July, 2023.
The sky was bright.
The summer breeze drifted through the school campus.
Students walked through the corridors, laughing and chatting with their friends.
Some hurried to their classrooms.
Others enjoyed the short break between periods.
Among them—
Was a seventh-grade boy.
Kentarou Izumi.
He stood in the middle of the corridor.
His expression was unusually serious.
As if he had reached an important decision in life.
Then—
His inner voice began narrating.
«"I'm Kentarou."»
«"A girl..."»
«"...one year younger than me..."»
«"...asked me if I had a girlfriend."»
A dramatic pause.
«"I didn't know what to say."»
Another pause.
His determined eyes looked toward the sky.
«"And now..."»
«"...I'm looking for a girlfriend."»
---
"…"
"…"
"…"
A crow flew past.
"Caw."
Even it seemed disappointed.
---
A few meters away—
Hayashi Senku stared at Kentarou with a blank expression.
"...You've lost your mind."
Kentarou ignored him.
He folded his arms confidently.
"I'm serious."
Senku blinked.
"No."
"You're not."
"I am."
"You definitely aren't."
Kentarou looked at him with complete sincerity.
"I need a girlfriend."
Senku pinched the bridge of his nose.
"...Why?"
Kentarou answered immediately.
"Because Violet asked me if I had one."
Senku froze.
"...That's your reason?"
Kentarou nodded.
"If she asks me again one day..."
"I want to answer proudly."
"...Yes."
Senku looked at the ceiling.
"Dear God..."
"What did this poor girl do to deserve this?"
---
Kentarou suddenly grabbed Senku's shoulders.
"Senku."
"What?"
"Can you suggest someone?"
"...Someone?"
"A girl."
"..."
"...Suitable to be my girlfriend."
Silence.
Complete silence.
Senku slowly removed Kentarou's hands from his shoulders.
Then—
Without warning—
He placed both hands on Kentarou's shoulders instead.
"Kentarou."
"Yeah?"
"That's..."
"...not how this works."
"Huh?"
"You don't go shopping for girlfriends."
"Oh."
"You fall in love with someone."
"I see."
"You get to know her."
"Mhm."
"You spend time together."
"Right."
"You understand each other."
"Okay."
"Then maybe..."
"...if both of you have feelings..."
"...you start dating."
Kentarou nodded repeatedly.
"I understand."
Senku smiled proudly.
"Good."
"I knew you'd—"
Before he could finish—
Kentarou had already walked away.
"Huh?"
"KENTAROU?!"
---
A girl from Grade 9 happened to be walking down the corridor.
She was carrying a stack of books.
Completely minding her own business.
Kentarou stopped in front of her.
The girl blinked.
"...Yes?"
Kentarou took a deep breath.
Then bowed politely.
"Excuse me."
"I have a question."
The girl smiled kindly.
"Go ahead."
Kentarou looked straight into her eyes.
"Will you be my girlfriend?"
"..."
The corridor froze.
The girl froze.
Two nearby students froze.
Even a teacher walking past slowed down.
"...What?"
Kentarou repeated confidently.
"Will you be my girlfriend?"
The girl's face instantly turned bright red.
"W-WHAT?!"
At that exact moment—
Senku arrived like a bullet.
"KENTAROU!!"
He grabbed Kentarou by the collar.
"Nope!"
"We're leaving!"
Before Kentarou could even react—
Senku dragged him across the corridor.
"W-Wait!"
"I haven't heard her answer yet!"
"YOU'RE NOT GOING TO!"
"But—"
"NO 'BUT'!"
The ninth-grade girl remained standing there.
Still holding her books.
Still trying to process what had just happened.
"...Was that..."
"...a confession?"
One of her classmates walked over.
"What happened?"
She stared in the direction Kentarou had disappeared.
"...I..."
"...I think a seventh-grader just proposed to me."
---
Meanwhile—
Senku continued dragging Kentarou all the way back toward their classroom.
Students couldn't help but stare.
"What did he do?"
"I don't know."
"Why is Senku dragging him?"
"No idea."
Kentarou looked genuinely confused.
"I don't understand."
Senku didn't even slow down.
"OF COURSE YOU DON'T!"
"I told you to fall in love first!"
