A boy stood by the window of an orphanage, gazing out at a sky so overcast that it was impossible to tell whether it was black or white. Hanging from his neck was a blue magatama pendant, which he idly played with, his face completely expressionless.

The boy's name was Shinji Hazama.

He had an average build, black hair, and brown eyes. At first glance, he looked like an ordinary boy you could find anywhere. However, he possessed two unusual abilities that set him apart from everyone else. Because of them, he had been called creepy ever since he was little. On top of that, his strange ideas and odd remarks made people think he was eccentric, and he had never managed to make a single friend.

In the orphanage kitchen, a very overweight woman with long black hair tied into a ponytail was baking a cake. Her name was Noriko Hatakeyama, and she worked at the orphanage.

"There's something sitting on your right shoulder."

I spoke to Ms. Hatakeyama from behind.

Startled by my sudden voice, she jumped and dropped the cake she had been making onto the floor.

"How many times have I told you not to sneak up behind me without making a sound? Why can't you ever listen?"

She angrily picked up the ruined cake and threw it into the trash.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to scare you."

I hadn't moved silently on purpose to frighten her. Moving without making a sound and erasing my presence had simply become a habit.

It was one of my two unusual abilities.

The other was the ability to see ghost-like creatures that no one else could see.

"What do you mean, something's on my shoulder? There's nothing there."

Ms. Hatakeyama looked at her right shoulder.

She couldn't see it, but there really was something there: a translucent creature that looked like a ghost. It had small horns, red skin, and a long tongue that was trying to lick her face.

"It's really there! There's a ghost with a long tongue trying to lick your face!"

I desperately tried to explain, but Ms. Hatakeyama had no intention of believing me.

"Why do you always tell such creepy lies? Today is April fifth, your thirteenth birthday. April Fool's Day ended a long time ago."

"I'm not lying! It's true! There really is a ghost!"

I pleaded with her, but she only gave me an exasperated look and began making another cake.

"Fine, I get it. There's a ghost. Now go wait in your room. I have to start all over again."

As she began preparing a new sponge cake, the translucent creature on her shoulder looked at me, grinned mockingly, and vanished.

With no other choice, I sat down on a chair and waited for the cake to be finished.

It hurt that no one believed me, but from a normal person's perspective, I was the one saying strange things. It wasn't surprising that no one trusted what I said.

As I sat there feeling down and waiting for the cake, there was suddenly a knock at the front door.

The clock pointed to two in the afternoon. Hardly anyone ever visited the orphanage at that hour.

Ms. Hatakeyama left the kitchen to answer the door.

Curious about who had come, I followed her.

When I reached the entrance, I saw her speaking with a man.

The man, visible over her shoulder, wore a black suit and had a black bandana wrapped around the upper half of his face. He appeared to be blind, yet he carried no cane and was calmly speaking with Ms. Hatakeyama.

After they finished talking, she turned around and noticed me.

Wondering why she was looking at me, I walked over to her.

At that moment, the man in the bandana addressed me.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Shinji Hazama. My name is Chitaro Yamada. I've come because I have something important to discuss with you."

Mr. Yamada spoke while looking directly at where I stood.

It was almost as if he could see.

Or maybe the bandana had tiny holes in it and he wasn't blind at all.

As I considered the possibility, Ms. Hatakeyama stepped closer.

"This man says he knows you and wants to adopt you. Shinji, do you know him?"

I shook my head.

I'd never met a man who hid half his face behind a bandana.

"Um... this child says he doesn't know you. And more importantly, if you wish to adopt him, you'll need to go through the proper legal procedures. Would you please leave for today?"

Her response was perfectly reasonable.

However, Mr. Yamada shook his head.

"No, I have no intention of leaving. I intend to take him with me."

As he spoke, he moved both of his hands at the same time.

"Hypnotic Mind Technique!"

Light burst from his hands.

The moment the light touched Ms. Hatakeyama, she froze in place.

A second later, the stiffness vanished, and she slowly walked toward me.

"Shinji, pack your things and go with Mr. Yamada."

She clearly wasn't acting like herself.

"Wait a minute! I haven't decided to become this man's adopted son! You can't suddenly tell me to leave!"

I desperately refused, but Ms. Hatakeyama wouldn't listen.

Like a puppet, she simply kept insisting that I go with the man called Yamada.

"I'm saying this for your own good, so do as you're told."

She stared directly into my eyes with a serious expression.

Realizing I couldn't persuade her, I turned to Mr. Yamada instead.

"Um... why do you want to adopt me?"

Even after I asked, he didn't answer.

"If you're not going to pack your things, then I'll do it myself."

Ms. Hatakeyama headed deeper into the orphanage toward my belongings.

I was about to stop her when Mr. Yamada suddenly spoke.

"Don't you want to know about your parents?"

I couldn't ignore those words.

"You know about my parents?"

In response, Mr. Yamada silently nodded.

I stood there in shock.

A moment later, Ms. Hatakeyama returned carrying a backpack filled with my belongings.

"From now on, Mr. Yamada will be taking care of you. Now go."

She handed me the backpack and pushed me outside.

At the same time that I was forced out of the orphanage, Mr. Yamada stepped outside as well.

"Well then, shall we go? Follow me."

With that, he began walking away from the orphanage.