I can recall exactly when it began. When I started liking her, that is.

Now to be honest, I was really nothing more than a young, naive boy in the beginning. I knew nothing of the world, the treasures it had to offer, and the secrets that were hidden from mortal eyes. I'm getting ahead of myself. Here's how it really started, how my life slowly started to go to hell, for better or for worse.

I was a new student at Cross Academy. My mother, having acquired yet another new husband, had deemed it necessary to send me away so that there would be no interference during her honeymoon phase.

I remember being so nervous about what everyone would think of me and how they would treat me. At my old school, first impressions had been everything. They could make you either very popular or bring you down to the bottom of a very confusing social chain. I knew that I would have to carry the burden of being 'the new kid' for the entire school year.

"Err, I'm Ryu Takagami, please take care of me."

I don't know what I expected when I said that. Perhaps a few whispers here and there, maybe even a few scoffs. In any case, it definitely wasn't what I received.

At Cross Academy, no one had seemed to care who I was. I went about my first day with little acknowledgement. It wasn't the kind where people tend to ignore you because something about you seems to scream 'lowlife'. No, instead, they just didn't bother with me. All of the boys and girls, even the teachers (except Yagari and Takamiya-sensei, of course) seemed to be far too occupied with grieving the abolishment of the Night Class.

At first I had no clue as to why in the world a Night Class seemed to matter so much. I was even afraid to ask for a while for fear of being attacked by any outraged-and rather demented-fans.

One day, I couldn't hold myself from blurting out the question. During ethics class, as Takamiya-sensei spoke endlessly, I turned to face the girl behind me. She was the only student in the room that seemed to be paying attention to the lesson itself rather than swooning at Takamiya-sensei's admittedly good looks. She was copying two sets of notes, though I didn't know what for. I vaguely wondered if someone had been absent. Whoever the notes were for, I had yet to meet him or her.

The girl, I had noticed when I'd first started attending, seemed to be the most sensible and down-to-earth person in this crazy school. Very unbiased and kind.

"Why's everybody making a big deal over the Night Class?"

Despite the fact that I didn't even know her name, I'd developed a small crush on her from the moment she'd answered my question. She hadn't seemed irritated or angry that I'd bothered her, though I thought for a moment that I'd detected a hint of loneliness in her voice. I brushed that off as just my imagination.

She'd answered me politely before going back to work seconds before Takamiya-sensei slammed a book on my desk and demanded I read the assigned chapter to the class. As I tripped over the words, I could've sworn that I saw Takamiya-sensei give the pretty girl behind me a rather meaningful look from the corner of my eye.

When the girl had spoken to me that day, I'd had a hard time listening to what she was saying. As embarrassed as I was to admit to myself, I had been a bit more preoccupied with the movement of her doll-like lips. Nonetheless, I had managed to catch on to the main idea.

The Night Class had been made up of highly intelligent and exotically beautiful people. They'd been the envy and eye-candy of the entire school since they'd started learning here. Then, last year when the Day Class had been brought to the safest part of the Academy as means of shelter from some sort of outside threat, they'd left. No explanation, no form of goodbye. The Night Class had just disappeared. And with them, they'd taken hundreds of broken hearts.

I couldn't describe why, but I had a sudden dislike for the people that had made up the Night Class. I wasn't even properly ashamed of myself, despite the fact that I'd never come face-to-face with any of them before. I found the student body's infatuation with them pathetic and ridiculous.

I guess that was one of the reasons I looked forward to talking to the girl who sat behind me in every class, appreciating the fact that she could not possibly long for any of them.

Soon, my simple crush began to grow, but I still didn't know her name. I recall asking my group of friends what is was during a free period. They'd all burst into fits of laughter, clapping their hands on my back as joking means of comfort and immediately claiming that I had no chance.

I'd merely stared at them blankly, confused. One took pity on me and explained that this girl was different from others. Everyone had tried befriending her at some point, but had been turned down. She was secretly called the Ice Princess, a term that I now find a bit ironic. She'd only accepted two companions to whom she'd stayed loyal to. One constantly skipped class and was said to be insanely scary. The other was said to have left the same time as the Night Class.

Now while all of this was somewhat interesting, I persisted that they tell me her name. I was too embarrassed to actually ask her in person. They said I was a lost cause and would eventually have to face disappointment, but they told me anyway.

Sayori Wakaba.

I loved the name instantly. I knew I was falling for her. Sayori Wakaba had stolen my heart. So I decided to try and do what anyone in love might. I decided to get close to her and try to make her mine.

So as you can see, Ryu is falling for Yori. Is he in for a rude awakening? Find out the next time I update :) Zero will be in the next chapter and the Night Class will, of course, be making an appearance soon.