Vol. 1, Chapter 1: Light and Death
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Tick! Tock!

The clock ticked as the minute hand completed another rotation. It was already 4:55 p.m., yet the scorching heat lingered in the air. Inside the classrooms, students felt its oppressive presence, struggling to focus on the ongoing discussion.

This was the prestigious Itami High School, a renowned institution where the most prominent students of Saitama Prefecture gathered. Majestically perched atop a hill, it overlooked the bustling city sprawled below.

"Ah... It's so hot in here~!" one of them exclaimed in frustration, fanning herself with sweaty palms.

Despite the presence of air conditioners in every room, they were rendered useless due to a power outage that occurred an hour ago. The school did have a backup generator, but luck wasn’t on their side that day—it was currently undergoing maintenance. With no solutions available, everyone had no choice but to endure the stifling heat, particularly the unfortunate students of Class 1-A, whose classroom was situated on the second floor of the school building.

Amidst the scratching of the chalk marker, faint whispers and occasional yawns filled the room. Even their English teacher, affected by the boredom, let out a yawn but quickly dismissed the thought and continued writing on the board.

In the back row, near the window, sat a girl named Mitsuha Reika in silence. Unlike the others, her gaze was fixed on a bird perched on a branch outside, captivated by the melodic chirping it produced.

Everyone knew who Reika was. She was known for being approachable and friendly, always juggling between club activities and her part-time job. Her beauty was often said to rival that of the stunning classroom president, though her front was lacking in comparison.

One of her striking features was her pair of beautiful purple eyes, which sparkled like gems. She also had short, dark, silky hair with a subtle purple tint that only revealed itself when caught in the light. Reika wore a white uniform, preferring it over her dark blue blazer, believing that darker colors absorb more heat—a fact that was certainly true.

At the center of her chest, a maroon ribbon with diagonal dark blue stripes was tied neatly to her uniform. Her skirt, also maroon, featured several dark blue stripes embroidered along the hem.

As Reika savored her peaceful moment, her teacher's obnoxious shout shattered the calm. The sudden yell jolted her attention back to reality.

"Mr. Shin!"

Everyone in the room, Reika included, instantly turned their heads toward their classmate, Shin Soru.

Soru wasn’t particularly impressive—just your average guy. Dressed in a white uniform and dark blue school shorts, he blended into the crowd effortlessly, like someone invisible. The only thing that stood out were his eyes, an unusual ash gray color. He rarely participated in class and didn’t shine in academics or sports, being average in both.

Soru was often lost in his thoughts, as if trapped in an indestructible bubble that contained only his own musings. Because of this, he was known as an eccentric individual, and interacting with him was nearly impossible. Even now, his detachment from reality kept him unaware of his teacher's relentless calls, leaving the teacher fuming in frustration.

In the end, his teacher couldn't take it any longer and snapped. "Mr. Shin..." His English teacher murmured through gritted teeth, his fist tightly clenched.

Without warning, the teacher hurled a chalk marker at him. Everyone watched as it shot through the air toward Soru.

Being scolded by a teacher was a normal occurrence, as was having a piece of chalk thrown at a student for misconduct during class. But what Soru did left everyone stunned.

For the first time, they saw Soru react to the projectile thrown at him, even going so far as to boldly attempt to catch it with his fingers. His unexpected action caught them all off-guard.

"No way..."

"Don't tell me he's going to use his fingers to clamp that chalk?!"

"That's impossible! There's no way he could pull that off!"

Despite the arid atmosphere in the room, everyone watched him with anticipation, ignoring the heat and focusing solely on what would happen next. However, Soru's quick reflexes were futile as the marker slipped through his fingers and struck his forehead with a soft thud. Though it looked painful, he showed no visible reaction—not even the slightest flinch.

"Ow!" Their teacher suddenly blurted out when he felt a sudden tingling sensation on his forehead. "What was that?" he thought, rubbing his forehead in confusion.

