah..."
"We watched a movie together."
"Oh!"
"Then we walked around the shopping street."
"And..."
His face slowly turned bright red.
Tara leaned closer.
"And?"
Kai covered his face.
"...He kissed me again."
Silence.
Tara froze.
Then..
"AAAAAAAHHHHH!!"
Several students turned around.
"Tara?"
She quickly covered her own mouth.
"S..Sorry!"
She looked back at Kai with sparkling eyes.
"That's so cute!"
"You two are unbelievably cute!"
Kai laughed shyly.
"I know..."
"I still can't believe he likes me."
Tara folded her arms proudly.
"I told you he'd say yes."
"You did."
Kai smiled.
"You're really a good friend."
Tara grinned.
"Good friend?"
"No."
"I'm your biggest shipper!"
"I'll protect this relationship with my life!"
Kai suddenly looked at her.
"So..."
"What about you?"
"Hm?"
"When are you going to find someone you like?"
Tara blinked.
"Me?"
"Yeah."
Kai laughed.
"You can't stay single forever."
Tara rubbed the back of her neck.
"I'll think about it later."
Kai shrugged.
"Fair enough."
The lunch bell rang.
"I'm going to eat with Leon."
"See you later!"
He happily ran down the hallway.
Watching him disappear...
Tara smiled softly.
"They're really happy..."
A few minutes later...
The classroom became completely empty.
Everyone had gone to the cafeteria.
Except Tara.
She rested her chin on the desk.
The quiet classroom felt peaceful.
Sunlight drifted through the windows.
Dust floated lazily in the air.
She sighed happily.
"Mission accomplished..."
Kai and Leon had become boyfriends.
There was no sign of trouble.
No misunderstandings.
No drama.
She smiled proudly.
"The future has changed."
She leaned back in her chair.
"Now I don't have to worry about Adrian anymore."
"He hasn't even talked to Leon."
"So there's no chance he'll become Leon's best friend."
She crossed her arms confidently.
"Perfect."
Then...
Another thought crossed her mind.
"...Wait."
"If Adrian isn't involved anymore..."
"There's still one problem."
She slowly sat upright.
"The black haired guy."
In the original novel...
After Kai and Leon broke up...
Kai eventually fell in love with another man.
A cold, handsome black-haired university student.
He became the final male lead.
Tara frowned.
"...He's the last obstacle."
She tapped her finger against the desk.
"What if..."
"I make Adrian fall in love with him instead?"
Her eyes slowly lit up.
"Wait..."
"That could actually work!"
She jumped to her feet excitedly.
"Think about it!"
"Adrian is rich."
"That guy is tall."
"They're both ridiculously handsome."
"They'd become a super hot couple!"
"Meanwhile..."
"Kai and Leon stay together forever!"
She clasped her hands together dramatically.
"Everyone gets a happy ending!"
"I can finally go back to my own world!"
She sighed dreamily.
"What a perfect plan."
Then she frowned.
"...But..."
"Why should I even look for that black haired guy?"
She scratched her head.
"I don't even know where he is..."
Without realizing it...
She had spoken aloud.
"Where should I find that black haired guy?"
A voice suddenly answered from behind her.
"...Which black-haired guy?"
"..."
"..."
"...H-HUH?!"
Tara nearly jumped onto the desk.
She spun around so fast that her chair almost fell over.
Standing by the classroom door...
Was Adrian.
One hand casually inside his pocket.
The other holding a carton of milk.
He looked completely relaxed.
Unlike Tara.
"W..WHAT THE?!"
"When did you get here?!"
"You scared me to death!"
Adrian blinked.
"I've been standing here for almost a minute."
"...A MINUTE?!"
"You didn't notice?"
"..."
"...No."
Adrian chuckled quietly.
"I figured."
"I came because I didn't feel like eating in the cafeteria."
"It's too noisy."
He took a sip of his milk.
"But..."
"I'm curious."
He looked directly into her eyes.