"I was trying!"
"THAT WASN'T TRYING!"
"I thought I'd save time!"
"You were speed-running romance!"
"I was?"
"YES!"
The classroom door slid open.
Senku practically threw Kentarou inside.
Then took a deep breath.
"...I'm never leaving you alone again."
Kentarou scratched his head.
"...So..."
"...she wasn't the right one?"
Senku buried his face in his hands.
"This is going to be a long year..."
___
July, 2024.
One year later.
The summer sun shone brightly over the school.
Students hurried through the corridors as the lunch bell echoed across the campus.
A familiar voice narrated.
«"I'm Kentarou."»
«"A Grade 8 student."»
A brief pause.
«"Last year..."»
«"...I started looking for a girlfriend."»
Another pause.
«"...I'm still looking."»
---
Under the shade of a tree in the school courtyard—
Kentarou and Senku sat together eating lunch.
Senku suddenly looked at Kentarou.
"So..."
"How's your girlfriend search going?"
Kentarou took a bite of his lunch.
Then calmly replied—
"...No results."
Senku nodded.
"I expected that."
Kentarou looked serious.
"I've changed my strategy."
Senku slowly lowered his lunchbox.
"...Should I be worried?"
Kentarou nodded confidently.
"I've decided not to confess to random girls anymore."
Senku's eyes sparkled.
"...Finally!"
"You've grown!"
Kentarou continued.
"First..."
"I'll become friends with them."
Senku smiled proudly.
"Exactly!"
"That's the spirit."
Kentarou added—
"Then after three days..."
"I'll confess."
Senku nearly dropped his chopsticks.
"...THREE DAYS?!"
Kentarou blinked.
"...Too long?"
"NO!"
"IT'S TOO SHORT!"
---
Kentarou tilted his head.
"Then..."
"Five days?"
Senku buried his face in his hands.
"You learned absolutely nothing..."
---
Just then—
A group of girls walked past them.
One of them accidentally dropped a notebook.
Without hesitation—
Kentarou stood up.
He picked it up.
"Here."
The girl smiled.
"Thank you."
"You're welcome."
She and her friends walked away.
Senku looked at Kentarou.
"...See?"
"That's how normal conversations start."
Kentarou nodded thoughtfully.
"I see..."
A few seconds later—
He stood up.
"...Where are you going?"
"To continue the conversation."
"KENTAROU, NO!"
Before Kentarou could take another step—
Senku grabbed the back of his shirt.
"You just returned her notebook!"
"That doesn't mean you know her!"
Kentarou looked genuinely confused.
"...It doesn't?"
"No!"
"That's called being polite!"
"Oh..."
Kentarou slowly sat back down.
"I still have a lot to learn."
Senku sighed.
"...Yes."
"You really do."
The two quietly continued eating lunch.
After a moment—
Kentarou looked up at the blue summer sky.
A faint smile appeared on his face.
His narration returned one last time.
«"July, 2024."»
«"Grade 8."»
«"Still no girlfriend."»
A small pause.
Then—
«"...Maybe..."»
«"...finding the right person isn't as easy as I thought."»
The summer breeze gently passed through the school courtyard.
And another ordinary day quietly came to an end.
___
June, 2025.
The scene was completely white.
No background.
No characters.
Only Kentarou's voice.
Calm.
Quiet.
As though he was speaking to himself.
«"I've finally figured it out..."»
A brief silence.
«"For the longest time..."»
«"...I kept telling myself that I was looking for a girlfriend."»
«"I thought it was because everyone around me talked about love."»
«"I thought it was because I wanted to experience what romance felt like."»
Another pause.
His voice softened.
«"...But I was wrong."»
«"I was never searching for just anyone."»
«"From the very beginning..."»
«"...my heart had already chosen someone."»
The silence lingered.
Almost as if he was smiling at his own foolishness.
«"It all started..."»
«"...on that spring day."»
«"The day she quietly walked beside me..."»
«"...and asked me one simple question."»
A final pause.
Then—
In his mind—
He heard her voice once again.
«"Do you have a girlfriend? "»
____
Kentarou's voice returned one last time.
«"...That was the day."»
«"...The day I unknowingly fell in love with Violet."»