Prologue

Let me introduce you to someone.

She’s blunt. Hilariously blunt. She’ll tell you your eyeliner’s uneven and then offer you her last piece of gum without blinking.

She’s kind, without even realizing it. She can't even remember sometimes your name . She’ll stand up for you before you even notice someone crossed the line.

She’s funny in the way that makes your ribs ache. But she’s also… complicated.

Because when she don't know what she likes likes to someone really

She turns cold, awkward, distant. She doesn’t mean to push people away… but she does.

And then she overthinks it for the next 48 hours while pretending everything’s fine.

for a second, that fate throws her into the path of someone completely different.

Someone patient.

Someone who listens more than she speaks.

Someone who’s emotionally mature, secure, and knows how to hold space for herself, and for others.

A green flag in human form.

What do you think would happen?

Would it be a train wreck of missed signals and quiet longing?

Would the green flag wait? Would the emotionally clumsy girl learn how to soften or at least try?

Could love grow between someone who doesn’t know how to show it… and someone who’s always ready to give it?

This isn’t a love story that starts with fireworks.

It starts with side-eyes. Awkward silences. Accidental flirting. Emotional panic.

But it’s still a love story.

So come and read

Let’s see what happens when they meet.

What happens when a girl who doesn't know how to show love... meets someone who does?

CHAPTER 1: I Didn’t Sign Up For This

: 5:30 AM – Waking Up in the Loudest House in Japan

My eyes blinked open to the sound of Welgico yelling in his sleep again.

"NO! Don't take my yakisoba!" he shouted, flailing under his blanket from another room

I rubbed my face and groaned. Every. Single. Morning. next a room with Welgico and Welwen was like being in a live-action comedy show that I never asked to be cast in. It was still dark outside, but I could already hear the soft hum of a delivery truck outside and the quiet buzz of early cicadas starting their symphony.

I slowly sat up on my futon and stretched, bones popping a little. It was early june, but the morning air was cool, brushing against my skin through the open window. I stood, careful not to step on Welwen’s sketchbooks scattered on the floor. He liked drawing trees, rivers, anything that lived outside. He said nature "spoke to him."

After tiptoeing past the sleeping chaos, I pulled on my usual outfit: fitted jeans, a plain white shirt, and my black jacket with frayed sleeves. That jacket had seen every season of my life. I slipped into it like armor, zipping it halfway up before brushing my messy hair into a low ponytail.

I grabbed my toothbrush, quietly left the room, and headed into the bathroom. The mirror was foggy from someone showering earlier I brushed my teeth while squinting at my own reflection.

No makeup. No accessories. Just me.

I liked it that way.

After washing my face with cold water, I felt more alive. I dried off, sighed, and walked toward the kitchen, following the familiar scent of soy sauce, garlic, and miso.

---

The kitchen was bright, filled with the sound of a sizzling pan and the rich smell of miso soup already brewing. Mama stood by the stove, flipping tamagoyaki expertly with chopsticks. Her apron had tiny yellow flowers on it, and her hair was tied back, a pencil tucked behind one ear.

My dad was sitting at the table, reading the paper and sipping coffee with the seriousness of a samurai reading a battle plan.

“Ohayou,” I greeted them both.

mom turned, beaming. “ finally Wenalin! You woke up early .”

“I always do,” I said, sliding into the chair beside my dad.

He looked up from his newspaper. “Still wearing that same jacket, huh?”

“It’s comfy,” I shrugged, sipping the cup of green tea mom placed in front of me.

“You’ll never get a boyfriend like that,” Papa joked, raising an eyebrow.

I nearly choked on my tea. “I don’t need a boyfriend.”

Mama giggled softly. “That’s my girl.”

Welwil ran into the kitchen next, his socks mismatched, hair sticking up like a bush. He grabbed the edge of my jacket and tugged.

“sis!sis! I can’t find my kanji notebook!”

“Check under the table. You dropped it last night,” I replied, not missing a beat.

He gasped and ran off like his life depended on it.

Next came Welgico, scratching his butt and yawning.

