Rain hammered against the window panes of the dimly lit bedroom, a steady beat that matched the rhythmic tapping of fingers on a keyboard. In the corner of the room, lit only by the pale blue glow of a computer monitor, Kaito Sugiura hunched forward, eyes narrowed with critical intensity.
"Yet another pathetic excuse for a 'love confession'," he muttered, voice low and unimpressed. His fingers danced across the keys. CupidKiller's Corner: Episode 47 - When will Romance Writers Learn?
His blog had amassed a cult following online - a blend of bitter takedowns and razor-sharp analysis. Kaito didn't just hate poorly written romance; he dissected it with surgical precision. To his readers he was a dark messiah of truth. To most authors, he was an obnoxious Cynic with a god complex.
And to himself? He was just honest.
"Love doesn't work like that, " he grumbled as he clicked the post and leaned back. "It's not about destiny or sparkles or tripping into someone's arms. It's a series of delusions with a ticking expiration date."
The rain intensified, as the sky was conspiring to argue with him. Thunder rolled in the distance.
Kaito stood and stretched, black T-shirt wrinkled above his plain sweats. He shuffled toward the bookshelf crammed with manga volumes. Romance Romance Romance. All of them read, dissected, and critiqued. All of them failures, in his eyes. His gaze lingered on one cover: Cherry Hearts and Spring Promises. He scoffed. "Another transfer student fantasy. Childhood friend as a losing heroine. Again. How original."
Just as he reached out to pull it from the shelf, a bolt of lightning split the sky and the power cut.
The room went dark.
"Seriously," Kaito muttered. He turned to grab his phone when a soft, melodious voice echoed through the air.
"Ah~! What a dreary little cave you live in. So fitting for a heart like yours."
Kaito froze.
A faint shimmer danced in the air above his desk, coalescing into a figure of impossible beauty. Long hair of cascading starlight, eyes like a molten rose quartz, and a smirk that could freeze fire. She was radiant. And also floating.
"What... the hell?"
The figure twirled mid-air, striking a theatrical pose. "Goddess of Love. Aphireia, at your disservice."
Kaito blinked. Once. Twice. Then pinched himself.
"Nope," Aphireia said cheerfully, "You're not dreaming. Though frankly, this is closer to a nightmare, for both of us."
"I'm hallucinating, " Kaito said flatly. "This is what happens when you read too much garbage and drink nothing but energy drinks."
"You've been cursing my name for 127 blog entries," Aphireia said, checking her nails. "You mock every love story, tear down every confession, and basically act like Cupid ran over your dog. I figured it was time we met."
Kaito stared at her deadpan, and without much hesitation he took his phone and brought it up to his ear. "Hello, yes a strange woman has broken into my home and, I believe she's a stalk-"
Before Kaito could finish Aphireia snatched the phone from his grip as she now stared down upon him fierce eyes that now glow a harsh pink. "Kaito Sugiura I'm no stalker," Aphireia said fiercely, "I'm the Goddess of Love I would advise you to show some respect and not compare me to some lowly stalker."
"Not only does she know my name, she is also insane," Kaito said flatly.
Aphireia just stared at Kaito as if he just insulted her entire bloodline. Her beauty is now hidden behind the face of pure anger as her fist shook, and her hair which was once cascading is now nothing but a spiraling mess.
"Hey look I don't care who you are or why you're here, but you should leave before I force you," Kaito said harshly. "And when I say force I mean I'll be shouting out the window like a scared little girl that there's a pervert in my home."
The room was in silence besides the constant raining outside that kept intensifying by the second. "I see it now....I guess I'll have to resort to that to force you to respect me," said Aphireia in a monotone voice.
Kaito frowned. "What are you-"
A sudden gust of warm, pink wind started to swirl around the room sending papers flying across the room. The sensation wasn't painful, but it jolted him like a splash of cold water. Symbols-hearts, arrows, shimmering runes-danced in his vision, then vanished.
