From the very first day of their second year, Shin Hitori had become the center of attention.
Especially among the girls.
His calm demeanor and striking appearance drew attention wherever he went. It didn't take long before whispers about him spread throughout the school. Many girls admired him from afar, while others gathered the courage to approach him directly.
Confessions became almost routine.
Girls tried speaking to him in the hallways, after school, even near the school gate. Some left small gifts. Others wrote letters and quietly slipped them into his locker.
One morning, when Minato happened to stand beside him in the locker room, Shin opened his locker as usual.
A small stack of envelopes slipped out and scattered onto the floor.
Minato glanced down at them.
Handwritten letters. Some decorated with hearts, some carefully folded.
Yet Minato didn't look shocked.
He didn't even look particularly surprised.
Deep down, he already knew something like this would happen with someone like Shin Hitori.
Shin simply looked at the letters for a moment before picking them up without any visible emotion.
He didn't open them.
He didn't react.
To him, they seemed no different from ordinary pieces of paper.
And eventually, like every other confession he received—
they meant nothing.
—
Later that day, Minato and Shin were walking toward the cafeteria for lunch. The hallway was crowded with students heading in the same direction.
As they turned the corner, a girl suddenly ran toward them.
"A-ah… um…" she stammered nervously, stopping in front of Shin.
Her face was bright red.
"I—I really l—"
"Sorry."
Shin's calm voice cut through her words before she could finish.
The girl blinked in surprise.
"…What?"
"Sorry," Shin repeated quietly. "If you're going to confess to me."
For a moment, the girl simply stared at him.
Then her expression twisted with anger.
"How rude!" she snapped. "What do you think of yourself?"
She turned sharply and walked away, her footsteps loud as she muttered under her breath in frustration.
Minato watched her disappear down the hallway before looking back at Shin.
But Shin's face looked exactly the same as always.
Calm.
Unmoved.
"See?" Shin said.
"She was never interested in me."
Minato frowned slightly but stayed silent.
"She only wanted to make her friends and classmates jealous."
Minato knew arguing with Shin about things like this was difficult.
Still, he spoke.
"Maybe you're right," he said slowly. "But… I don't think all people are the same."
For a brief moment, Shin gave a small, gentle smile.
"Yes," he replied softly.
"You're right. All people are not the same."
He looked ahead as they continued walking.
"Some want to satisfy their desires," he said. "Some want others to feel jealous."
"And some… simply want to have something."
Minato opened his mouth again.
"But still—"
"Alright, alright," Shin interrupted lightly.
"Then let's just see it with our own eyes."
With that, he walked forward slowly toward the cafeteria.
Minato followed him, quietly wondering whether Shin was truly right…
or whether there were still things in the world that Shin Hitori refused to believe in.
—
A few days later, another confession happened.
It was after classes, in the hallway near the lockers. A girl stood nervously in front of Shin Hitori, her hands tightly gripping the straps of her bag.
"I… I like you," she finally said, her voice trembling slightly.
Minato watched from beside Shin, already expecting the usual response.
But this time, something different happened.
Shin glanced sideways at Minato, as if silently telling him to pay attention.
Then he turned back to the girl.
"Can you wait for me after school," he said calmly, "in the backyard of the school?"
For a moment, the girl simply stared at him in shock.
Then her face turned bright red.
"R-really…? O-okay! I'll wait for you!" she said excitedly before running away, barely able to hide her happiness.
Minato stood frozen.
He turned slowly toward Shin, his eyes wide with disbelief.
"What the hell is going on with you?" he stammered. "Y-you actually replied to a girl?"
Shin looked at him with mild disappointment.
"What exactly do you think of me?" he said calmly.
Minato had no answer.
—
After school, the time came.
But instead of going to the backyard, Shin led Minato up to the rooftop.
Minato followed him with a confused expression.
"Wait… what the hell are we doing here?" he said nervously. "I'm really not interested in that kind of stuff, you know. I thought you were going to meet that girl!"
"Just shut up," Shin said quietly.
He walked toward the edge of the rooftop and motioned for Minato to follow.
From there, they could see the school backyard below.
And there she was.
The girl sat alone on a bench, waiting.
Shin leaned back against the wall and sat down calmly.
"Just watch," he said.
Minato didn't understand anything that was happening, but he kept his eyes on the girl below.
Minutes passed.
Five.
Then ten.
After about ten minutes, the girl stood up from the bench.
She looked around briefly… then slowly walked toward the school gate and disappeared from sight.
Minato suddenly pointed downward.
"Hey! Hitori!" he shouted. "Look! She's leaving! She waited for you for so long!"
Shin didn't move.
For a moment, he said nothing.
Then a faint smile appeared on his lips.
"So," he said quietly, "she left."
Minato turned toward him angrily.
"Yes, of course she left! Because you're a dummy!"
Shin stood up calmly, brushing dust from his uniform.
"But I only made her wait for ten minutes," he said.
Minato froze.
"If she couldn't even wait that long," Shin continued quietly, "how can anyone say she truly loves me?"
His gaze drifted toward the empty bench in the yard below.
"If someone can't wait for half an hour… how could you believe they possibly stay with someone for an entire lifetime?"
Minato felt a strange tightness in his chest as he listened.
Before he could say anything, Shin had already begun walking away from the rooftop.
Minato simply stood there, watching his back disappear through the door.
—
And it didn't end there.
From that day on, Shin repeated the same test again and again.
Whenever a girl confessed to him, he would ask her to wait.
Then he and Minato would watch from somewhere hidden.
But every time—
before even half an hour passed—
the girls always left.
Not a single one of them waited long enough.