Five minutes before homeroom, the classroom was buzzing like a festival.

  "Kyaaaa! Moteo-kuuun!! Please accept my chocolateee!!"

  "Absolutely, yessssss!"

  The Moteo, unnecessarily emphasizing the end of his sentences, ran a hand through his hair in a show-offy way and accepted Valentine's chocolates from his entourage of girls.

  Man, he's such a show-off.

  Ugh, he got five chocolates... the nerve of that Moteo.

  I have no idea what's so great about that show-off.

  He had purple hair, was about average height for a high schooler, and his face was... subtly refined. Sure, he might have been subtly handsome, but I didn't think there was anything about him that screamed "popular."

  No, it's not like I'm jealous of the Moteo or anything—really, I'm not—but you can't help but notice, right?

  Maybe the reason I couldn't help but notice was because I was a gentlemanly, gloomy, loner. Yes, I, Satoshi, was a loner, recognized as such by myself and everyone else.

  While the classroom was filled with rosy voices, two guys were muttering in the corner.

  "M-Man, that's nice... Moteo... I-I wish I could get chocolate too..."

  "No way... Not for us..."

  Those two were... Ah, yes. Ino and Torio, the ultimate representatives of gloominess. They were even further down the dark abyss of gloomy guys than I was.

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  "B-But, if I could get chocolate, I'd want to..."

  "I mean, I get how you feel, but... guys like us aren't going to get chocolate like the Moteo..."

  Their gazes were fixed on the Moteo and his entourage.

  『Kyaaa, Moteo-kun, you're so cool—!!』

  『Moteo-kun ran his hand through his hair! Kyaaa—!!』

  『A guy running his hand through his hair is enough to make my heart pound, but when a good-looking guy like Moteo-kun does it, I feel like I'll die of happiness! Seriously, Moteo-kun is an angel!』

  Watching that scene from the corner of the classroom, Ino snorted.

  "Heh heh heh... I've found it... The secret to being popular..."

  At that moment, Ino's eyes changed, as if he were possessed by something.

  "T-The hair flip... That's it... That's the secret art of popularity...!"

  "W-What's wrong, Ino?" Torio asked nervously, finding him creepy.

  "L-Like the girls just said... The hint was hidden in their words! If I try it, maybe I can get chocolate?"

  "W-What are you gonna do...? You're not thinking of...?"

  "F-Flipping my hair like the Moteo. If I do that, maybe I can get chocolate?"

  "There's no way that'll work."

  "..."

  After a moment of silence passed between them, Ino nodded, as if he had made up his mind.

  "I'm going to flip my hair. I-I've never gotten chocolate before. S-So, I-I want to get some this time!"

  "Stop it. You're just gonna make a fool of yourself."

  "I-I'm going to give it a shot!"

  Ignoring the perpetually negative Torio's advice, Ino mustered all his courage and flipped his hair. However, the girls on the front lines, completely absorbed in the Moteo, didn't even notice. Despite that, Ino kept flipping his hair, over and over again, hoping to get chocolate.

  Man, do plain guys just have no presence or something? I thought, watching the two of them, when...

  『Huh? Over there in the back corner...』

  Finally, a girl noticed Ino.

  Whoa, they noticed!

  Several girls, drawn by the girl's voice, turned to look at Ino.

  Whoa, Ino's getting attention!

  Alright, what's Ino doing?

  I quickly turned my eyes towards Ino. He was flipping his hair, his nostrils flaring, clearly excited.

  『What? That gloomy guy, so gross!』

  『Seriously, he's so creepy, and he's kinda balding too. Like, hilarious!』

  Being dissed like that, Ino's face twisted, his eyes welling up with tears.

  Stop it, please stop it. Stop dissing him. He's just pure. He just tried his best because he wanted chocolate! Despite Ino mustering so much courage to make that appeal, the final outcome was just too pathetic. All he did was create a lifelong embarrassing memory, seriously.