Kaito stumbled back. "What did you-"
"Curse," she said brightly. "This serves you right. From now on, you'll be dealing with the girls you mock so gleefully. The losing heroines who were cast aside like narrative clutter? You're going to help them. Give them closure. Help them fall in love."
Kaito stood still shocked not because he was processing what Aphireia just said, but because his mind swirled with thoughts still more focused on the pink wind from earlier.
Where did that wind come from? it had to be some sort of special effect right, but then where would the equipment be and how is it in my room without me noticing? Actually, let's be serious about this. A strange woman shows up in my room after the lights shut off and claims to be the Goddess of Love. ....A woman in my room. ...Yep this is clearly a dream.
His face returns back into a deadpan state as he continues to look at her convinced he's dreaming.
"Welcome to your punishment." She winked. "CupidKIller is now Cupid's assistant. You're going to live these stories, Kaito Sugiura. And maybe, just maybe, you'll learn what love actually means."
The room exploded in a blinding light.
Then--darkness
Kaito Sugiura shot upright in bed.
His heart pounded against his ribs like a caged animal desperate to escape. Sunlight spilled through the curtains of his bedroom, painting golden stripes across his cluttered desk-manga volumes stacked precariously, his laptop closed as if waiting for his return. For a moment, he lay there, eyes squeezed shut, willing himself to believe it had all been a dream.
The Goddess of Love, curses, manga characters coming into life, being forced into a role of cupid-none of that sounded like reality. None of it could be real. But it felt real.
He pushed the covers off and swung his legs to the floor. His head throbbed, the remnants of last night's event swirling like smoke in his mind.
Dreams are supposed to be fleeting, he thought, rubbing his temples. Not cause a headache.
Dragging himself through his morning routine Kaito moved mechanically, the taste of stale coffee lingering on his tongue as he made his way towards the front door. As Kaito sluggishly opened the front door he stood there for a second or more before looking back staring at nothing more, but an empty room filled with nothing but furniture, but not a single speck of dust in sight. As the silence grew larger it finally came to an interruption by a sigh and a sound of the door slamming shut as if it was made for someone to hear.
School was the same as always. The same chatter filled the hallways, the same lazy glances and distracted smiles. School felt normal, but for someone like Kaito who's always observing from the back things felt off.
Kaito glanced around the crowds of students who walked past him through the hallways chatting and laughing. Kaito came to a sudden stop in the middle of the hallway as his eyes moved towards multiple students just walking and talking and playing in the hallway. Until he finally caught on to the detail that has been causing his unease the most. Everyone's hair is seemingly colorful in a way more than usual.
What the hell? Did I miss something? Everyone's hair is so vibrant and don't even get me started on the hairstyles; they're all so unique. It's as if I was inside a high school themed anime.
While still glancing around thinking to himself he spots a student with red spiky hair heading towards his direction and seeking the chance, Kaito waved him down while approaching him. "Hey did the school make some kind of announcement about the hair policy for today or did-"
Before he could finish his sentence he was interrupted by the student who seemed pretty confused. "What are you talking about? What hair policy?"
"Uh you know the hair policy about the hair standards. I'm asking because everyone seems to be well-" He looks around at all the students with unique hair colors and styles walking about and standing around.
"Dressed up as if they just came out of a high school anime that was axed after the first season," Kaito said, confused.
The student brows furrowed as if they just heard the stupidest sentence to ever be muttered. "I don't know what's wrong with you, but I have no clue what you're talking about, maybe you should visit the nurse."
Kaito, now even more confused by their response, widened his eyes and took a small step forward. "Then what's up with your hair- no what's up with everyone's hair and now that I'm noticing it."
He took a look into the student's eyes and noticed how natural it looked despite the red gleam of it--not like the special contacts that cosplayers use to mimic anime characters.
The student takes a step back and their voice rises in annoyance. "Look I don't know what's wrong with you but, I was born like this just like everyone else was on this earth! They push past Kaito bumping into him. "What a weirdo."
