A wealthy, prestigious family.

The highest grades and a room full of trophies.

Beauty and grace admired by both men and women alike.

Furuse Riu had it all.

"Waaah! The results for our exams are up!"

"Oh gosh, no way! Where am I ranked?"

"God, please! Please give me a pass in maths at the very least!"

Seated at a safe distance with her bento in hand, Riu quietly observed the chaotic swarm of students buzzing around the board where their grades were posted. Anticipation. Fear. Relief. Disappointment. Their faces flickered like light bulbs on a faulty circuit, emotions turning on and off with each glance at the results. Maybe it was because these were their last exams as first years, but they seemed rowdier than usual — either that or someone had spiked the school lunch with pure caffeine.

"Who got the highest grade?"

"Why even ask? It's obviously Furuse!"

"Of course, the princess lives in a different world from us lowly peasants! She'd never stoop to failing like the rest of us!"

"Damn... My momma's gonna flip..."

Riu sighed, poking at her bento. Maybe eating here wasn't her brightest idea, but with the rooftop locked, her options were limited. All she wanted was a little peace and quiet, but in a school this big, that was a grand mission.

Anywhere else was probably less noisy than out here. She decided it was time to cut her losses and find somewhere quieter. As she stood up and gathered her things, their lively chatter buzzed in the air.

"PFFFT— Hahaha! You're such a dumbass, Kazue! Who the f*ck gets a two in Japanese? You literally speak it!"

"SHUDDUP! I-It's 'cause I ate something funny that day!"

"It's all that onigiri. He never eats anything but that, so now his brain is the size of a rice grain."

"Oi, you wanna fight me?!"

The delinquent group was as loud and unruly as ever, she noticed. Wasting no time, Riu slipped away from the commotion, hoping to find a quiet spot to eat—somewhere far from the chaos. As she stepped into the hallway, where clusters of students were animatedly chatting, conversations came to a halt, and all eyes turned to her.

"Wow... Furuse-san is pretty today too!"

"Did you see? She got a perfect score on all her exams. As expected of our queen!"

"Man, I would do anything to date a girl like that..."

"Idiot, she might hear you! Besides, you're too lowly for someone like her. She's practically a different being altogether."

"Like a flower on a high peak... We can't ever reach her..."

Honestly, if things were going to turn out like this, Riu thought she might as well have gone to the private school her father had pushed for. Perhaps it was naive to think she could ever have a shot at something normal.

After all, nothing had changed.

From the moment she was born, Riu had been surrounded by privilege. Her mother graced the covers of fashion magazines as a top model, while her father ran a prestigious hospital. Her older brother, both handsome and talented, was the natural heir to their father's legacy. And then there was her — the prized daughter who seemed to excel effortlessly at everything she touched. Born on a pedestal, she had only risen higher as the years passed.

Piano, art, foreign languages, sports, academics—she breezed through lesson after lesson, collecting medals, trophies, and certificates like they were mere trinkets. Her mother beamed with pride each time she brought home another shiny accolade, and her father's expectations for her were just as high as they were for her brother.

To everyone else, Riu was the one perched above the rest, admired and envied. She should have been happy, living a life that seemed perfect, surrounded by constant praise. But that was exactly the problem.

From the moment she was born, Riu had no freedom. Everyone envied her for her privileges, not realising how isolating it was to be constantly shaped and controlled by others' expectations, striving for perfection without a moment of true autonomy.

Even as a child, her parents meticulously orchestrated her friendships, choosing children from wealthy, prestigious families to cultivate advantageous connections. Initially, Riu didn't mind, as she genuinely liked her companions. However, everything changed when she overheard her closest childhood friend gossiping about her to the other girls in elementary school.

"I don't even like Riu! She's so dense, and she's boring! I'm only friends with her because my mom told me she'll be able to buy me toys and dresses if I'm nice to her!"

She had been a mere doll in a toy house, living in a carefully crafted fantasy until that moment. Discovering her parents' schemes, realising that someone had faked their feelings toward her, and knowing she had been deceived—it all shattered her illusion. Riu never wanted any of this.

The whispers persisted even after she confronted her childhood 'friend' about her superficial facade towards her all this time.

"Don't you think she's acting too arrogant?"

"Look at her, she's so stupid. She can't even tell that not everyone likes her!"

"Just because she won a few awards and her parents are rich, doesn't mean she can have things her way."

From a young age, Riu knew she didn't quite fit into her privileged world. After a lot of wheeling and dealing, she convinced her parents to let her try a public middle school, hoping to find some genuine friendships. At first, she made a few friends, but that plan didn't exactly work out as she had hoped.

As time went on, Riu grew increasingly withdrawn. By high school, she was slightly more prepared to connect with others, but her middle school classmates had already spread the rumour that she was aloof. Now, she was known as the "Flower on a High Peak"— isolated and destined for a high school experience devoid of meaningful friendships.

It was disheartening, but Riu came to accept this as her reality. Maybe it was God's way of balancing the scales. She had money, a wealthy family, excellent grades, and a promising future, but true friendship and meaningful relationships had always eluded her. It seemed those were the things her fortune had left out.

Or maybe she was just a bad person, which might explain why she had trouble keeping friends. People often said she could be a bit prickly at times.