Although his reaction was obvious, no one noticed. Everyone was too fixated on Soru, their mixed anticipation of his unusual attempt overshadowing the teacher’s discomfort. As the chalk marker landed on the ground with a soft thud, one of his classmates burst into laughter.

"Pft... Puhahahahahaha!!"

Everyone in Class 1-A exchanged glances, and in an instant, their mood shifted. Laughter spread through the room as they couldn’t hold back.

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

The positive atmosphere made the teacher momentarily forget the strange incident earlier. But soon, his frustration resurfaced, swelling like a raging wave, causing his brows to furrow. He then turned to confront Soru for his misbehavior in class.

"Ahem! Mister Shin Soru, are you even listening? Are those silly thoughts in your head really more important than my lessons?"

To his surprise, Soru didn’t respond. This only fueled the teacher’s frustration further. In a burst of anger, he snapped, “Your scores on midterms and quizzes are average at best. Are you some kind of prodigy who can afford to slack off in my class?”

His outburst broke the tension in the room. Everyone forgot about the heat and instead filled the classroom with laughter—not out of mockery, but simply because they found the situation amusing.

"Aww, man! I thought he was actually going to catch that chalk!" the guy in front of Soru said to his friend. His friend shrugged and replied, "Nah. I could tell from the start it was impossible!"

Suddenly, the teacher gazed at him with a serious look and asked, "Now, could you elaborate on the different types of prepositions?"

At the sound of his question, Soru casually picked up his English textbook. With a calm demeanor, he flipped through the pages, acting as if he had no fear of his teacher's wrath.

His teacher noticed his dawdling and snapped, "Page 18, Mr. Shin!"

Soru flipped to the page and quickly found the answer. In a calm tone, he read aloud, "The various types of prepositions are..."

As Soru read, Reika shot him a glance. She raised an eyebrow, thinking, Shin Soru... What a strange fellow...

Reika turned back to the window. As she focused on the tree again, she noticed the bird that had been perched on the branch earlier was now gone.

Where did the bird go?

She scanned the opposite branch, where the bird might have flown to, then searched the other branches she could see. But no matter where she looked, the bird was nowhere to be found.

Hm, maybe the bird flew away or something... Reika sighed, her thoughts drifting. Well, forget about it...

Just as she turned back to the class, trying to focus on the teacher again, a faint chirping sound caught her attention.

Hm? Is that..?

Without a second to spare, she turned back and noticed something wriggling at the base of the tree trunk. It was then she realized the faint chirping sound must have come from there—and she was right. Due to the height of the classroom, she could only see the bird’s head, which lay on the ground.

Reika noticed that the bird’s right wing appeared to be broken, as if it were in agonizing pain.

Concerned for the poor creature, she decided to excuse herself and check its condition in the front yard. 

"Ah—"

RING! RING! RING! RINGGG!

The sound of the school bell made Reika pause for a moment. Everyone else heard it to, and their faces quickly lit up with joy. After enduring the suffocating heat for so long, it was finally over.

"Finally!"

Without hesitation, the students packed their things and stood up. Reika did the same, gathering her belongings and following the others.

"Goodbye, Mr. Watanabe!" Class 1-A said in unison, all bowing their heads.

As the students dispersed, Reika headed toward the front yard to help the injured bird. But just as she was about to leave, a group of girls called out to her from behind.

"Mitsuha-san! We’re going shopping after class. Would you like to join us?"

Reika simply smiled and shook her head. "I’m sorry, I have some errands to run. Maybe next time!"

With that, Reika quickly ran down the hallway, leaving the group behind. They sighed and turned to head in the opposite direction.

"Haah... Mitsuha-san’s such a busy bee."

"Yeah, she has a part-time job, remember? That’s why she’s always so busy and can’t join us for shopping or karaoke."

"I wonder if I would have the same mindset as hers. That would be fantastic!"

