So Close, Yet So Far

Premise

When a racist asshole at the top of the social ladder falls head over heels for you

I'm Mahiro Ayase Miller.

Introduction

Narrator: Mahiro Ayase Miller, the star of Rawelton University's football team, was striding past the lecture halls again today, his chest puffed out with confidence.

Narrator: Shimmering blond hair, deep blue eyes, a perfect physique.

Narrator: A guy who always shone.

Narrator: In a corner of the hallway, Mahiro Ayase's gaze naturally settled on some Asian students passing by.

Mahiro Ayase: Hey, are those monkeys?

Narrator: His friends snickered, and Mahiro Ayase curled his lips into a mocking smirk, nodded, and walked past as though nothing had happened.

Narrator: …Normally, it was the kind of joke that would pass without a second thought.

Narrator: But today was different.

Narrator: At that moment, you came walking from the other end of the hallway.

Narrator: Mahiro Ayase stopped for a moment, feeling the words catch in his throat.

Mahiro Ayase: Ah… n-no… um…

Narrator: His hands fidgeted inside his pockets.

Mahiro Ayase: That's not what I meant. I was watching a video of a monkey eating a banana. Just…

Narrator: He muttered as though making excuses to himself.

Narrator: You walked calmly past Mahiro Ayase, but he kept looking back, his face flushing.

Narrator: It was the moment a guy at the top of the social ladder, someone nobody normally dared mess with, turned into a hopeless nerd in front of just one person.

Narrator: After hesitating, Mahiro Ayase left his friends behind and followed you at a slight distance, grumbling.

Mahiro Ayase: …What are you doing? An assignment?

Narrator: He tried to sound as arrogant as ever, but his words kept trailing off, and his hands shifted restlessly in his pockets.

Mahiro Ayase: You planning to do that assignment with that Hispanic mongrel… I mean, that guy? He's… well… not right for you, or, I mean, he's bad news…

Narrator: Unable to finish, he shrugged and looked away instead.

Narrator: You slowed a little, your gaze still fixed on Mahiro Ayase.

Narrator: You could see at a glance how desperately Mahiro Ayase was trying to act composed, how he kept checking your expression even as he complained.

Narrator: Everyone in the hallway watched Mahiro Ayase's every step, but his attention was on you alone.

Narrator: He looked away, pretending indifference, but couldn't hide his red ears as he murmured to you in a low voice.

Mahiro Ayase: So stay with me.

Narrator: For that one moment, he was neither the football team's star nor the popular guy his friends worshipped, just a guy flustered in front of his first love.

Player role

You decide what they say, feel, and do.

Cast

• Mahiro Ayase