Kaito just stands there confused and stunned while everyone else in the hallway starts to murmur. Am I the weird one here, he asked himself.
He entered the class room that was filled with casual chatter, while his mind was swirling with thoughts about what was going on with everyone he made his way towards his seat in the back, until his eyes widened in shock.
There, she was.
Mio Hanazawa.
A delicate-looking high school girl with soft, shoulder-length blue hair. Eyes that are a calm ocean hue, that carries a quiet, melancholic shine.
She sat near the front of the class, her head lowered into a book she seemed to be reading.
Kaito blinked hard. Impossible, he told himself. You're just seeing things.
But when the bell rang and students shuffled into classrooms. His breath caught as he scanned the faces around him. There were more. Quiet, background characters from the same manga--faces he recognized but had never paid attention to before. The class president, the boisterous friend, the enigmatic teacher. They all sat there, as if they'd been part of his school life forever.
He forced his gaze back to his desk, pretending nothing was out of place. But the sensation of displacement gnawed at him.
When class ended, Kaito didn't follow the flow of students. Instead, he slipped away and found refuge in an empty classroom down the hall. The room smelled of chalk and forgotten lessons. He placed his hands against the cool surface of the desk and closed his eyes, trying to ground himself.
"Still not convinced, are you?"
The voice was silk and thunder all at once.
Kaito's eyes snapped open. There, floating in the center of the room, was the Goddess of Love-Aphireia. Radiant and infuriating, with an expression that blended amusement and disdain.
"Of course, I'm not convinced," Kaito said, voice dripping with sarcasm. "This has to be some elaborate prank. You're a goddess? Really? What's next, talking animals and flying cars?"
Aphireia folded her arms, her eyes narrowing like a cat's "I am no joke, Kaito Sugiura. You insulted me publicly declared romance a farce, a shallow game and now you must live with the consequences."
Kaito sighed, leaning back against the wall, finally accepting that this is real life and not some dream or elaborate prank as he hoped. "Fine. Explain it to me once again then. What is this whole learning my lesson thing?"
She stepped closer, the air shimmering with an unseen power. "The heroines you mocked the ones who never got their happy endings they have been pulled from their stories. But they're unaware of their origins. No one questions it either. Only you and I are aware of this reality."
Kaito's brow furrowed. "So I'm supposed to be their... What therapist? Love guru?"
"Not just that," Aphireia said, voice hardening. "You're their guardian angel. You will help each heroines find closure, whether through love or acceptance. If harm comes to them physically, emotionally, or spiritually you will share the punishment."
Kaito's lips curled into a bitter smile. "A tyrannical goddess's fairy tale. And you expect me to play along?"
She only smiled, cruel and knowing. "You will learn. Or you will suffer. Your realist logic won't save you."
There was a pause, heavy with unspoken threats and ancient power.
"Rules," Aphireia continued, "Are simple. The heroines cannot remember their origins nor can anyone else. You are the only bridge between their stories and this world. No harm is to come upon the heroines so I would recommend you do whatever it takes to protect them. I wish you good luck Kaito Sugiura."
With that, she vanished, leaving the room colder, emptier except for Kaito, who was still reeling.
He ran a hand through his hair. This is insane, he thought.
Stepping into the hallway, Kaito's gaze landed on a familiar sight---Hiroshi, the protagonist from Cherry Days: Our Secret Spring, walking hand-in-hand with Yuki, the bubbly transfer students who won his heart.
And just a few feet away, standing alone, was Mio. She watched them with quiet pain behind her smile. A practiced smile. Then she turned, without a word, and vanished around the corner.
Kaito stood frozen.
How the hell am I supposed to fix this?
The world he'd mocked had swallowed him whole. The heroines were real. Their pain was real. And now, it was his responsibility.
He sighed and muttered under his breath: "Alright, goddess of love. Let's see if this Cupid gig teaches me anything... before it kills me."