It's Hard for me, an Unremarkable Guy, to Believe that someone as Popular as Hirose-san would be Interested in me. - Chapter 3

That evening, back home, I found myself staring at Hirose-san’s profile picture on LINE, now saved on my phone.

(This isn’t a dream, right? I actually exchanged contact information with Hirose-san, didn’t I?)

Even so, I couldn’t muster the courage to send her a message first.

(The way she acted when we exchanged numbers… it felt like she might like me…)

That thought lingered in my mind. While half of me dismissed it as impossible, the other half couldn’t help but hope that if it were true, she’d be the one to send me a message.

But that day passed without a single message from her.

“Ahhhh! I got to walk home with Yoshizawa-kun AND got his LINE!”

Staring at Yoshizawa-kun’s profile picture on LINE, I couldn’t stop myself from grinning.

(Even his name, ‘Souma Yoshizawa,’ sounds so cool! And those sharp, mysterious eyes paired with his quiet demeanor—he’s just too handsome!)

Unable to contain my excitement, I hugged my phone and rolled around on my bed.

This was the first time I had ever felt like this about someone.

If I’m being honest, I’ve always seemed to attract attention from boys.

At school or at work, I constantly catch guys staring at me, talking to me with overly kind intentions, or outright trying to flirt.

On the surface, I’d respond with a bright smile, but deep down, I started to feel uncomfortable being around boys who were so obvious about their intentions.

But Yoshizawa-kun was different.

He always maintained a calm, composed demeanor. He didn’t talk to me unnecessarily or go out of his way to show kindness. Yet, when it mattered, he spoke up or helped me without hesitation.

The more time I spent around him, the more comfortable I felt. Before I realized it, I had started to like him.

But—

“Please… walk home with me?”

Was I too desperate today?

Other boys often approach me first—they ask for my contact information, invite me out, or start conversations. But Yoshizawa-kun never does any of that.

If I don’t make the first move, nothing will happen between us.

Even when I asked him to talk casually, he replied with, “I’ll think about it.” If I hadn’t invited him, he would’ve walked straight home without a second thought. And even when he agreed to walk with me, it was only because “it’s dangerous for a girl to walk home alone at this hour.”

Other guys are always so transparent about their feelings, but with Yoshizawa-kun, there’s not even a hint of it.

And that’s why I fell for him—but it still makes me sad.

When I asked him if he had someone he liked, I couldn’t help but feel a little relieved when he said no. But at the same time, it hurt to know that he didn’t think of me that way either.

Still… wasn’t the flow of today’s conversation basically like saying, “I like you”? Did I really make it that obvious?

If I send him a message now, will I seem too pushy?

But if I don’t, nothing will change either.

What kind of girl does Yoshizawa-kun like?

These questions swirled endlessly in my mind.

I just want to get closer to him.

Staring at his profile picture on LINE, I spent the night tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep.