Was that dream real?
I blinked groggily, my head still full of static thoughts.
"Every first of the month, someone will fall in love with you…"
Huh?
That was either a dream or the spirit of a very bored romance deity trying to spice up my tragic love life.
The only thing I'd done recently that was remotely "shrine-related" was…
Oh.
Right.
That soda..
"Tch... That stupid vending machine," I muttered, rubbing my eyes. "I only meant to buy one soda. One. But then plop, an extra one rolls out like a surprise gacha pull."
Naturally, like any upstanding citizen with a slight god complex, I thought, Well, can't let this go to waste, and left it at the little roadside shrine nearby. Even gave it a respectful bow like a model student.
And then I forgot about it. As one does.
"Wait… So you're telling me I triggered some divine matchmaking event… with a soda?"
My face twisted. "Isn't God's bar a little too low? Like, seriously. No prayers, no incense, no fancy dances—just carbonated sugar water? I didn't even wish for anything!"
Unless there was a line in the divine matchmaking Terms & Conditions like:
[✓] I have offered a carbonated beverage and thus agree to the monthly subscription of spontaneous romance.
Yeah, no. I'd remember signing up for something that cursed.
Just as I was untangling this mess of supernatural logic in my head, I noticed the silence.
Too much silence.
My brain stopped.
My head slowly, sloooowly tilted up.
And there she was.
Rin.
Her eyes shimmered like lake water under the moonlight—delicate, uncertain, like she was about to say something life-changing or confess that she secretly eats the crusts off people's bread.
Vulnerable. Hopeful.
And somehow—intoxicating.
Wait, wait, wait. Don't panic. Stay cool. Don't look like you just realized you forgot your math homework.
I glanced at the wall clock.
8:01 AM.
March 1st.
March first.
The first of the month.
And like an unwanted ringtone, the words replayed in my head:
"Every first of the month, someone will fall in love with you..."
Oh no.
This is real.
This is really happening.
"U-Um…" I finally managed, my voice cracking like cheap candy left too long in the sun. "C-Can we… talk after class?"
The class froze like someone had pressed pause on reality. Even the ceiling fan seemed to hesitate mid-spin. Then—
Pffft!
A ripple of relieved laughter fluttered across the room, like everyone had collectively exhaled after holding their breath for a hostage negotiation.
Oh no. Oh no no no. What did I just do?
Rin bowed so fast her braid slapped her own face with a satisfying thwap, like it had a grudge against her cheek.
"Y-Yes! Thank you for not—rejecting me!" she squeaked, her face the color of a traffic light stuck on red, and practically ran back to her seat. Correction: she tried to run. She collided with a desk leg, muttered a flustered "Owowowow!" in a voice only dogs could probably hear, and sat down like a robot who had just been factory-reset.
Ah yes. Grace, thy name is Rin.
A few students were still chuckling softly. Kenta, my seat neighbor and self-declared "love guru despite never having held a girl's hand," leaned over and whispered way too loudly, "Dude. You've unlocked a dating sim route. Rin-chan's route, no less. Legendary SSR pull."
I smacked my forehead against my textbook.
Please let this be a dream. Or a glitch in the simulation. Or maybe I got isekai'd into some weird romcom anime and forgot to read the title screen.
The rest of the day passed in a haze of whispers, glances, and low-key panic attacks.
After school ended, the golden light of late afternoon poured through the windows like warm honey, casting long shadows on the hallway floor.
I packed my bag slower than usual, not because I had extra things, but because my brain was doing cartwheels inside a ring of fire. All day I'd been staring blankly at the whiteboard, hearing absolutely none of the lessons. I could still feel the way Rin had looked at me that morning, as if I were her last hope on a sinking ship—and I still hadn't processed how a girl that shy had managed to write three pages of love poems addressed to me.
And now…
She was waiting for me again.
Rin stood near the shoe lockers, clutching her bag with both hands like it was a sacred artifact, swaying slightly on her heels like a penguin debating whether to confess or flee to Antarctica.
The corridor was half-empty, the low chatter of students echoing like we were in some slice-of-life anime's final scene. The occasional group passed by, throwing curious glances our way. I could practically hear the background music swelling.
When her eyes found mine, her whole expression softened. Her lips parted like she wanted to say something, but the words got stuck.
"H-Hi, Mizuki-kun!" she said, voice slightly louder than socially acceptable. Like, did she think I was halfway across the gymnasium?
Then—instant regret. Her eyes darted away like she just committed a war crime in a dating sim. "Um—I-I mean… good afternoon."
Her cheeks were pink, the soft kind, not the "I just ran track" pink but the "I just imagined us married and now I can't breathe" pink. Her braid was looser than usual too, like she'd been fiddling with it all day, probably trying to calm her nerves while simultaneously destroying her hairstyle.
She looked… adorable.
No. Not. Don't think that. Think of… taxes. Broccoli. The school's mystery meat. Anything.
I forced a chuckle, scratching the back of my neck like the classic clueless male lead I apparently was. "Hey. You waited?"
Rin's eyes widened slightly, like I'd just proposed. "I—I didn't want to go home without saying goodbye," she said, then instantly froze, pupils dilating.
"N-not that we're dating or anything!" she added quickly, panic in her voice like she'd just been caught smuggling love letters. "I-I mean, unless you want to! Wait—no! I mean—ah—!"
And boom. Full tomato mode. Her face went crimson like she'd just done 100 push-ups in the sun while thinking about kissing.
It was like watching a romantic drama on 2x speed with the subtitles glitching.
I blinked, unsure if I was supposed to respond or just applaud.
I laughed, because what else was I supposed to do? Cry?