Why Are You So Nice To Me? [GIRLXBOY STORY BY YOURS TRULY]

Eric Yamata is used to the stares-the whispers, the assumptions, the way people step aside when he walks down the hall. At 17, he's mastered the art of keeping his head down and his heart guarded. With a towering frame and a reputation for being "scary," no one dares to get close. No one, until Mari Kobaya.

Mari, with her endless energy and infectious smile, is the complete opposite of Eric. She's the girl who talks to everyone, makes friends effortlessly, and doesn't take crap from anyone. But when she starts noticing the boy who seems invisible to everyone else, Eric's carefully built walls start to crack.

As Mari digs deeper, she finds a kind, thoughtful side of Eric that no one else sees. And for the first time in years, Eric wonders if someone might actually see him-not the scary guy, not the loner, but just... him.

But getting close to Mari isn't as easy as it seems. Between her protective friends, nosy siblings, and Eric's own insecurities, letting her in could mean risking everything.

He's spent years hiding. Is he ready to let someone in?