《Becoming a Protagonist》


 PROLOUGE

    Many times, we hear that we''re the main character in our own stories. But is that really the case?


    Not everyone has the courage or the chance to step into the spotlight and become the main character in their own story.


    But¡­.


    If you were given the chance, would you take it? Do you have what it takes to become a ¡°protagonist?¡±


    Unfortunately, I Hayakawa Sh¨­ don¡¯t know the answer to that.


    Throughout my experiences, I consistently found myself playing a supporting role, never have I once stepped into the spotlight.


    If I had to call someone a protagonist, without a doubt, it would be my classmate ¡°Tanaka Kenji.¡±


    With an appearance on par with the actors you see on screen, the physique of an athlete, and a mind that''s as sharp as they come, he''s the whole package!


    His daily life is like something straight out of a "romantic comedy" manga, so much so that it genuinely made me see it that way.


    Suddenly, three stunningly beautiful girls appeared  before him


    ¡°Hey Kenji, want to grab ice cream?¡±


    adorned with cascading, lustrous black locks and an innocent visage that ensnares every gaze, she is none other than ''The Scintillating Moon'' herself¡ªAkira Aya.


    "We''ve already done that before; how about we head to a cafe this time?"


    with an intellect that reigns supreme, she effortlessly claims the title of ¡°The Queen¡±¡ªa captivating blend of beauty and the esteemed position as the student council president, none other than Hamasaki Yae.


    "Your suggestions are always a bit dull. How about shaking things up and hitting a karaoke booth instead?"


    The captivating and stylish beauty with golden locks, rumored to be under contract with a renowned modeling agency¡ª ¡°The Golden Siren¡± Asato Shiori.


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    These three individuals truly stand out in our school, embodying a captivating blend of grace and allure. Their enchanting aura has a magical quality that captures hearts, while their striking presence effortlessly turns heads. Undoubtedly, they have earned the well-deserved title of the school''s ultimate beauties, and all of them happen to fancy Tanaka Kenji.


    as the girls continued to argue Kenji stood up


    "Hey, girls, how about we take it easy? We could start by going to the cafe, then have fun at the karaoke, and wrap things up with ice cream. It shouldn''t take too much time, and I''ve got the evening free, after all."


    ¡°That¡¯s a much better option!¡±


    ¡°It''s streamlined, and everyone gets to enjoy what they want. I like it¡±


    ¡°This is gonna be, like, a total blast, y''know! So stoked for it!¡±


    As expected he was able to handle things well ¨C so this is a¡­. protagonist? it''s kinda scary - that  I couldn''t help but grin in amazement.


    After all, I lack the unique elements that could set me apart or allow me to experience those significant life events.


    The spotlight''s too much for me. I prefer the sidelines, playing a supporting role. I find comfort in the background, complementing others rather than being in the dazzling glare of attention.


    That''s why I respect those who take on the protagonist role. It''s no easy task to carry the narrative spotlight. As a supporting character, I find fulfillment in contributing from the sidelines, adding depth to the story in my own quiet way.


    At least¡­ that¡¯s what I believe in¡­..


    The very essence of who Hayakawa Sh¨­ is.


    ¡°¡±¡°Kenji? Let¡¯s go!¡±¡±¡±


    ¡°Wait a moment¡±


    Kenji looked at the girl to her right who was immersed in her book


    ¡°Hey, Yuki,  do you want to come with us?¡±


    The girl reading the book is Furuhika Yuki


    Graceful and quiet, she possesses a cold beauty personality, her striking silver hair and entrancing blue eyes make her presence captivating. Always lost in the cocoon of her thoughts, she is a living poem, a girl immersed in the enchanting realms of her books


    ¡°No.¡±


    Being called out, Furuhika-san straightened up and bluntly replied, a flicker of annoyance crossing her expression


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s a bummer¡­. I apologize for interrupting you while you were reading¡±


    While her unsociable demeanor may not grant her the same prestige as the other three, her unique beauty stands on its own merits that people started calling her ¡°The Bookish Princess¡± because she read books every day.


    For some inexplicable reason, Kenji finds himself drawn to her. Amidst the sea of personalities, her enigmatic nature and the challenge of understanding her seem to have sparked a curiosity within him. There''s a certain allure in the way she doesn''t easily click with everyone, creating an intriguing puzzle that Kenji can''t help but want to solve. Perhaps it''s the mystery, the uniqueness, or just the unspoken connection that makes her stand out in his eyes, fostering an unanticipated interest that continues to grow with each passing interaction.


