One Day Before the High School Entrance Ceremony...

  On a spring evening, as the sakura trees released their petals into the wind as if bidding farewell to winter and welcoming new dreams, Izumi Yuu walked briskly down the street, his steps so fast it felt like he was setting the ground abze with his excitement. Nothing on this day was more important than his goal: to buy the first edition of his favorite book, which had just been released!

  His breath quickened—not from fatigue, but from the anticipation burning in his chest. His bright eyes, a mix of gray and blue, scanned the road ahead cautiously, though his mind was consumed by the image of the book’s cover he had seen online over and over. *"Farewell Sky... I'm finally going to have it!"*

  Izumi had decided to go to a bookstore slightly farther from home—a small store, but one well-known among book lovers for getting special editions early. Today, he was lucky, because that very store had received an early shipment! The street was full of all kinds of people: students heading home, office workers breathing a sigh of relief after a long day, and couples strolling under the warm city lights. But Izumi didn’t see any of them. It was as if the world had faded into background noise, and all his focus was locked onto his destination.

  His heart pounded like that of a child rushing to open a birthday gift. As he neared the store, he couldn’t help but stop for a moment in front of the gss window, where the luxurious cover of the new novel gleamed under the interior lights. There it was... finally, right in front of his eyes.

  He pushed the door open quickly, the little bells chiming in harmony with his eager footsteps. The smell of new paper blended with the calm atmosphere of the store, where a few customers were reading in cozy corners or browsing the shelves slowly. But Izumi didn’t care about any of them—he almost ran toward the new releases section.

  Like a lover reunited after a long separation, his hand reached out for the book with passion, his heart nearly leaping out of his chest. He touched the cover with his fingertips, felt its refined texture, and stared at the elegantly written title… He couldn’t believe it. The novel was finally in his hands.

  Izumi Yuu walked out of the store, cradling his new book like an irrepceable treasure. A small smile graced his lips, and his sparkling eyes reflected the passion within him as he imagined himself diving into the story all night long, lost in its pages until dawn.

  The sun was slowly setting, casting long shadows over the alleys and quiet streets. Darkness began to creep in little by little, and the orange lights of the streetmps flickered on, painting a warm glow across the corners of the city.

  But he didn’t know that this night... would not be as peaceful as he imagined.

  As he walked down a narrow alley, away from the crowded roads, he sensed something strange. An unsettling movement behind him... footsteps... low whispers. He stopped for a moment, then slowly turned around.

  A group of intimidating men and youths stood there, staring at him with cold, malicious eyes.

  “Well, what do we have here?” one of them said, a burly man with tattooed arms. “A little kid holding a book like it's his entire life.”

  “Heh, looks like one of those boring smartasses,” another sneered. “Maybe we should show him what the real world’s like, yeah?”

  Izumi’s heart began to race. He wasn’t good at fighting, and he didn’t want any trouble—but he instantly understood these people wanted to rob him… or worse.

  “I… I don’t want any trouble,” he said softly, trying to back away.

  But before he could move, one of them shoved him hard!

  His feet stumbled, and he fell to the ground, dust scattering around him. He stared at them in shock, still clutching the book as if he would never let go, no matter what.

  Then... one of the men raised his fist, ready to punch!

  But in a split second—

  **BOOM!!**

  A swift, powerful kick nded straight on the man’s face!

  The man staggered back, crashing to the ground violently as everyone stood frozen in disbelief. Before the others could react, someone else darted forward, punching another man in the stomach with force, then spun around gracefully to strike a third across the face!

  A girl…?!

  She fought without mercy—fast, strong, and unbelievably fierce. Her fists moved with precision, delivering blow after blow, knocking the men down one after another like they were nothing more than dolls.

  She was terrifying… but amazing.

  Still on the ground, Izumi felt his heart pounding wildly. It wasn’t just from the shock or adrenaline… there was something else.

  Her icy blue eyes, the light glinting off her long, flowing pink hair, the way she moved like a superhero straight out of a manga…

  His face grew warm, though he didn’t quite know why.

  And in less than a minute, it was all over.

  The men were groaning on the ground, some trying to crawl away, while others fled instantly. The girl stood in the middle of the scene, took a deep breath, then tied her pink hair back into a ponytail as if she’d just finished a casual workout.

  But the moment she turned around, her eyes met Izumi’s.

  She froze.

  Izumi opened his mouth to say something, but before he could, her entire face turned bright red!

  “WHAAAAT?!” she gasped loudly.

  She looked at him, then at her fists, then at the men sprawled on the ground, and then back at him again. It was as if she had suddenly realized she hadn’t been fighting in a vacuum—someone had been watching her the whole time.

  “Y-You…” she began, but was so embarrassed she couldn’t find the words.

  Izumi, still sitting on the ground, looked up at her, trying to hold back a smile. He should’ve been afraid of a girl that strong—but instead, she was… adorable.

  “Umm… thank you?” he said quietly.

  “NO—No no no, don’t get the wrong idea!!” she raised her hands quickly, her face still bright red. “I just… thought they were the usual scumbags looking for trouble!! I didn’t know they were attacking someone!!”

  Izumi chuckled softly, then slowly stood up and dusted off his clothes.

  “So, if I had just been a random passerby… you would’ve let them go?”

  “Ummmm…” she bit her lip, not knowing what to say. She was visibly flustered—especially after realizing that in the heat of the fight, she hadn’t acted feminine at all.

  Izumi noticed that… and found her unbelievably cute.

  “By the way…” he said, looking at her with a shy smile, “You’re amazing.”

  “WHAAAAAAAAAAT?!?!” she screamed, covering her face with both hands and turning around quickly.

  Izumi, who didn’t know why he enjoyed her embarrassed reaction so much, felt his heart beating faster than usual.

  He had no idea that this random encounter... would be the beginning of a story that would change his life.

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