"Not going to happen. You're lazy as hell!"

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!"

As the group laughed and left the school premises, Reika made her way to the tree where the injured bird lay, still writhing in pain from its damaged wing.

Feeling helpless, Reika knew there was little she could do to ease the bird's suffering. Instead, she decided to protect it from predators while it recovered. Scanning the area, she searched for a safe place where the bird could heal in peace.

Where should I place this poor bird?

Reika looked up at the building, remembering the small garden on the rooftop.

It should be safe there...

Carefully, she scooped the bird into her hands. As soon as it felt the warmth of her touch, the bird’s frantic chirping softened. With gentle steps, Reika made her way back into the building. After a short while, she finally reached the rooftop.

"Huff... huff... Finally..." Reika gasped as she caught her breath.

She pushed the door open and a cool breeze greeted her. Reika inhaled deeply as the afternoon sunlight warmed her face. The bird chirped, seeming to express its gratitude.

Turning around, Reika surveyed the garden and searched for a safe spot. Her eyes landed on a small, shaded corner near a patch of soft grass, sheltered by some low shrubs. She gently placed the bird there, in the quiet corner where it could rest in peace.

"There. You should be safe here."

"Chirp!"

Reika smiled, hearing the bird chirp as if it were responding to her.

As the sun continued to set, Reika stood up and walked to the edge of the rooftop. Before her lay the sprawling city of Saitama.

How beautiful...

Reika raised her right arm and glanced at her watch. There’s still 30 minutes left until my night shift... She pondered for a moment, unsure of what to do with the spare time.

Her gaze then returned to the beautiful scenery before her, and she couldn't help but appreciate the view once more.

Hahhh... I guess I'll stay here a little bit longer, then. 

As Reika gazed at the entire city, her moment was interrupted when she noticed the door opening. She turned around and saw a familiar figure stepping out.

Isn’t that... Shin-kun?

Soru noticed Reika standing near the edge of the rooftop, but he didn’t acknowledge her. He simply walked past, as if he hadn’t seen her at all.

"Shin-kun...?"

Soru didn’t respond. Instead, he briefly glanced at her before continuing his path toward the edge.

"Uh-uhm... What are you doing—"

"Sightseeing," Soru answered abruptly.

Reika fell silent at his response, the words catching in her throat. A tense silence settled between them as they both stared at the bustling city.

This... this is super awkward... Reika thought, her palms growing sweaty. I need to say something... Maybe start an interesting conversation?

Reika was desperately trying to figure out how to break the awkward silence between them. After a moment of thought, she finally came up with something.

"Hey, Shin-kun."

Soru tilted his head slightly and met her gaze.

"What is it?"

"H-How's your day?"

A gentle breeze brushed past them, carrying the distant sounds of the city. Soru glanced at the cityscape for a moment before answering.

"Good," he replied flatly.

Reika stared at him with a dissatisfied look. What’s with that response? She thought. Just “good”? What about adding something like, "What about you?" or... anything to keep the conversation going?

After a beat of silence, Reika decided to take the initiative again.

"Uh... What about school?" she asked, trying to keep the conversation going.

"..."

Reika waited for half a minute, but Soru didn’t respond. Her patience began to wear thin, and she frowned, irritation bubbling up.

How rude! What kind of guy just leaves a girl hanging like that?

Feeling frustrated by Soru's indifference, Reika decided to get back at him for ignoring her. Hmph! If that’s the case... Without hesitation, she hopped up onto the parapet and sat right in front of him, deliberately blocking his view of the city.

“What are you doing?” Soru asked her.

"Sitting...?" Reika replied slyly, her eyes closing as she looked smug.

How’s that? She thought, a smirk tugging at her lips. You must be super annoyed right now, huh?

