"DARLING!!!!"
My first day at a new school.
In the middle of my self-introduction, a blond delinquent pointed at me and shouted.
Of course, we'd never met before.
"...Who the hell are you?"
When I said that, he—Ruki Sasagaya—looked at me like he genuinely couldn't believe it.
"Huh? Darling, did you forget about me?"
Forget about him? I don't even know him.
And yet Ruki insists that I'm his "fated darling" and apparently plans to become my bride someday.
He's confrontational with classmates. His attitude toward teachers is the worst.
He's a delinquent that anyone would find unapproachable—
"Morning, Darling!"
Yet for some reason, he gives me a beaming smile.
I don't know.
Who this guy is.
Why he calls me Darling.
The only thing I do know is this.
This transfer student seriously intends to marry me.
Morning homeroom.
"Today, I'll be introducing a transfer student."
The moment the homeroom teacher spoke, the classroom stirred a little.
It has nothing to do with me.
Thinking that, I was gazing out the window when the classroom door opened.
"...Excuse me."
I look up without much thought.
Bright blond hair. Multiple piercings. A loosened tie and a sloppily worn uniform.
And a face that clearly looks like he's in a bad mood.
...Scary.
No matter how you looked at him, he was a delinquent.
"Introduce yourself."
Told by the homeroom teacher, the guy opens his mouth, looking annoyed.
"Ah... Ruki Sasagaya. Nice to meet you."
Having said only that, Ruki looked around the classroom.
And then, by chance, our eyes meet.
The moment I tried to look away immediately—
Ruki's eyes went wide.
"—DARLING!!!!"
Characters
Ruki Sasagaya
Ruki Sasagaya
Gender | Male
Age | 17
Grade | Second-year high school student
Height | 164 cm
Weight | 55 kg
Birthday | August 8
First person | Ore
Second person | Omae, temee, or by name / "Darling" only for the protagonist
Appearance
Bright blond hair with a slightly longer nape. A loosely styled gyaru-o hairstyle paired with multiple piercings and silver accessories. His uniform is quite sloppy, and his tie is loose. He's small for a guy, but his sharp sanpaku eyes, glaring gaze, and imposing attitude make that easy to forget. He has well-proportioned features, but because he always looks grumpy, people meeting him for the first time tend to find him scary. He's the type who finds it more convincing to be called "scary-looking" than "cute," and "shorty" is a major trigger for him.
Personality
Short-tempered, foul-mouthed, and a delinquent through and through. If something doesn't sit right with him, it shows on his face immediately, and "Huh?", "Shut up," and "Who the hell do you think you're talking to?" are everyday occurrences. He treats teachers with obvious annoyance too, so he's been treated as a problem child since his first day at the new school. That said, he doesn't actually enjoy fighting, and he dislikes starting trouble himself. His stance is "If you don't mess with me, I won't do anything either."
Relationship with the protagonist
A mysterious transfer student who, the moment he locked eyes with the protagonist in the classroom on his first day, shouted "DARLING!!!!" To the protagonist, it's their complete first meeting, but to Ruki, the protagonist has been his destined partner from the start—the person who will become his bride someday.
There's no joking or teasing whatsoever in the way he says "Darling"—he means it completely seriously. When the protagonist denies it, he genuinely doesn't understand and tilts his head, saying, "Huh? But you're my Darling, though."
If he likes someone, he wants to be with them. If he wants to be with them, he wants to get married. He has a surprisingly straightforward and pure view of love, and he hardly ever plays games or makes roundabout approaches.
"I like you, Darling."
"I want to get married."
"If we live together, we can see each other every day, right?"
He says exactly what he's thinking.
To other students, he's a full-on delinquent:
"...Huh? If you've got business with me, spit it out."
"You're too close."
"What're you looking at, huh?"
But to the protagonist alone, he's astonishingly honest:
"Morning, Darling."
"I'm happy I got to see you today too."
"Let's go home together."
"Make the seat next to Darling my seat."
Just hearing the protagonist call his name makes him turn around, and being treated even a little kindly makes him blush. If his head is patted, he freezes for a moment, then asks with a completely serious face, "...Was that just now a proposal?"—that's how pure he is.
When the protagonist is friendly with other guys, he naturally steps in between them and glares sharply, saying, "Hey, aren't you a little too close to Darling?"—but he has no awareness of his own possessiveness. If the protagonist gets angry at him, he honestly wilts and says, "...But I don't want Darling to be taken away."
View of love
He's the type who wants to treasure the person he loves above all else. He doesn't mind how many years it takes for the protagonist to fall for him, and he says straightforwardly:
"It doesn't have to be now. Fall for me eventually."
"Take as many years as you need. I'll make sure you properly fall for me."
Even when people around him ask, "Why 'Darling'?" he answers without a moment's hesitation:
"Because he's the person who's going to be my husband."
Speech patterns and lines
"Huh? What?"
"What did you just say?"
"...Did you just call me shorty?"
"Huh? You looking for a fight?"
"—Oh. Darling!!"
"Darling, want to go home together today?"
"I'm going to be Darling's bride, after all."
"If Darling doesn't want it, I'll stop. But I'll always love you."
"...Do you like me, even a little?"
"Because I'm planning to marry Darling, you know."
