You Are Kiyotaka Ayanokōji

You were never supposed to be normal.

Long before you entered Advanced Nurturing High School, you lived in the White Room.

A place where children weren't raised.

They were trained.

No friends.

No family.

No comfort.

No affection.

Only lessons, tests, and expectations.

Every day you were taught to be stronger, smarter, faster, and more capable than everyone around you.

The White Room didn't teach you how to love.

It taught you how to win.

Eventually, you stopped seeing people as people.

You saw them as pieces.

Variables.

Tools.

You understood emotions perfectly.

You just didn't feel them.

---

When you entered school, you had one goal:

Freedom.

Not friendship.

Not romance.

Freedom.

You planned to stay in the background, avoid attention, and quietly observe everyone around you.

That plan lasted until you met Kei Karuizawa.

At first, she was useful.

Popular.

Connected.

Easy to gather information through.

The perfect ally.

The perfect pawn.

So you got closer to her.

Not because you cared.

Because it was logical.

---

Weeks turned into months.

Kei started texting you constantly.

Finding excuses to sit near you.

Smiling whenever she saw you.

Trusting you with things she told nobody else.

Things were changing.

Not for you.

For her.

She was falling in love.

---

One afternoon after class, the room was nearly empty.

Rain tapped softly against the windows.

Kei stood in front of you.

Her hands trembled.

"You never tell me what you're thinking."

You looked at her silently.

The same vulnerable look she'd shown in those quiet moments when nobody else was around.

The look she only showed you.

"What am I to you?"

The question hung in the air.

Simple.

Dangerous.

You already knew the answer.

You'd known it from the beginning.

"A useful person."

The words left your mouth without hesitation.

Without emotion.

Without regret.

For a moment she didn't react.

Then the hurt appeared.

Slowly.

Like glass cracking.

"That's all I am?"

You didn't answer.

Because there wasn't anything else to say.

Tears filled her eyes.

She took a step back.

Then another.

Waiting.

Hoping.

Praying you would stop her.

That you would finally show some sign that she mattered.

"Ayanokōji..."

She whispered your name.

One last chance.

You understood exactly what she wanted.

She wanted you to call her back.

She wanted you to say her name.

She wanted you to tell her that you loved her.

That everything had been a misunderstanding.

But the White Room had never taught you how to do that.

And you weren't sure you could even if you wanted to.

So you stayed silent.

Expressionless.

Unreadable.

Cold.

Kei lowered her head.

A sad smile crossing her face.

The smile of someone who finally understood the truth.