“Who stole my banana?” he demanded.

“No one wants your banana,” I muttered.

My dad shook his head and took a long sip of coffee like it was giving him the strength to survive another day with us.

By the time the rice cooker dinged, all nine of us were in and out of the kitchen. Welfrido Jr had already called earlier to tell mom about his shift as a policeman. Wenagene, the second sister, sent pictures of her two kids in yukata. Welly Boy’s and his daughter is in the kyoto ,Wenajoy’s and her children are in another city.

And yet, even with so many siblings, I never felt lost. I knew exactly who I was.

The 7th child. The calm in the chaos.

After breakfast and a quick check that I had my homework (barely), I laced up my sneakers, slung my bag over my shoulder, and stepped outside.

The air was cool, and the early sun filtered through the cherry trees lining the street. I walked briskly past the local shrine, nodding at the old woman sweeping its steps. The same one every morning. Always muttering blessings under her breath.

My school was two train stops away. I liked the walk to the station. It gave me time to think or not think. To just breathe.

I reached the platform just as the train arrived. It hissed like a tired dragon, and the doors slid open with a beep. I stepped in and found an empty window seat. My favorite.

As the train rolled forward, I watched the landscape pass by: tiled rooftops, vending machines, clusters of students in uniforms. I saw a group of elderly men playing shogi in the park, a white cat sleeping on a postbox.

I didn’t wear a skirt like the other girls. My jeans and jacket stood out in a sea of pleats and blazers. But I liked that. I didn’t want to be a copy-paste student. I wanted to be...me.

The train rocked gently as we passed over the river bridge. The water glistened in the sun.

I wasn’t thinking about love. I wasn’t thinking about crushes or dates. I didn’t even know what I liked—girls? Boys? Neither? I didn’t care. Life was already full.

---

As I stepped off the train and walked towards school, students flowed like a river around me. The front gate was already packed with noise shoes clacking on tile, teachers shouting reminders, and the distant school bell ringing once, then twice.

I walked past the main building, up the stairs, through the long hallway filled with shoe lockers, until I reached Class 11-B.

And there they were.

“Wenalin!” Discirie waved from the front row, holding her phone up with a Suho video paused mid-smile. “He posted again! He’s drinking americano! He’s so husband!”

Discirie was the group’s eomma—nerdy, sarcastic, and always two steps ahead. Her glasses were fogged up from laughing at something.

Next to her was Jerneth, brushing her hair behind her ears, whispering, “I swear my boobs grew again. Feel them!”

I made a face. “No, thanks.”

“But they’re getting rounder.”

“Still no.”

Grejie was leaning back in her chair, long legs stretched out, hands behind her head. Her tall figure and toned arms made her look like she belonged in a sports anime. “Morning, captain,” she smirked.

“I’m not the captain,” I said.

“You’re the oldest,” she replied.

Wenmar was flapping a hand fan dramatically. “Y’all are too loud for this hour. My delicate gay senses can’t handle this noise.”

Everyone looked at him.

“You’re not delicate,” Discirie said. “You’re loud.”

“And definitely not subtle,” Jerneth added.

“I am a mystery,” Wenmar said, flipping his bangs.

Finally, Lorces was slumped on her desk, eating a rice ball and sniffling.

“I think I failed the quiz yesterday ,” she mumbled. “

“its okay it's only a quiz,” Grejie said, ruffling her hair.

I dropped my bag at my seat and smiled. These were my people. Messy, weird, loud. But real.

---

Homeroom started. The teacher droned on about upcoming tests and field trips, but I was barely listening. I glanced around at my friends.

Discirie was doodling Suho’s name in her notebook. Jerneth was writing equations Grejie was half-asleep. Wenmar was drawing hearts. Lorces was listening to the teacher

And me?

I just sat there, and annoyed them.

I didn’t have a crush. I didn’t feel sparks. I wasn’t wondering what it meant to be in love.

I just liked this being here. Existing beside people who made me feel seen. Living my life in jeans and a jacket, with tofu in my backpack and a little too much miso in my lunchbox.

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