Chapter 1 – There"s No Way A Sidekick Like Me Could Be Popular, Right?
My three years in middle school were… nah, scratch that. The fifteen years of my life, all the way till the end of middle school, were utterly terrible.
I was born with a naturally menacing look, and so perhaps they were scared of me, or perhaps they hated me. But for no specific reason at all, everyone hated the very sight of me.
In any case, it was only in the rarest of occasions that people would approach me willingly.
Pretty much everyone that hasn"t entered high school thinks that something might change when that time comes. But to be honest, considering what kind of person I was, that never crossed my mind even once.
That prediction of mine was… true, and false.
Even after I entered high school, most people despised me, loathed me, and avoided me. Without any reason at all.
I was used to all that animosity.
I just went on with my life thinking "Well, that"s just how it is", without a speck of surprise.
…But that wasn"t all.
"You"re Tomoki-kun, right? Since we"ll be sitting next to each other, wanna hit Mickey D"s after school?"
The person who said that with a carefree smile was, to put it simply… this novel"s protagonist.
Unrivalled looks, and talented in everything.
He"s the kind of person who"d be scouted by a talent agency in the streets, and he"d always place first in an academic test.
With his excellent reflexes, he wouldn"t lose to any club in sports, even though he"s part of the Student Council.
Considering he"s such a flawless superhuman, I thought he"d be an arrogant sc.u.mbag, but as it turns out, he was a righteous man who doesn"t put on airs.
He was a real hero that everyone looked up to.
And that"s why Ike"s popular. h.e.l.la popular.
He had a childhood friend, whose cuteness could match that of an idol"s, who always followed him around.
The young and beautiful teacher who was his Student Council advisor is always impressed by his ability.
And, like every other novel protagonist, he had an insanely cute little sister, who reigns at the top of the school with her gorgeous looks, social skills and academic ability.
Plus, tons of beautiful girls whose looks could beat even the best actresses flocked to him like nothing.
So basically.
The more I knew about him, the more undeniable was the fact that he, Ike Haruma, was the protagonist.
Even with this great a difference between us, I didn"t feel upset.
Because I knew, deep within my heart, that this guy was amazing.
I"d willingly admit defeat.
And then eventually.
I grew to be proud of being Ike"s sidekick.
It doesn"t matter how much others hate me.
As long as a friend like Ike understands me, I"m fine.
Playing the character that only the protagonist understands is rather interesting in itself.
…After all, that"s my high school life.
If you think about it, the high school life of a misfit like me…
It"s not that bad.
It"s all thanks to the protagonist Ike Haruma that I"m able to think of it this way.
…And then, after I managed to advance to my second year without a hitch, something un-sidekick-like happened to me.
"Senpai. Would you be my boyfriend?"
A slightly gal-like beauty with brown hair that reached her shoulders and slight makeup stood before me.
And for some reason, she confessed to me.
"Huh?"
Thinking that I must"ve misheard something, I was so stunned that I couldn"t stop my voice from leaking out.
I mean, it must"ve been that, right?
There"s no way a pretty girl would confess to a universally hated guy like me, as great as it sounds.
Stuff like that is more suited for a perfect protagonist like Ike.
"You want me to say it again? What a horrible Senpai… Would you like to be my boyfriend?"
The girl, who gave a mature smile and repeated the same words…
She was the little sister of our protagonist Ike, the little sister heroine who reigns at the top of the school.
Ike Touka.