    But here''s the thing, not everyone gets her, and that''s what makes her even more special. Despite not clicking with everyone, there''s a charm in her uniqueness that some people truly appreciate.


    As Kenji was looking a bit discouraged the girls around him started to cheer him up


    ¡°Kenji, let¡¯s have fun now!¡±


    ¡°I miss hearing your voice singing. Let¡¯s immediately head to karaoke.¡±


    ¡° I''m also totally starving, you know!


    Feeling a subtle lift in his spirits, Kenji joined the other girls as they made their way out of the classroom,


    ¡°I guess I should be leaving too¡±


    As I prepared to rise from my seat, a sudden tap on my shoulder caught me by surprise.


    ¡°Fu¡­..Furuhika-san?¡±


    Her breathtaking silver locks cascaded, accompanied by a captivating scent that surrounded her. As she drew near, my awareness heightened, and then, unexpectedly, she gently took hold of my hands.


    ¡°I¡­ finally got you¡­ Hayakawa Sh¨­¡±


    as she smiled gently looking at me


    My heart raced, and my face turned red, I found myself lost in her eyes, captivated by her smile and gaze. It felt like something inside me stirred, making me feel all flushed and stirred up.


    [If I were given the chance, would you take it? Do you have what it takes to become a ¡°protagonist?¡±]


    If the same question were posed to me once more...


    I, Hayakawa Sh¨­, it seems¡­.. finally have the answer.

 Chapter 1: Unexpected Bonds

    I woke up from my bed still feeling a bit drowsy


    I still feel tired because of yesterday¡­. I still should have a bit more time to sleep since it¡¯s Tuesday today¡¯s classes start later than usual so it¡¯s all good¡­¡­ or so I thought.


    As I lazily reached out to my phone on the desk to check the date----


    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.


    ¡°Eh¡­¡­.? MONDAY!?¡±


    I hurriedly got up from bed and started packing my things


    -------------- As I arrived at school in time breathing heavily and having crazy bed hair I garnered all the attention of my classmates


    This feels embarrassing¡­.. It seems like I just can¡¯t get used to people¡¯s gaze


    ¡°Unexpected you¡¯re never this late Sho did something happen?¡±


    This guy right here is Tomei Azato, we¡¯ve been together since middle school, you could say he¡¯s one of the people I¡¯m comfortable with.


    ¡°Well¡­. Uh¡­.. well¡­ so¡­. I kind of overslept for a bit.¡±


    as both me and Azato we¡¯re talking, a girl called out to me ¨C and it was none other than Furuhika Yuki herself


    ¡°Good morning Sho-kun.¡±


    Greeting me with a gentle smile as she waves her hand


    ¡°Oh, Good morning to you too, Yuki-san.¡±


    For a moment the classroom was silent


    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.


    ¡°Eh¡­ Why is everyone so quiet all of a sudd-?¡±


    THE CLASSROOM WAS SUDDENLY IN AN UPROAR


    ¡°WHAT!??¡±


    ¡°¡±SINCE WHEN!?¡±¡±


    ¡°¡°FURUHIKA-SAN GREETED!?¡±¡± ¡ª my classmates shouted


    Confused, I didn¡¯t know what was happening until I realized.


    Furuhika Yuki, "The Bookish Princess," known for her cold demeanor and unsociable behavior, suddenly greeted a classmate and was on a first-name basis. Of course, it caused an uproar.


    ¡°When did you and Furuhika-san become friends?¡± ¡ª Azato who was confused and surprised at the same time asked me this


    How did it lead to this? Well, it all started a week ago.


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    ¨C¨C¨C¨CA week ago


    ¡°I finally got you Hayakawa Sho-kun!¡±


    ¡°Eh!? Furuhika-san?¡±


    The sudden realization struck me like a bolt of lightning as I felt Furuhuki Yuki''s grip on my arms tighten. "Wait, why does Furuhuki-san know me?" I thought, my mind teetering on the edge of blank confusion. Her cold demeanor and unsociable reputation had always kept a safe distance between us in the bustling halls of the school.


    ¡°So this is what you¡¯re hand feels like¡­. It¡¯s quite rough¡­ are all boys like this?¡± ¨C as she asked with curiosity


    "Maybe...? I''m the only male in my apartment''s residence, so my neighbors often rely on me for help with carrying heavy stuff and handling tasks that require some strength.¡±


    ¡°Is that so¡­..¡± - Furuhika-san muttered


    ¡­¡­¡­¡­..


