Generic Love Story

Generic Love Story!! 2!

The school courtyard was buzzing with noise, students spilling out of the building as lunch break started. Rei sat on one of the benches near the far end, flipping through the pages of her book. It was quieter here, away from the main cluster of students—just the way she liked it. She had her lunch neatly packed beside her, untouched, as she absorbed the words in front of her.

The peace didn't last long.

—"Hey! Watch it you fucking dumbass!"

Rei's eyes lifted from her book, drawn by the sudden burst of anger from across the courtyard. There, near the steps leading to the gym, Saito stood with his fists clenched, glaring at another boy, his usual fire in full display. A crowd was already gathering, whispering among themselves. This was maybe the fourth time this week, things would get nasty and fast.

The other boy—someone from the soccer team, Rei vaguely recalled—was yelling back, and it didn't take much to figure out how things would end.

Rei watched in silence, though her gaze remained detached. It wasn't her place to intervene, nor did she have any real reason to. People like Ryota thrived on attention, and whatever had started the argument was probably trivial.

The soccer player shoved Ryota's shoulder.

Big mistake.

With a quick, sharp movement, Ryota's fist connected with the boy's jaw, and the crowd gasped. The boy staggered back, clearly stunned. Ryota's lip curled, but there was a smugness in his eyes, as though he had proven whatever point he needed to make. He started to move away from the scene, wiping his hands like the matter was settled.

That's when his gaze locked on hers

She hadn't moved. Hadn't flinched. She simply stood there, her book now closed, a neutral expression behind those glasses.

For a second, Ryota hesitated, freezing mid-motion. The ego that had been riding high just moments ago seemed to falter. Why that face? Most people either cheered him on, yelled at him, or scurried off like they were afraid he might turn his fists on them next.

That chick from yesterday didn't have shaking hands, a frown, a smile. She just... looked.

It annoyed him more than he cared to admit.

—"What?" Ryota barked, marching toward her before he could think better of it, —"You got something to say?"

Rei blinked, tilting her head slightly. —"Not really."

Her voice was calm, devoid of any real emotion, and that only made him more frustrated. She didn't even seem angry that he'd started a fight right in front of her, in the middle of her peaceful lunch. She just stood there, like the whole thing was nothing more than a minor inconvenience.

—"Tch. Figures." He half-turned, but then stopped, unable to leave it alone.

—"What, gathering info to rat me out, huh?" He said, the words coming out more blunt than he intended.

She didn't answer at first, her eyes studying him intently, and he shifted under the unexpected scrutiny. Nobody looked at him like that—like they were dissecting him, or like they could figure out his secrets.

—"No, that wouldn't do anything. You just happened to start a fight where I was having lunch."

—"Bullshit, I know how people like you are, but let me tell you this: I'll do as I fucking want."

Rei shrugged, a small movement, but it said more than any words could. To her, this wasn't worth arguing over. Ryota's temper, his actions—they were just... predictable. She picked up her lunch and sat back down, opening the lid as if the conversation were over.

Ryota stood there for a moment, fists still clenched at his sides. He didn't know why, but something about the way she looked at him—or didn't look at him—really ticked him off. Like she saw right through him, past the bravado, past the fists. And for the first time in a long time, Ryota felt small. Not in the way he usually felt after getting into fights, where the adrenaline wore off and left him feeling drained, but in a way that made him question why he even cared what someone like Rei Tsuki thought in the first place.

Without another word, he turned on his heel and stomped off, his frustration simmering beneath the surface.

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Yo! Writer here! My 2013 Vocaloid era is returning like an ancient beast reawakened, live laugh love Electric Angel by Rin and Len