"Don't go… any of you."
Nakano Nino stretched out her hand toward her sisters—but not one of them stopped.
Why?
Why was everyone treating her like this?
Even if she had made a mistake… did that mean she deserved to be treated like a stranger?
She lowered her gaze. Her legs were trembling uncontrollably.
Am I… afraid?
She wiped at her tears, but more only spilled over, warm and endless, blurring her vision.
Her friends had turned their backs. Her family pretended she didn't exist.
What's the difference between this… and being dead?
Maybe it would be better to just disappear.
No one cares anyway.
If I jumped off the rooftop now… maybe they'd finally regret it. They'd cry. They'd realize how much I mattered.
Yes… yes, that's it!
A dark, frantic thought took root in her mind—and she acted on it before she could second-guess herself.
She bolted from the library, her shoes clacking harshly against the floor. She didn't even stop at the lockers to change into her outdoor shoes.
She ran.
Through the halls, up the stairs—
She shoved open the heavy rooftop door.
The spring breeze greeted her, light and warm. It played with her long hair, making it dance around her tear-streaked face.
She didn't stop.
One step after another, she approached the edge.
Then she paused.
Leaning against the green mesh railing, she gave a bitter laugh.
"…There's a railing. What are you even thinking, Nino…"
She rested her forehead against the metal, eyes drifting toward the schoolyard below.
Groups of students walked together, laughing and chatting as they left for the day.
Nice for them… No one's alone.
She sniffled. Her voice was hoarse.
"Let's go home… Trying to kill yourself… You're an idiot."
She pulled out a handkerchief, dabbing away her smudged makeup.
As she tucked it back into her pocket, a sudden gust of wind hit.
Her balance wavered.
She stumbled, falling forward—
Face-first toward the railing.
This is going to hurt, she thought reflexively.
But then—
Her body passed through the railing.
What?
In a heartbeat, the world tilted violently.
No time to scream.
The sky above her spun. The ground rushed up beneath her.
Why…? Why did this happen?
Am I really… going to die?
I haven't even said goodbye. I still want to see them one more time—Ichika… Miku… Yotsuba… Itsuki…
I don't want to die! I want to live!
She shut her eyes in despair.
"Thud!"
A heavy sound echoed.
But—
No blood. No shattered limbs. No pain.
Nothing.
"…Waaah!!"
She collapsed in the middle of the school courtyard and broke down completely, crying harder than she ever had before.
It wasn't relief. It wasn't just shock.
It was something stranger—unreal.
After a few minutes, still sniffling, she looked around, wiping her tears away with trembling fingers.
She was alive.
Why…?
Why didn't I die?
She screamed to the heavens:
"I wanted to die!! So why won't you let me! What kind of sick joke is this!? Just let me die already!!"
Silence.
Not a single answer.
No one heard.
"Ah… hahaha… haHAHAHA!"
Her laughter echoed eerily in the empty courtyard.
She stumbled to her fallen backpack, pulled it open with frantic fingers, and took out a small utility knife.
She flipped the blade out.
Pressed it against her neck.
But her hand wouldn't move.
Every muscle resisted.
She couldn't do it.
Her chest tightened as though the air had turned to water.
She gasped, coughing violently. Drool spilled from the corners of her lips.
The knife slipped from her hand and clattered to the ground.
She reached out to retrieve it—
But her fingers passed through the handle.
What…?
Her eyes widened in terror.
She scrambled back, her breath hitching, heart racing.
She held her hands up.
Touched her arms.
Her chest.
Her face.
Her body still felt real.
But just like on the rooftop—when she passed through the railing—her hands now passed through solid objects.
What… is happening to me?
Meanwhile, outside the Shirogane residence.
Two bicycles came to a stop.
Shirogane Miyuki checked his phone as it buzzed, answered it briefly, then pocketed it with a sigh.
"Who was that?" Sakurai Saki asked.
"My dad. He's working late. Won't be home for dinner," Miyuki replied, a little deflated.
Sakurai looked at the bags of groceries in his hands.
He'd bought plenty—too much for just two.
Especially with Xiao Gui, who was careful about what she ate.
"Let's go eat out," he suggested. "There's a new yakiniku place in Sangenjaya. They're doing a discount."
Miyuki blinked. "And the groceries?"
"We'll keep them for tomorrow. Your fridge can handle it, right?"
Miyuki nodded slowly, still distracted.
They didn't realize, not yet, that something strange—something impossible—was happening just a few kilometers away.
Something no one had words for yet.
Not life.
Not death.
Something in between.
Shirogane Miyuki was just about to refuse when Sakurai Saki casually added—
"Oh, and bring me a bento tomorrow. I'm done with the cafeteria food."
Before he could react, Sakurai sealed the deal.
"Consider the groceries as payment for the bento. Yakiniku's on me. Xiao Gui mentioned last time she wanted to try it, remember?"
Checkmate.
Shirogane froze. Mentally, he ran through every possible counterargument—but Sakurai had already closed all the exits.
What's his angle?
Why's he being so thoughtful all of a sudden?
A dangerous thought crept into his head.
A few seconds later, his eyes sharpened, glinting with intensity.
"Sakurai… don't tell me—you're interested in my sister?!"
There were few lines Shirogane Miyuki wouldn't cross—but this one? Absolutely forbidden.
He was, after all, a textbook siscon.
"What are you talking about?" Sakurai raised an eyebrow, tone smooth, innocent. Suspiciously innocent.
Miyuki squinted, searching his face for even a flicker of guilt or desire—but Sakurai's poker face remained flawless.
Click. He turned away to open the door.
Just then, a familiar voice rang out behind them—
"Eh? Saki-nii?!"
A clear, melodic voice full of delight.
They both turned.
Running toward them was a striking silver-haired girl in a sailor uniform, a black ribbon tied in her hair.
Her features mirrored Miyuki's—yet she wore a brightness he rarely did.
Shirogane Kei. Xiao Gui.
"Long time no see!" she beamed, rushing toward Sakurai Saki.
Without hesitation, she threw her arms around him.
"Saki-nii! I missed you sooo much!"
The hug lingered just a bit before she stepped back, cheeks tinged with pink.
Shirogane Miyuki stood there, his expression twisting—
With envy.
"Xiao Gui, Sakurai might feel awkward. That kind of closeness—"
"Hmph, that's none of your business, big brother." Kei flipped her hair with theatrical flair, but her eyes sparkled as she turned back to Sakurai.
Saki-nii is still as handsome as ever…
And that gentle smile… That calm voice…
Sakurai said gently, "You'll make your brother sad if you talk like that."
"I won't say bad things about him then," Xiao Gui replied with a playful grin. "As long as Saki-nii says so, I'll listen."
Miyuki flinched as if physically struck.
Why… why is my own sister like this…?
Trying to redirect the mood, he cleared his throat. "By the way, Xiao Gui—Sakurai's treating us to yakiniku tonight. Perfect timing."
"Eh? Won't that be expensive, Saki-nii?" Kei asked shyly, a touch of worry on her face.
But Sakurai shook his head with a warm smile. "I've made good money from my part-time job lately. One meal isn't going to break me. Think of it as an apology for not seeing you sooner."
Kei lit up.
"Yay! Then I'll eat a lot!" she declared, practically skipping forward.
As they stepped inside, the two of them walked ahead, chatting like old friends—comfortable, natural, easy.
Shirogane Miyuki watched from behind.
There they were: his best friend and his beloved sister, sharing smiles and laughs like something out of a drama.
And him?
He felt like a third wheel. A ghost in his own home.
So this is what it's like… to be left out.