"Which black-haired guy were you talking about?"
Tara's smile became stiff.
"CRAP!"
"He heard everything!"
"N..Nobody."
"I was talking to myself."
"Happens a lot."
Adrian slowly walked closer.
"I've noticed."
He stopped beside her desk.
"And another thing."
Tara swallowed.
"...What?"
He looked at her calmly.
"Why did you stop following me?"
"..."
"...I wasn't following you!"
"Weren't you?"
"N-No!"
"You were."
"I wasn't!"
"You hid whenever you saw me."
"..."
"...That doesn't prove anything."
"It proves quite a lot."
Tara covered her face.
"Why is he remembering all of this?!"
Adrian suddenly smiled.
"So..."
"If you weren't stalking me..."
"Why were you always looking at me?"
Tara opened and closed her mouth several times
Finally
She sighed.
"...Fine."
"You looked cool."
"So I kept watching."
"That's all."
Adrian blinked.
"...Really?"
"Yeah."
"You're tall."
"You have black hair."
"You look like the quiet type."
"So I got curious."
"Nothing more."
For the first time...
Adrian looked genuinely surprised.
"Huh."
"I didn't think anyone saw me that way."
He scratched the back of his neck.
"...Thanks."
Tara looked away awkwardly.
"...Forget it."
"I'm leaving."
She turned toward the classroom door.
But before she could take even one step
A hand gently grabbed her wrist.
"H-Huh?"
She looked back.
Adrian was still smiling.
"One more question."
"What?"
"You still haven't answered me."
"Which black-haired guy?"
Before Tara could react
Adrian suddenly pulled her toward him.
"W-Wait!"
She lost her balance.
The next thing she knew
She was in his arms.
"H-HUH?!"
He had caught her effortlessly.
Holding her in a bridal carry.
"W-WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"
"PUT ME DOWN!"
Several books slipped from her arms and landed on the floor.
Adrian looked completely unfazed.
"You were about to run away."
"So this is easier."
"E-EASIER?!"
"People will see us!"
"They won't."
"It's lunchtime."
Tara's face burned bright red.
"You crazy idiot!"
"Put me down!"
He ignored her protests.
Instead...
He asked again.
"So."
"Which boy?"
"Do you have a boyfriend?"
"N-No!"
"A crush?"
"..."
"..."
Tara's brain completely shut down.
"Think!"
"Think!"
"ANYTHING!"
"Y-Yeah!"
Adrian paused.
"...You do?"
"I-I do!"
"Oh."
His smile remained.
But something in his eyes quietly changed.
"...Who?"
"Is he from our school?"
Tara froze.
"If I say yes..."
"He'll probably start suspecting Kai or Leon!"
"No!"
"I can't let anyone disturb their relationship!"
"I have to protect my favorite couple!"
She took a deep breath.
"...no."
Adrian waited.
"So..."
"Who is he?"
Tara blurted out the first thing she could think of.
"...The black-haired guy."
"..."
Adrian blinked.
"...The black-haired guy?"
"Y-Yeah."
"The tall..."
"Cold..."
"Handsome one..."
A strange silence filled the classroom.
Adrian looked at her for a long moment.
Then...
A faint smile appeared on his lips.
"...I see."
Tara, meanwhile, had no idea that Adrian had just misunderstood everything.
Before Tara could even process what had happened, Adrian carried her all the way out of the school building as if she weighed nothing.
"W-Wait! Put me down!" Tara kicked her legs in the air, her face burning bright red. "People are staring at us! This is embarrassing!"
"They'll stop looking in a minute," Adrian replied calmly, not even slightly out of breath. "Besides, if I let you down now, you'll just run away again."
"I wasn't going to run!"
"You were."
"...Okay, maybe I was thinking about it."
A quiet chuckle escaped Adrian's lips.
By the time Tara realized it, he had already opened the passenger door of a sleek black car and gently placed her inside.
She looked around, blinking several times.
