Master Of Rejections But Beginner At Love

The 14th Rejection

With the wind breezing gently and the last cherry blossoms dancing in the clear azure sky, the end of May was nearing.

"I love you! Please go out with me!"

"I am sorry but I cannot reciprocate your feelings." Emma answered.

Behind the gym at Shinjuku's Tokubetsu High, Ichinose Kazuma, a second-year, was rejected for the 14th time by his crush Tachibana Emma who was in the same year as him.

"I-Isee... I guess, I have to try my luck next time, huh?" he said awkwardly while scratching his head.

However, as the school's most popular girl and having the ability to draw everyone's attention to her, it was natural that many students would flock around her. Due to that, every time Kazuma confessed to her, they were surrounded by a crowd making him feel even more pressured.

Being too embarrassed, Kazuma gritted his teeth and ran for his life for the 14th time.

After he ran far enough from the school, his pace became more slower until he was just walking with a normal pace.

"Another day and yet another failure. Man, this sucks, haha..." he muttered to himself and let out a self-deprecating laugh.

As he looked into the sky, he reminisced about the first day they met each other. He recalled her angelic appearance but it was in particular her smile which he could not get off his mind.

It was her cute smile that made his heart beat faster. It was a pure smile that overwhelmed him. It was a contagious smile that made him smile as well. And it was that moment, where he realized that he fell in love with her.

Kazuma was a greedy and stubborn boy. Even though, he was not sure if it was too sudden to say it was love and even though, he was rejected by her many times since that day, he knew for certain that he wanted her by his side.

"-zuma? Hey, did the rejection make you deaf? " someone asked behind him.

"?!"

He heard someone calling out for him. However, he knew that voice too well. Kazuma's face seemed slightly annoyed as he turned around.

"Hm? You're looking less depressed with each rejection. Nice progress!" the person said while she gave a thumb up and a sarcastic smile.

"Is this a compliment, Yui?" Kazuma sighed.

Nagisa Yui. She was in the same class as him and was also his neighbor. Although, their houses were right next to each other, they barely talked to each other until they were in the same class during their first year at high school.

She had shoulder-length black hair and crimson red eyes. Just like Emma, Yui's looks were more than enough to be considered as one of the top beauties at school. With a model like figure like hers, Kazuma tried to catch a glimpse at her body. He started to stare at her legs but he was caught.

"Where are you looking at?" Yui asked with a stern expression.

"Should I be honest with you? I looked at the newly and nicely made pavement under your feet. I even dare to say that in my entire life I haven't seen something as clean and beautiful as this pavement. Can't you see its elegance? Can't you see the love the workers put into it? I guess you can't! And it's because you are simply lacking the eyes for it. Don't worry, many people turn a blind eye to art and you are sadly one of them." he stated with an even sterner look.

"..."

She was speechless. Her stern face turned into one filled with disgust.

"Maybe I would have been less disgusted if you had just said 'your legs'..." she admitted.