Chapter 1
I didn’t come to this city for a fresh start.
At least, that’s what I told myself.
Moving in with my older sister was just… convenient.Closer to school. Better environment. Fewer distractions.
That’s what people say when they don’t feel like explaining things.
The riverbank was quieter than I expected.
A few people passed by occasionally, but no one stayed long.It wasn’t the kind of place where anything interesting happened.
Which made it perfect.
I sat there, doing what I usually did—nothing.
Or more accurately, observing.
If this were a light novel, this would probably be the part where something important happens.
The main character sits alone, lost in thought, and suddenly—
He meets someone.
Maybe they bump into each other.Maybe there’s some dramatic introduction.
Something that changes everything.
Unfortunately, I wasn’t that kind of character.
I was just someone who read too many stories and expected nothing from his own.
“…Yeah. Nothing’s going to happen.”
I muttered it out loud this time, just to make it official.
And then something hit me.
Hard.
I didn’t even have time to react before my balance disappeared.
There was a brief moment of confusion—a flash of blue sky—
and then—
Splash.
Cold.
That was the first thing I noticed.
The second was that I wasn’t alone.
“Ah… so this is how it happens.”
A voice echoed beside me.
Way too calm for someone who had just fallen into a river.
I turned my head.
A girl.
Soaked, like me.Sitting half-submerged in the water like this was completely normal.
“…You okay?” I asked.
It felt like the most unnecessary question I could’ve asked.
She tilted her head slightly, as if considering it seriously.
“Define okay.”
…Right.
Of course.
“You crashed into me,” I said.
“Did I?”
She looked genuinely curious.
Then she glanced behind her.
A bicycle lay on its side near the edge.
“…Oh,” she said.Then, after a pause—“That explains it.”
I stared at her.
She didn’t look apologetic.
Not even slightly.
“…You’re not even going to say sorry?”
“Sorry for what?”
“For crashing into someone?”
She thought about it for a second.
Then smiled.
“Technically, you were in the way.”
I didn’t have a response to that.
Voices came from above.
“Hey! Are you okay?!”
A couple of girls rushed down toward us, clearly panicking.
Unlike her.
“We’re fine,” she replied casually, still sitting in the water.
Fine.
Right.
As they helped us out, I couldn’t help but think—
If this really were a light novel,this would be the part where the main character remembers her name.
I didn’t ask.
Instead, I gave her one—in my head.
In my head
Disastrous girl
It felt accurate enough.
“…You’re weird,” I muttered. She just smiled. I didn’t know it then… but that was the beginning.
I walked away from the river slowly. My clothes were still slightly damp, and every step felt colder than it should have.
The image of her didn’t leave my mind. Not her face exactly… but the way she reacted. Like falling into a river with a stranger was just another normal Tuesday.
Disastrous Girl.
I wasn’t even sure why I named her that. But somehow, it fit too well.
If I tried to think about it logically, it was just an accident. People bump into each other. Things like this happen.
But it didn’t feel like that. It felt… intentional. Or at least, like something that wasn’t going to stay random for long.
By the time I reached home, the sky had already started dimming. My sister would probably be busy again. She usually was.
That thought should’ve felt normal. It didn’t. Not today.
I stood outside the apartment for a moment longer than necessary.
“…What a strange day,” I muttered.
And for some reason, I already knew— tomorrow wasn’t going to be normal either.
