Preview of a rom-com novel I started working on recently. Feedback appreciated! Also sorry for any errors this is a rough draft still so I didn’t read through, grammar or spell check it QQ.


The cliche motif of love.
An overused yet undefinable concept.
One’s youth is often centered around such a theme, Which is why some are desperate to create special bonds.
So just WHY did my ‘youth’ turn out like THIS!?

Chapter 1

On a not particularly special morning, of an all but exciting Monday, I awoke to my usual routine of making breakfast and a boxed lunch.

“Damn, not that many ingredients for side-dishes, guess I have to add more rice and go shopping later.”

For those who don’t know, I’m Seiji Takagi. Second year, Highschool.

I currently live alone thanks to my idiot parents always travelling like a couple of eloped teenagers under the guise of a ‘honeymoon’.

“Good, everything’s done. Time to go.”

After wrapping up my lunch and putting on my shoes I head out the door.

I go to a certain school not too close, yet not too far from my house.

“Sigh. Another hot and boring day it looks like.”

“I do quite enjoy the peace though.”

Walking along the road that had been traversed countless times by me, while muttering to myself has been a common occurence.

It wasn’t like I had no friends, I just kept the amount to a select few and scared all others away.

It’s not like I have a scary face or anything, I just emit this aura of ‘don’t mess with me or else’ to keep annoyances to a minimum.

Thanks to that, a normal highschool life was assured.

“Sigh”

Letting another sigh escape I trodded along the path one step at a time.

Just then, it happened.

As I was rounding a corner a blur appeared in the corner of my eye but by then it was too late.

“Aghhhh”

A yell of discomfort as I fall flat on my back.

“What the hell?”

Those were all the words that could be squeezed out as I slowly got up from the ground.

Seriously what the hell was that? It felt like some kind of monster just put its claws right through me.

“Ehehe are you alright?”

A soft, high-pitched noise reached my ears while still on the way back up.

“Ah…ah yeah sorry, are you okay?”

Uttering a weak reply I looked towards the direction of that sweet voice.

Standing there was a girl, maybe a few inches shorter than me, with long hair and an all too cute face.

“Hmmm…sorry I wasn’t watching my speed. I didn’t think that would happen.”

The girl said in a lighthearted tone.

“Yeah no worries we are both kind of at fault here. Plus it seems everything is fine.”

Didn’t think what would happen? That you would bump into somebody running like that? Geez how careless can this girl be.

“So, so, how was it?”

“How was what exactly?”

I replied to the girl’s question unaware of what she meant.

“What do you think! My special Love Attack 73: Chance Encounter Headbutt!”

“Did it make your heart race? Huh did it? I bet it did!”

A ridiculous energy poured from the girl but I couldn’t afford to let myself get caught up in her pace.

“What the hell, so that was on purpose? Forget heart racing I’m a little bit pissed off now.”

With an annoyed reply I start brushing away any dirt off myself.

“Come on, no boy can resist the bumping into a cute girl on the way to school scenario”

“Bumping into and getting headbutted are two COMPLETELY different things!”

“Besides this isn’t some game, that old scenario doesn’t excite anyone. And nobody ever said you were cu-”

Before I could even finish my retort a sudden realization hit me.

“Wait. A. Second.”

“?”

Seemingly confused, the girl stood there staring at me with her almond shaped eyes.

“My…my lunch. Where’s my boxed lunch?”

Before enough time has passed for her to even process those words, I looked down behind me.

There, lying open on the sidewalk was an open container and my lunch spread across it.

“My lunch! No no no why did this have to happen?”

“Maybe you didn’t hold onto it tight enough?”

The one responsible for this tragedy spoke as if all the blame was on me.

I shot her a murderous glare but she seemed to just brush it off and keep going in her own little world.

“So a boxed lunch huh? Did your mom make it? Did it have a big heart mark in the rice? Well did it?”

Unconcerned with the fact she was directly related to the incident question after question came from that tiny mouth.

“No, I made it myself and don’t act as if it had nothing to do with you dammit!”

My limit fast approaching, I decided to forget it and settle things so as not to be late for school.

“Fine fine. Forget everything.”

I put back together the container that once held my lunch and stood back up.

“Forgiving what just happened I will now be on my way to school, so if you’ll excuse me.”

“Huh school? We’re finally headed to school?”

While giving an overly cutesy pose the still unnamed girl proclaimed such

“We?”

Don’t tell me…

Sure enough looking her over again the girl was wearing my school’s uniform.

Why hadn’t I noticed such a detail before I wondered.

Though the answer was obvious, I had been stuck in this girl’s pace from the very first moment.

“Sigh. I see.”

“So we actually go to the same school huh.”

Exclaiming that line with such little enthusiasm that it was a statement rather than a question, I continued on.

“Well since we started off in a not so pleasant manner, how about introduc-”

“Wait a second, if we’re going the same way then how exactly could you run into me from the front?”

Cutting myself off, I had to backtrack to the beginning as this was quite an important piece of information.

“What do you mean? I couldn’t use my special love attack if I wasn’t running this way”

With a look that seemingly said ‘duh isn’t that obvious’ this girl seemingly from another planet stood there motionless.

“Arghhhh fine, FINE, forget I asked.”

Fed up with the entire situation I went back to the previous topic of introductions.

“Anyway, I’m Seiji Takagi, Second year.”

“Nice to meet you Seiji-kun!”

Kun? She sure is being overly familiar.

“And you are?”

“Just call me Mysterious Beauty for now”

What the hell is with that?!

Is this girl’s only goal in life to screw with me?

And what’s with the Mysterious Beauty crap.

“Well then Sei-ji-ku-n shall we go?”

Before I could even reply, she grabbed hold of my arm and ran happily towards the school while humming.