Lunch came and went with no quiet spot in sight, so Riu had no choice but to leave her bento untouched. Afternoon classes began and eventually wound down, marking the end of another school day. Once again, she had managed to go through the entire day without uttering a single word to anyone except a teacher or two.

This was how her daily life at Seiho High School went by.

With a resigned sigh, she adjusted her shoes and stepped out into the chilly late winter air. Only a few days remained until the end of their first year, and then spring break would roll around. Her classmates often exclaimed, "I can't believe we're almost in our second year! Time flies!"

But they couldn't have been more wrong. If anything, time seemed to crawl at a snail's pace, dragging on with a persistence that felt almost suffocating.

—Ping!

Riu's phone jostled in her pocket, and as she promptly pulled it out, the plain black screen lit up with a single notification.

[ DAD ] Well done on passing all of your exams. Now you should focus on studying everything in advance for your second year.

He already found out? That was no surprise, given his friendship with the Principal. He texted her a perfunctory compliment followed by instructions on what to do next. This about summed up their familial relationship.

I've already started, so you don't have to tell me twice.

She shoved her phone back inside her bag, without bothering to respond.

"Hey, Kazue! You're not coming to karaoke?"

The voices of a boisterous group of boys suddenly echoed from behind her. She realised they were the same delinquents she'd overheard during lunch.

"Sorry, Itou, not today! I've got a date!"

"Haaaah? Don't lie, idiot! No girl would date you with your two-out-of-a-hundred marks!"

A blur of red hair zoomed past Riu, heading straight for the bike rack. He skidded to a stop, flashing a grin with canines that looked like they belonged to a particularly cheerful dog. "Heh, jealous?"

"Why, you little—"

The red haired boy leaped onto his bike, stuffing his bag into the basket, and shouted a breezy "See ya!" before pedalling off into the wind.

How carefree...

Failing grades, being the punchline of his friends' jokes, and not a care in the world about his own future—and now he was off to chase girls? It was as if he was living life on his own peculiar terms, in all the worst ways. To think he could smile so easily despite achieving absolutely nothing made her almost pity him. Almost.

There was a brief silence before the other boys spoke up again.

"Sheesh, that little jerk better not get a girlfriend before me!"

"Hahaha, but with that scary face of yours, no girl would come near you, Itou. Right, Furuse-san~?"

Suddenly, the two boys glanced her way. Riu almost flinched when the raven-haired guy with piercings addressed her so casually. Then she recognised him — Kunou Shun. He was in her class and notably popular with the girls, thanks to his pleasant voice and charming smile. Perhaps it was because of that he never had a problem approaching her, unlike most. From what she'd read in novels though, guys like him were often manipulative foxes.

"O-Oi, that's Furuse you're talking to, you know... should you really be so forward with her?" the larger guy with the buzzcut and small eyes whispered almost timidly to his friend. Junkei Itou, just another loud, ape-like jock who morphed into a shy kitten around pretty girls, was also in their class.

"Eh? It's fine, we're in the same class."

Unsure of what to say or do, Riu opted for her default move: ignore them and walk away.

The crunch of her shoes on gravel echoed through the air, mingling with the faint whispers behind her. "Uwaah, she's so cold."

"Can you blame her? She's a princess, and we're just street punks."

I'm no princess. But you guys are definitely punks.

Riu adjusted her coat before taking her leave. As she walked her usual route towards the train station, something caught her eye. A crowd of people shuffled out from the entrance, their faces etched with discontent, grumbling frustrations under their breaths.

Wait, don't tell me...

She hurried inside, only to find a digital announcement playing from the LED screen.

"Attention passengers: Due to a minor problem, train services are experiencing delays. We apologise for any inconvenience caused."

...Seriously?

She decided to check the transport app, only to find out that the train wouldn't be available for the next few hours. Part of her considered calling her dad's secretary, Mr. Takano, to send a car to pick her up, but she resisted the temptation. She had made a promise to herself not to rely on her privileges during high school, and she wasn't about to break that now. After all, nothing screamed "independence" like a long, cold wait for public transport.

After wandering around aimlessly for a while, she discovered a little café and decided to spend her time there with a good book. The waitress kept casting curious glances at Riu — a beautiful girl sitting alone and nursing a single mocha for two whole hours — but she didn't say a word.

The sky darkened and time passed rather swiftly for once. She decided to make her way towards the stations again, tightening her scarf as a gust of cold wind billowed against her skin.

"Well, well, what's a cutie like you doing out here all alone this late?"

A shudder ran down her spine when someone called out to her from ahead. Riu's eyes locked onto a very drunk, middle-aged thug with flared nostrils and a grin so lecherous it made her stomach churn.

This again? How many times have I been in this situation...

It's okay, I'll just kick him in the groin and run if things get dangerous.

She attempted to sidestep the man, but he swiftly moved in front of her. She shot him a cold, baleful glare. "Excuse me, but I'm on my way—"

"Now now, it's dangerous for kittens like you to be out here alone. How about you come with me to my— AAUGHH!"

Her eyes widened in disbelief — utterly unprepared for what happened next.

Out of nowhere, a panda suddenly glided in front of her, practically body-slamming the man as if it were an action movie stunt.

...What the hell?!

A panda?!

The drunkard toppled dramatically to the ground, landing squarely on his backside and howling in pain. Before Riu could react, a firm, fluffy paw wrapped around her wrist.

"Run!"