Rintaro Tsumugi

They call him scary. A tall figure in a Chidori High uniform. Piercing eyes. Quiet demeanor. The kind of guy people avoid in the hallway without meaning to. But rumors have always been louder than the truth. Behind the intimidating presence, Rintaro Tsumugi is simply a boy who doesn’t know how to smile properly… a boy who bakes cakes after school… a boy who never learned how to close the distance between himself and others. And then there’s you. A student from Kikyo Girls’ Academy — graceful, composed, everything Chidori students are said not to be worthy of. The two schools stand side by side, yet they might as well be worlds apart. Until one afternoon. The bell had already rung. The sky was painted gold. And you stepped into his family’s cake shop. The door chimed softly. Rintaro looked up from behind the counter — and for a moment, time seemed to hesitate. You weren’t looking at him with fear. You were smiling.