The morning breeze felt colder than usual.
Megumi Katō adjusted the strap of her backpack and let out a soft sigh. Her footsteps echoed gently against the stone sidewalk, rhythmic but unhurried.
Her half-closed eyes fought the fatigue weighing on her lids. Another morning, another automatic walk to school.
Nothing out of place. Nothing different.
She passed a small public garden where cherry blossoms formed a delicate corridor. Pink petals drifted through the air, dusting the path ahead like nature's casual decoration.
She paused for a moment beneath one of the trees.
Her eyes lifted, gazing at the sky filtered through the blossoms.
'Why do I always stop here…?'
The petals fell slowly. Some settled on her shoulders; others vanished in the breeze before touching the ground.
There was something in that scene that made her mind wander, and Megumi knew what it was:
Silence.
Even surrounded by movement, distant chatter, and the hum of cars, this spot felt like a small world apart.
Megumi Katō POV
'Funny… I don't even know if I really like cherry blossoms or just what they represent.'
Her hand rose slowly, brushing away a petal falling toward her face.
'Spring. Renewal. Cheap teenage romance from a drama. As if life changes just because flowers decide to fall.'
Her eyes shifted forward. Students passed by, none noticing her standing there.
'If I vanished right now, would anyone notice?'
The thought was cold but familiar.
She took another step, the sound of her shoes on the stones drowned out by the breeze.
'In the end, I guess I really just like the silence.'
*****
Tomoya Aki walked with his head down, his steps too quick for someone without a clear destination.
Frustration pounded in his mind.
'I need an idea. Any idea. But all I get is cliché… big boobs, forced personalities, predictable plots… Damn it, that's been done a million times!'
He stopped at the corner of the plaza, pulled out his phone, and tried jotting something in his notes app. Nothing. Not a single line made sense.
The breeze carried the sweet scent of cherry blossoms.
He looked up, more out of reflex than curiosity.
There, under the soft shade of a tree, she stood.
Megumi Katō.
Standing, gazing upward, as if the world around her didn't exist.
Her uniform pristine, her hair falling naturally over her shoulders, petals gathering discreetly around her feet.
Nothing stood out overtly… yet he couldn't look away.
His breath caught in his throat.
His mind raced, thoughts tumbling over each other.
'She's… ordinary. But… that's exactly it!'
His finger flew across the phone screen.
A protagonist no one notices. Simple, real. Not a forced heroine, but someone you only see when it's too late. When you're already hooked.
His eyes gleamed with the clarity of the idea.
'She doesn't need to be a goddess or have a tragic past. She just needs to be… herself.'
The image of the heroine formed fully in his mind.
Calm. Distant. A mystery that doesn't beg to be solved.
And for the first time in weeks, Tomoya smiled.
'This is it. The perfect protagonist already exists. I was just looking in the wrong place all along.'
His eyes lingered on Megumi for a few more seconds. She was walking again, her steps so light she seemed barely to touch the ground.
Tomoya gripped his phone, his heart racing with a strange mix of excitement and nerves.
'Okay, I've got the idea. Now… how do I get close to her?'
Memories flashed quickly. They were in the same class, but they'd never exchanged more than a fleeting glance. In fact, no one really talked to Megumi Katō. She walked alone, ate alone, vanished during breaks without a trace.
'This is gonna be tricky… but not impossible.'
He headed toward school, his mind already mapping out strategies.
'First, I need to flesh out the project better. I can't just approach her empty-handed. I need to make it clear she'd be… essential.'
The idea felt too good to fail.
'And for that… I think I know who can help me refine the script.'
The name came to him before he realized.
Eriri Spencer.
Childhood friend. Or rather… someone who used to be.
'It's been a while since we talked… but if it's for the project, she won't turn down a conversation. And who knows… rekindling old alliances might be exactly what's missing.'
His steps quickened. For the first time in ages, the walk to school felt too short.
*****
Yuta walked slowly, hands in his pockets, head down, still brooding over the uselessness of his energy blade.
A sharp sound rang out suddenly, not in his ears… but directly in his mind.
Ding!
The translucent blue screen materialized before him, cutting off his view of the path.
[Secondary Mission Activated]
Target: Megumi Katō
Situation: A low-level curse is affecting the target's spiritual presence, suppressing her social existence.
Objective: Use your cursed energy to eliminate the curse's influence and approach discreetly.
Reward: +5% Permanent Cursed Energy
Yuta's eyes lifted, and there she was… Megumi Katō, walking a few steps ahead, almost invisible to those around her.
Across the street, a boy watched her intently.
'Tomoya Aki… another anime character. What kind of mess is this world, anyway?'
But that wasn't the priority now.
His gaze returned to Megumi. Even there, in plain sight, it was as if she weren't truly present. Students passed her like she was part of the scenery.
'So that's it… the curse suppresses her presence. No one sees her, no one cares. Like she doesn't even exist.'
His mind raced.
'But how do I do this without looking like a creep? I can't just walk up and touch her.'
He paused, observing the faint flow of cursed energy around the girl. It was like a thin, almost imperceptible web, but active.
'I need direct contact or at least close enough proximity to channel the energy. But if I botch the approach… it'll look like stalking.'
His right hand clenched slowly.
'Calm down. Think. The best approach is always the most natural. Don't force it.'
He looked around. Ahead, Megumi slowed her pace, passing under the cherry blossoms again.
A light breeze scattered petals through the air.
'This is the moment. Visual distraction, perfect atmosphere. A casual brush, like it's an accident.'
He took a deep breath and moved forward, keeping his eyes fixed on the spot where the curse's flow seemed weakest.
'If this works… mission complete and a chance to start a conversation. If not… well, I'll figure it out.'
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