The interior was spotless, with soft leather seats and a faint scent of expensive perfume.
"...Hold on."
She slowly turned toward Adrian, who had just taken the driver's seat.
"Why am I in your car?" she asked suspiciously, crossing her arms. "Don't tell me you're kidnapping me in broad daylight."
Adrian fastened his seat belt before glancing at her.
"If I were kidnapping you, I wouldn't use my own car."
"...That's not the point!"
"I'm taking you home with me."
Tara's eyes widened.
"What?! No! Take me home! My home!"
"I know."
"I'm talking about my home."
She immediately reached for the door handle.
"I'm getting out."
Click.
The door wouldn't open.
She stared at it for a second before turning back to Adrian.
"...Did you lock the door?"
"I did."
"You're unbelievable!"
He simply smiled, started the engine, and drove away.
---
About thirty minutes later, the car stopped in front of a luxurious apartment building that towered over the surrounding streets.
Tara stepped out and looked up.
"...Whoa."
It wasn't just big.
It was enormous.
Glass walls reflected the afternoon sunlight, and a fountain decorated the entrance.
"Right..." she thought.
"In the original novel, Adrian didn't have any family."
His parents had died when he was still young.
Everything they owned had been left to him, which explained why he was incredibly wealthy despite living alone.
For a brief moment, Tara felt a little guilty.
She had spent so much time blaming him for ruining Kai and Leon's relationship in the original story that she had forgotten how lonely his own life actually was.
The elevator doors opened onto the top floor.
Adrian unlocked the apartment and walked inside.
"Come in."
Tara quietly followed.
The apartment was clean—almost too clean.
No family photos.
No clutter.
No sign that anyone else had ever lived there.
The silence felt... lonely.
Adrian placed his school bag on the sofa before looking back at her.
"You've been looking around since we got here."
"Hm?"
"Aren't you going to ask me anything?"
Tara blinked.
She already knew the answer.
She knew he lived alone.
She knew why.
There was no point pretending to be curious.
She shook her head with a small smile.
"No."
"...No?"
"I don't really have anything to ask."
Adrian looked genuinely surprised.
Most people bombarded him with questions the moment they discovered he lived alone.
Yet Tara simply walked into the living room as if it were the most normal thing in the world.
Instead, she looked toward the kitchen.
"...Do you have anything to eat? I'm starving."
He let out a small laugh.
"I've got frozen French fries and instant ramen."
Her eyes lit up instantly.
"Really? I love ramen!"
"I figured."
"I'll make some."
"Thank you!"
As Adrian disappeared into the kitchen, the sound of running water and clattering dishes echoed through the apartment.
Meanwhile, Tara quietly wandered around the living room.
"Let's check..."
In the original story, Adrian had secretly kept several photographs of Leon hidden inside his apartment.
That was the first hint that he had fallen in love.
She carefully looked around the bookshelves.
Nothing.
She checked the photo frames.
Empty.
The cabinet.
Nothing.
Even the bookshelf contained only novels and business magazines.
No photographs.
No albums.
No traces of Leon anywhere.
Tara let out a long sigh of relief.
"...Thank goodness."
A smile slowly spread across her face.
"So the future really has changed."
She happily sat down on the sofa.
"That means Adrian hasn't fallen for Leon at all."
"Kai and Leon are safe."
"Everything's going exactly as I planned..."
Adrian placed two bowls of steaming ramen on the table.
"There. Eat before it gets cold."
Tara's eyes sparkled.
"You're a lifesaver!"
She immediately picked up her chopsticks and started eating.
"Mmm! This is actually good!"
"It should be. I made it."
She looked at him in surprise.
"You can cook?"
"A little."
"Huh... I thought rich people only ordered food."
Adrian raised an eyebrow.
"You watch too many dramas."
"...Maybe."
The apartment fell quiet for a while as they ate.
Suddenly, Tara remembered something.
"The black-haired guy!"
She quickly took out her phone.
