Outside the convenience store.
Nakano Nino vaguely heard a sound—the clink of coins, the low hum of a vending machine.
That guy from earlier?
She didn't lift her head. It didn't matter.
From the end of school until now, the span of a few hours, she'd experienced more than most would in a lifetime.
She'd jumped off a building several times. Laid on the train tracks.
But she couldn't die.
The ground didn't break her body. The trains passed right through her.
And yet, she couldn't touch anything either. No one could see her. No one responded to her voice.
It was no different from being dead.
She was starving. She hadn't eaten anything since lunch—because of a tantrum, no less. But even if she wanted to eat now, she couldn't. Her hands would pass through everything.
Her contact lens had fallen out somewhere, so she couldn't see clearly. She was exhausted, aimless, and done walking. Sitting here, curled up on the cold concrete, was all she could do.
If nothing changes… I'll just disappear.
She laughed weakly at the thought.
Is this what death is?
So sleepy. She just wanted to close her eyes.
Then—
"Hey! Have something to eat. You're a Shuchiin Academy student, right?"
The voice was nearby. A boy's voice. It sounded… almost familiar.
But he wasn't talking to her. Why would he be?
She didn't respond. Didn't even lift her head. It would just waste energy.
"Don't tell me you're dead?" he muttered. There was sarcasm in his tone, but also concern.
Of course I'm not…
With the last ounce of strength, Nino lifted her head.
Everything was a blur, but—
He was looking at her. Speaking to her.
He could see her.
Sakurai Saki blinked at the girl sitting like a crumpled flower at the convenience store steps. Her school uniform was wrinkled, her long hair tangled like dry grass, and her eyes were unfocused.
She looked... lost. Not just physically.
It was the first time he'd ever seen a girl like this in person.
He'd heard the stories—runaway students who traded their dignity for a meal or a place to sleep.
"Here." He gently held out the bread. "Eat something."
Nino hesitated. Her heart pounded.
She reached out—and touched it.
I can touch it…
Her hands trembled as she held the bread close. For a second, she didn't believe it was real.
She tore into it ravenously, unable to hold back. Her composure, her pride—it all collapsed under the weight of hunger.
Just like a stray cat.
Sakurai watched her, then quietly turned back to the vending machine. He inserted more coins and bought a can of sweetened black tea.
When he returned, she was still devouring the bread like her life depended on it.
"Drink," he said, opening the can and handing it to her.
She took it and drank without question, her throat dry and raw.
"…Thank you."
"It's nothing," Sakurai replied casually, picking up his coffee. He started toward his bike, ready to leave.
But her voice came again, quiet and unsure.
"You're leaving?"
Sakurai paused.
"It's late. You should go home too. Don't let your parents worry. Running away doesn't solve anything."
She didn't answer.
She must live nearby if she goes to Shuchiin… the trains should still be running. A taxi would be better though—safer.
He turned back and walked toward her again. Without a word, he pulled a ten-thousand-yen bill from his wallet and placed it beside her.
"Take a cab. This should cover it."
Silence.
Then—softly:
"…I don't have a home."
The words were heavy, and they hung between them.
After a moment, she added, "Why are you being so kind to me? Aren't you afraid I'll scam you or something?"
Sakurai Saki picked up the bill again and held it in his hand.
"I once asked someone I knew—a good guy, always trying to help people—'Why do you bother with things that have nothing to do with you? There's no reward for that.'"
He looked into the night sky as he recalled.
"He told me, 'Because I want to.'"
Nino didn't respond.
Sakurai turned back to her, voice firm but kind.
"Right now, I want to help you. That's the only reason I need. Is that enough?"
"…I really don't have anywhere to go."
Her fingers trembled as she touched the paper bag he'd given her earlier. This time, her hand passed right through it.
Just like before.
Only he can see me…
Why?
She didn't know.
Not why she was like this, not why he could see her when no one else could.
Sakurai Saki remained still, silent.
He wanted to convince her to go home.
But maybe—just maybe—this wasn't a tantrum.
Maybe she really had nowhere to return to.
And yet… she was still alive.
That meant there was something left to do.
Having finished his thoughts, Sakurai Saki handed her the money.
Then, without another word, he turned and walked off toward his bicycle.
Nakano Nino sat there, watching his retreating figure fade under the streetlights.
Something inside her twisted—tight, painful—like a thread pulling taut around her heart. As if she were watching something important slip away forever.
Then—
Tap, tap.
Footsteps.
Sakurai Saki had just reached his bike and was lowering the kickstand when he heard it. Turning around, he saw the girl again.
She was tugging lightly at the hem of his coat.
He frowned. "…Why are you following me?"
No response.
"We're not close, you know."
Still no reply.
She looked up at him with blurred eyes—confused, quiet, stubborn. A mute without words. A ghost still chasing warmth.
Her movements were hesitant, her gaze uncertain. She hadn't even looked directly at him when he'd offered her food earlier.
Her eyesight must be poor, he thought. That, or she simply didn't want to look at the world anymore.
Sakurai sighed internally.
Shirogane… I tried copying your way of doing things, just once—and now look where it's gotten me.
Why was he always the one caught up in messes like this?
He let himself be pulled along the whole way back.
By the time they arrived at his apartment, it was already past nine.
He parked his bicycle, climbed the narrow stairs to the second floor, and paused at his door.
The girl was still holding on to him.
Sakurai turned to her.
"…What's your name?" he asked.
It felt absurd—he'd been dragged across town by this girl and still didn't know what to call her.
But if she'd been the kind of girl who could easily say her name, maybe she wouldn't have ended up in a situation like this.
She said nothing—just clung to him tighter.
Sakurai didn't push it.
This is what people call emotionally shut down, right? he thought.
He himself had once been like that—no desire to talk, no trust in strangers.
Maybe that's why he hadn't shaken her off halfway.
Still, it baffled him—how low her guard was.
She had followed him without a second thought, accepted food from a stranger, and now she was here at his door.
What kind of idiot blindly tags along with someone just because they bought her bread?
Was she planning to repay him?
Sakurai's eyes narrowed.
He wasn't unfamiliar with that kind of offer—had seen enough messy relationships to know how they ended. He didn't mind physical intimacy in theory, but the kind that came from pity or confusion always left a bad taste.
And anyway, he didn't need someone like her for that.
"…No name, no home. I'll assume you're not lying."
He unlocked the door.
"You're about to walk into a single guy's apartment," he added, glancing at her. "If you're not afraid I might do something to you, then go ahead."
His words were blunt, even cold—but clear. A warning, and also an invitation to choose.
Nakano Nino hesitated. Her fingers loosened their grip slightly.
But only for a moment.
Then they tightened again.
She didn't speak—not at first.
But just as Sakurai was about to step inside, her voice rose behind him. Soft. Wounded.
"…It's fine."
He turned, just a little.
"Because—besides you—there's no one left who can see me."
A silence fell between them.
Long and weighty.
Then Sakurai pushed open the door and stepped into the entryway.
"…Come in."
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