Title : Is Anyone in This School Even Normal?!

...Chapter 4: “A Love Confession? In Front of the Fire Drill?”...

———————-

There are two types of students at Aokihara Academy.

1. The kind who quietly study and mind their business.

2. The kind who weaponize rumors and track romantic tension like it’s a full-time job.

Unfortunately, I had become content for the second group.

By the next morning, a full-on Rin x Kai theory board was posted in the hallway. With yarn. And diagrams. And quotes.

“‘I might want to.’” Yuu read aloud, dramatically sipping her iced matcha. “Iconic.”

I snatched the paper out of her hands. “It’s not romantic. It’s psychological warfare.”

“Sure,” she said, grinning. “And you blushed because… the heating was broken?”

“It was broken!”

Yuu patted my shoulder like I was a delusional little goat.

I spent the day dodging stares and people whispering “they’re endgame” behind their hands.

Then, during the weekly fire drill, it happened.

As we lined up outside in the freezing cold, Kai strolled toward me… with a single white rose.

“Oh no,” I whispered.

“Oh yes,” Yuu whispered gleefully beside me.

Kai stopped right in front of me, rose in hand, expression unreadable.

“What are you—”

“I’ve decided to clarify yesterday’s broadcast.”

Everyone leaned in. Even the teachers.

“I said I might want to date you,” he said. “So today, I’m saying—”

don’t say it don’t say it don’t say it—

“—I do want to.”

The crowd went feral. Someone screamed. Someone fainted. A squirrel ran by, confused by the emotional chaos.

And me?

I stared at him, mouth dry, heart gone.

I had one goal. To be normal.

And this?

This was the opposite of normal.

———————-

“Now What? I’m Officially a Headline.”

“I hate you.”

Kai smiled, eyes twinkling like he was having the time of his life.

I glared at him. “I told you this was a horrible idea. Now everyone’s going to—”

“Hey, Rin,” a voice interrupted from behind me.

I turned to find Kiyoshi, my next-door neighbor and supposedly good friend, standing there, clearly avoiding eye contact with me.

“Uh, hey,” I said cautiously.

“Just wanted to let you know that… the whole school now thinks you’re, like, dating Kai.”

I felt my stomach drop.

Kiyoshi laughed awkwardly. “I mean, everyone knows now. And, uh, I don’t think you can ‘not date’ after that.”

“I didn’t agree to date!” I exploded.

“I’m just saying,” Kiyoshi shrugged. “It’s a little too late for a denial now.”

I wanted to scream. It was like someone had taken my carefully constructed life and set it on fire. And I had no extinguisher.

“Thanks for the helpful advice, Kiyoshi,” I muttered.

“No problem!” He offered a thumbs-up before wandering off, leaving me to stew in the chaos of my own making.

I turned back to Kai, who had… literally disappeared.

“KAI!”

——————-

Interlude: Kai’s POV - “She’s Not My Type. But I Can’t Stop Watching Her”

Honestly, I never planned to make it this far. I’ve been playing my own game, testing out the limits of what I could get away with. I thought if I kept my distance, I’d be able to keep my life under control. But then, I saw Rin.

At first, she was just a new target. Someone who thought she could avoid me by hiding behind her pride. But pride is such a fragile thing, and it didn’t take long before I saw through her little act. The way she tried to pretend she didn’t care, the way her eyes would flicker every time I did something outrageous… it was a challenge.

And yeah, I might’ve pushed her a little. But it was fun. That little rush of watching her crack under pressure.

But what really got me was when she was so caught up in trying to maintain this ridiculous “normal” life. I couldn’t help myself. I had to keep teasing her. I had to keep her guessing. I wanted to see how far she’d go, how long it would take before she snapped.

Maybe it was cruel. But she was different. She was special. And somewhere between all the pranks and public confessions, I started feeling like maybe I did want her.

Maybe I was playing a game… or maybe I was already too far gone.

————————

“I’m Getting Too Good at Avoiding Him”

The first day of my life where I actually tried to avoid Kai Takumi was a disaster.

By 9 AM, I had locked myself in the bathroom twice, pretended to be on an emergency call, and accidentally hid under a table in the library, convinced I was being followed.

It was terrifying how easy it was to fall back into old habits—if only avoiding him worked. He was everywhere. His stupid smile. The way his gaze always found me, even in a crowded hallway.

By lunch, I was at my breaking point.

I was sitting in the cafeteria with Yuu, who was currently assessing the crowd of people like a queen observing her kingdom.

“I swear,” she muttered, “if you two don’t stop playing hard-to-get, I might just strangle you both.”

“Thanks for the support,” I muttered.

Kai entered the cafeteria like it was a runway. Everyone’s eyes followed him, then inevitably landed on me. He caught my gaze and gave me a knowing smile.

I froze. He started walking toward me.

Yuu raised an eyebrow. “Are you going to talk to him?”

I shook my head. “I am so far gone. I don’t even know what’s real anymore.”

Kai finally reached the table, leaning in casually. “So, are you ignoring me on purpose?”

“No,” I said, my voice strangely firm. “You’re the one who doesn’t stop messing with me.”

“Oh, right.” He grinned. “Well, if it makes you feel any better… I’m going to sit down anyway.”

I couldn’t even breathe.

⸻—————

Kai’s POV - “She Thinks I’m Messing With Her. Maybe I Am.”

She’s good at pretending to be unaffected. I’ll give her that. But it’s not like I didn’t notice the way her breath hitched when I walked into the cafeteria. Or how she stiffened when I came over.

I don’t want to admit it, but something about Rin makes everything harder. She doesn’t play the game the way I expect. She doesn’t follow the rules.

Normally, I’d be irritated by that. After all, I’m the one who writes the rules around here.

But with her? It’s like she turns the game into something I can’t control. And it… annoys me. But I keep coming back for more.

Maybe I’m just trying to see if she’ll crack. Or maybe I’m just trying to figure out if this is more than just fun. More than a game.

I’m not the type to fall for someone who pretends to not care. But I have to admit, Rin’s different. And I don’t even know how it happened.

I sat next to her, studying the side of her face as she pretended to focus on her lunch. The corner of her lips twitched. And in that moment, I knew—she wasn’t fooling anyone. Not even herself.

But would I let her admit it? Not yet. Not when I was having too much fun watching her fight it.

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***