"I need to ask Kai something."
Adrian glanced at her but didn't say anything.
A few seconds later, Kai answered the call.
"Hello, Tara?"
"Hey, Kai! I wanted to ask you something. Do you know where Eastwood High is?"
"Hm? Yeah, it's about twenty minutes from here. Why?"
Tara smiled awkwardly.
"I have... a relative there. I promised I'd visit, but I don't know the way."
"Oh! I'll send you the location."
"Thank you!"
"No problem."
A notification popped up almost immediately.
She grinned.
"Perfect!"
Without another word, she stood up and grabbed her bag.
"I'm leaving!"
She had barely reached the front door when Adrian's voice stopped her.
"Where do you think you're going?"
She turned around.
"I told you. I'm visiting someone."
"The relative?"
"...Yeah."
Adrian slowly stood from the sofa and walked toward her.
When he stopped in front of her, he folded his arms.
"...The one you have a crush on?"
Tara blinked.
"Huh?"
Then she remembered the lie she'd told him.
"Oh..."
"Yeah."
For some reason...
The apartment suddenly became very quiet.
Adrian looked at her for a few seconds before speaking.
"I'll come with you."
Tara's eyes widened.
"W-What?"
"I said I'll come."
"No!"
"I can go by myself."
"I know."
"But I'm still coming."
She rubbed her forehead.
"He's impossible..."
"If I refuse, he'll just follow me anyway."
"...Fine."
About thirty minutes later...
A black Rolls-Royce slowly pulled up in front of Eastwood High School.
The expensive luxury car immediately attracted attention.
Students walking out of the gates stopped in their tracks.
"Whoa..."
"Is that a Rolls-Royce?"
"Whose car is that?"
"That guy is so handsome..."
Several girls whispered while stealing glances at Adrian as he stepped out of the driver's seat.
Completely ignoring the attention, Tara looked around the school grounds.
"Where is he...?"
Then she spotted him.
A tall young man with messy black hair was walking out of the school gate with one hand in his pocket.
His expression was calm and unreadable.
"That's him!"
"Noah!"
Without warning, Tara sprinted toward him.
"Hey! Wait!"
The young man stopped and turned around.
"...Me?"
She nodded repeatedly.
"Yes! You!"
Noah looked at her with a puzzled expression.
"Do I know you?"
"...No."
"Then?"
Tara took a deep breath.
"Can you pretend to be my boyfriend?"
"..."
"..."
"...Excuse me?"
"Just for today!"
"If you help me, I'll tell you something really interesting!"
Noah stared at her for several long seconds.
Finally, he answered in a flat voice.
"I don't even know your name."
"So why would I pretend to be your boyfriend?"
Tara forced an awkward smile.
"I can introduce myself!"
"No."
"And I'm not interested."
With that, he simply walked past her.
"..."
"...Rejected."
Her shoulders slumped as she slowly walked back.
Leaning casually against the Rolls-Royce, Adrian watched the entire scene without saying a word.
"So..."
Tara sighed dramatically.
"It didn't work."
"I noticed."
She pouted.
"I told you he isn't my boyfriend."
"I only have a crush on him."
"I thought maybe talking to him would help."
"But..."
"He doesn't seem interested."
Adrian looked toward Noah's disappearing figure.
For some reason...
The sight of Tara running after another man replayed in his mind.
It was strangely irritating.
He couldn't explain why.
After a long silence, he finally spoke.
"...Maybe."
"Maybe what?"
"Maybe he rejected you because you're... a little too energetic."
Tara gasped.
"Hey!"
"That's just a polite way of calling me annoying!"
A faint smile appeared on Adrian's lips.
"I didn't say annoying."
"You were thinking it!"
"...Maybe."
Tara folded her arms and huffed.
"You're the annoying one."
Adrian chuckled quietly.
Perhaps.
But what bothered him wasn't Tara's personality.
It was the fact that she'd smiled so brightly...
At another man.