    ¡°So¡­. Furuhika-san did you need something?¡± ¡ª still confused, I asked her


    ¡°Ah right! I almost forgot¡± ¡ª


    She released my hand and took a step back, pointing her fingers in my direction.


    ¡°Hayasakawa Sho, will you be my friend?¡±


    ¡­¡­¡­¡­.


    ¡°Eh¡­¡­ WHATTTTTT!?¡±


    Furuhika Yuki-san wants to be my friend? Am I even processing this correctly? It feels like a dream.


    ¡°Y-you don¡¯t want to be my friend?¡±


    Furuhika-san replied as she was pouting and looking a bit sad


    The scene unfolding before my eyes could only be described as adorable. It''s as if the girl rumored to be cold and unsociable doesn''t exist, or like I''m seeing an entirely different person.


    ¡°But¡­. why me?¡±


    Why me? It doesn''t quite add up. I mean, I''m not unattractive, and my grades are decent, but if we''re talking social standing and charisma, Kenji would''ve been the more reasonable choice.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been wanting to be friends with you since middle school¡±


    ¡°Middle school¡­..!? I had no idea we went to the same middle school.¡±


    It¡¯s unbelievable how I didn¡¯t know that Furuhika-san and I went to the same middle school. There''s just no way I could forget someone as stunning as her.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s because I was from Class A-1 at that time.¡±


    Class A-1, the ''Elite Class,'' stood out as the top class in our school, known for its exceptional aptitude for learning. Their consistent victories in external competitions brought pride to our school. Each student in A-1 possessed remarkable talent, earning them a well-deserved reputation as prodigies.


    ¡°The elite class!? That¡¯s amazing! It makes sense why I haven''t seen you at school because I''m in the regular B-2 class, and our classrooms are in different buildings.¡±


    Wait, seriously? Furuhika-san, an elite, wants to be friends with me, a regular student. I''m a little confused, and it''s quite unexpected. How does she know me?


    ¡°We may be from different classes¡­ but¡­.. I have always been watching you.¡±


    as she hides her face from embarrassment


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Wait, Furuhika-san has been watching me!? Confused by the situation, my heart rate suddenly spiked, and I found myself blushing so intensely that I was left speechless. I had no clue what to expect... It''s like a surprise attack, seriously catching me off guard.


    ¡°You may not remember but your kindness saved me in the past.¡±


    as she giggled and started to reminisce about the past


    ¡ª 2 years ago


    [In her earlier days, Furuhika Yuki embodied a persona of timidity and kindness. Being a reserved and gentle soul, she often found herself easily taken advantage of, particularly within the exclusive confines of the elite class to which she belonged. Her meek responses became a vulnerability that others exploited, weaving a narrative of exploitation and vulnerability in her journey through the challenges of the elite social circles.]


    ¡°Hey, Yuki can I copy your homework I forgot to do mine¡±


    ¡°Rina, you are hopeless you know¡­. You should answer it next time so that you won¡¯t get dropped¡± ¡ª Furuhika replied


    ¡°Got it! Thanks a bunch, Yuki! You are my best friend!¡±


    Nanase Rina was a constant presence in Yuki''s life, always by her side and widely recognized as her best friend. Their bond was unbreakable, forged through shared experiences, laughter, and countless memories. However, everything changed on that unfateful day, casting a shadow over their once unshakeable friendship.


    ¡°Hey, Furuhika would you mind getting us some soda all of us are thirsty please?¡±


    A female classmate of Furuhika called out to her


    ¡°Sure no problem¡± ¡ª Furuhika who was ecstatic immediately went out to buy some drinks


    ¡­¡­¡­


    as Furuhika was about to enter the classroom with sodas in hand she heard her classmates talking


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t Furuhika pisses you off.¡±


    ¡°All the boys are gawking at her, and she knows she''s doing it intentionally.¡±


    ¡°Hey, Rin aren¡¯t you like best friends?¡±


    ¡°Best friends? That two-faced bitch acting all kind and all but we know she¡¯s just a slut.¡±


    The gleam in her eyes faded, replaced by an unsettling darkness, as she effortlessly unleashed a barrage of foul language directed at Furuhika Yuki.


    ¡°You¡¯re so mean, I feel so bad for her now¡±


    as all the girls were laughing Furuhika who heard this immediately ran off through the corridors crying


    Why is this happening to me? I can''t fathom what I might have done to deserve this. I always believed that Rina and I shared a bond akin to that of sisters, sharing life''s ups and downs.


    I stumbled and ended up covered in dirt someone reached out to me


    ¡°Hey, are you okay!?¡±


    That was the first time I met him