Reika glanced at Soru, eagerly awaiting his annoyed reaction. But her expectations were quickly shattered upon seeing him. Soru simply shifted a little to the side, adjusting his position for a better view. What irritated Reika the most, though, was that his expression remained completely unchanged, as if her petty provocations hadn’t affected him at all.

Out of desperation, Reika moved once more, blocking Soru's view with her body. But Soru didn’t react. He simply shifted away again. They repeated this over and over, moving left to right without pause.

Why... won’t you just... admit defeat?! Reika thought as her frustration mounted with each attempt.

Suddenly, her eyes widened. She stopped as the realization of her incessant actions hit her.

Wait.. Why am I doing this pointless thing?

Her face quickly flushed bright red with embarrassment. 

Gah! I look like such an idiot...

She quickly covered her face with her hands, hoping to hide her humiliation. After some time, Reika finally looked up at him.

"I-I'm sorry..."

Soru looked at her for a brief moment, his expression still as indifferent as ever.

"Mhm."

Reika sighed and chose not to answer. Still embarrassed, she turned her gaze to the bustling city below, letting the silence settle between them.

While the silence stretched on, a steady chirping sound suddenly caught Reika’s attention. She immediately recognized it and turned around.

Oh no, it's the bird that I saved earlier!

Reika leapt to her feet and rushed to the spot where she had left the bird. When she arrived, she saw several ants crawling over its small body. The poor bird chirped endlessly, struggling to fend them off.

Reika quickly picked up the bird, rescuing it from the relentless ants, and brought it back to the parapet. She gently blew on its feathers, scattering the ants, then carefully plucked them off one by one with her fingers.

"Ha-hah! Take that!" she muttered, pinching one of the ants between her soft fingers.

After making sure the bird was free of ants, Reika sat on the parapet and placed it gently on her lap, softly stroking its feathers to calm it. Soru glanced at her, his expression as neutral as ever, while she remained engrossed in tending to the bird.

Unbeknownst to Reika, she had carelessly seated herself right where she'd left the plucked ants. One determined ant found its way onto her leg, creeping under her uniform and delivering a sharp bite to her thigh.

"Oww!" she yelped, flinching from the unexpected sting and quickly placing the bird back on the parapet. "What the heck was that?" she muttered whilst rubbing the sore spot.

Seconds later, another ant bit her, followed by a third. Before she knew it, several ants were biting her thighs, as if taking revenge for what she had done to them.

"Ow! Ow! Ow!" Reika yelped once again.

As the pain spread, Reika suddenly remembered those pesky ants she had plucked from the bird earlier and realized, with horror, that she had sat right where she had placed them.

These pesky little...!

Before she knew it, Reika lost her balance and realized she was about to fall off the parapet.

What the...!

In a panic, she reached out and grabbed the first thing she could find. With Soru the only one beside her, she grabbed his shoulder without hesitation.

"What are you doing?"

Despite her secured grip, Soru’s strength wasn’t enough to steady himself and lost his balance. They both tumbled together, caught in a moment of unexpected chaos caused by Reika.

Shit, how careless of me!

Reika squeezed her eyes shut, trembling as the cold air whipped around her. She felt her body descending in the air with no certainty of survival.

Dang it! Even if I managed to survive, if anyone finds out the reason I fell was because a bunch of ants bit my thighs, the embarrassment would kill me!

While imagining how embarrassing the outcome would be, Reika felt a warm sensation envelop her body. The cold air vanished suddenly, replaced by a warmth that spread throughout her body.

"What’s going on…?" Reika muttered in confusion.

She looked around and saw Soru floating in the air. To her surprise, he didn’t seem scared at all. He appeared calm, almost as if he had expected it. Before she could speak, everything around her turned white, leaving her unable to perceive anything.

That evening, several people in Saitama Prefecture witnessed a pillar of light strike Itami High School. No one knew the reason for it; the event was too sudden and unprecedented. As the pillar of light began to dissipate, they could only stare in disbelief, unable to comprehend how or why it had appeared.

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