I'm in the middle of the woods.
It's pitch black. The trees have no color.
Or maybe my eyes just can't find it.
The only light is the pale white smear of the moon above, leaking through broken branches.
Goosebumps crawl up my arms.
It's cold.
Nothing but trees, dirt, and the occasional leaf scattered across the ground. No birds. No bugs. Just… nothing.
Snap.
I whip my head back.
Something moves at the edge of my vision—a figure—and disappears.
I stare into the dark.
I'm imagining things.
Snap.
I turn left. Nothing.
My heart starts pounding, racing out of my chest.
I've got a bad feeling.
A grip.
A hand clamps down on my shoulder.
Cold.
A whisper, right next to my ear:
"Stay here… with me."
I spin around too fast, foot catching, and fall. My head cracks against a thick log.
Pain explodes in my skull.
"Fuck… that hurts…"
My vision blurs. The trees smear together, branches crossing over the moon, blocking out the light.
"Who's there?!" my voice echoes.
No answer. Just the whipping sound of the wind sliding through dead branches.
Another grip.
My shoulder.
My arms.
My legs.
"Fuck… fuck… what is this crap…"
Hands burst up from the ground, cold fingers wrapping around my ankles, my wrists, my chest. They hold me in place like chains.
The thumping in my chest grows louder. Too loud.
"Help me!"
In front of me—
What the hell is that?
A silhouette of a woman.
No color. Just black.
She moves closer.
Closer.
Closer—
I squeeze my eyes shut. The whispers multiply, crawling across my skin.
Bzzzz.
Bzzzzz.
Bzzzz.
I force my eyes open.
White ceiling.
My shirt clings to me, damp with sweat. My hair sticks to my forehead. My heart is still racing like I never woke up.
I swear I can still feel her whisper against my ear.
Just a dream.
Only a dream.
Thank god, my phone woke me up .
I suck in a slow breath. Exhale. Again. I pull myself back together one piece at a time.
A sigh escapes my lips.
Another day.
I'll try to get through it.
I swing my legs off the bed and stand up.
Brush teeth. Wash face. Deodorant.
Daily routine.
I shuffle into the bathroom, grab my toothbrush, squeeze out the paste, scrub, rinse, splash water on my face, pat dry with the towel hanging by the shower.
Where's the deodorant?
I crouch, open the cabinet under the sink.
There. I grab it, swipe one pit, then the other. Back it goes.
My eyes drift up to the mirror.
Silver hair. Ends sticking out everywhere. Too long at the sides.
I don't remember the last time I had a haircut.
Dark bags under my eyes.
I need more sleep.
I open the bathroom door, go back to my room, and pull on my high school uniform. Pants first. Belt. Shirt. Tie last.
Down the stairs.
Step. Step.
The stairs open out to the hallway, kitchen to the left. I can already hear soft mumbling.
Here we go.
I walk into the kitchen and sit down.
Father on the left, mother on the right.
On my plate: two pieces of toast and an egg.
Same as always.
I don't complain. There's nothing to complain about.
"So, honey, you're ready for your second year of high school?" Mom asks, looking right at me.
I already know the answer she wants.
To be honest?
No.
"Yes," I say, forcing a small smile.
Dad doesn't ask anything. He never does. He reads the newspaper, drinks his coffee, exists. We share mornings, not conversations.
It's fine. It's not like it matters.
My eyes lift up to the clock above Mom's head.
8:15.
Crap. I'm late.
My chair scrapes back. "I gotta go—see you later!" I blurt, rushing to the entrance.
Shoes on, laces a mess. I twist the knob, swing the door open. Cool, damp air hits my face as I step out and shut it behind me.
I glance up.
Clouds heavy. Looks like it's about to rain.
Crap. No umbrella.
I inhale slowly, let the breath seep out of my chest.
It's fine. It probably won't rain.
I walk down the sidewalk toward school. Lucky me—I live only three minutes away.
Step. Step. Step.
There's the entrance. Students and teachers drift through the gates, a mix of laughs, yawns, and whispered drama.
"How was your summer?"
"Just go out with him already."
"Let's go to karaoke after this."
I keep my head down, sliding past everyone, hunting for the auditorium.
Another year. Another boring speech.
I just wanna sleep.
I make it inside. It's quieter here. Students line up, teachers watching.
I end up next to a shorter girl. Black hair, cut near her eyes. Smooth skin. Yellow eyes.
She smells like cherries.
I peek from the corner of my eye, trying to get a better look without looking like a creep.
Stare.
"Ahem… can you stop staring at me, weirdo? It's creeping me out," she snaps, stern, serious—she looks pissed.
My face heats up instantly.
"O-oh, I'm… sorry," I mumble, tearing my gaze away.
Nice. First interaction of the year and I already look like a freak. Good job, Haru. Natural-born social disaster.
"Attention, students," the principal says.
Here we go.
"Blah… blah… blah blah blah…"
I'm not even listening. My brain auto-mutes adult voices.
Then it's over.
Go to class.
If I remember right, I'm in 2-C.
I walk up the second flight of stairs, into the hallway.
There: 2-C.
I can hear voices inside. I slide the door open, walk in, and instantly choose the seat closest to the window at the back.
Hard wooden chair. Old desk. Stuffy room.
Manageable. Good enough to sleep in.
I reach for my bag to grab something to cover my face.
I pause.
Crap…
I left my bag on my desk. At home.
I pat my pockets.
No phone either.
Ugh. What a start to the day. Perfect. Really.
Firm steps echo. The door slides open.
A woman walks in. Red hair tied into a ponytail. Glasses. Light green blazer, skirt, tie. That teacher look.
She sets her books on the podium and opens them.
Here we go. Work.
"Hello, everyone," she says.
The class quiets.
"Blah… blah blah blah…"
I'm not even really paying attention. Again.
I slowly lower my head, hand covering my face.
At some point, I completely knock out.
Ring.
I jerk awake. Lunch time.
I push myself up, yawning, and drag my feet toward the balcony where I always ate last year.
Then I remember.
Wallet? In my bag.
Bag? On my desk.
No lunch.
A breath slips out of me.
"It's whatever…" I mutter, hands in my pockets as I climb the last flight of stairs.
I push the door open.
Instant breeze. Cool air brushes my face, pushing away the classroom smell.
Then I see her.
To my left, a girl stands at the ledge of the building, looking down. Tall. Taller than me. Long purple hair flowing down her back.
My brain freezes.
What is she…
Is she…?
Is she on the edge?
My chest squeezes.
Crap. What do I do? Is she gonna kill herself? Am I supposed to do something? What if I say the wrong thing? I always say the wrong thing. Shit—move. Just move.
I run toward her, breath catching.
"Hey—what are you doing!!" I shout, voice cracking.
My hand shoots over the safety fence and grabs her hand.
"It's not safe," I say, breathing hard.
She turns slowly.
I see the dried tear marks on her cheeks. Red eyes, empty, dull.
"Let go of my hand," she says. Soft. Firm.
I stare, dumbfounded.
A normal person would probably know what to say here. I don't.
"Aren't you going to jump? I'm trying to save you here—give me some credit," I blurt, gripping her hand tighter.
Idiot. Why would you say it like that?
Her eyes lift, meeting mine. It's like she's really seeing me. Like no one else exists.
Sweat trickles down my neck.
"Why are you…" she starts, voice shaking, "…trying to help me? You don't even know me. This is none of your concern."
I blink.
The words sting more than they should.
She's right. I don't know her. I don't know anything. I can't even talk to people without embarrassing myself. Why am I—
Because if I walk away and she jumps, I'll never forget it. That's why.
"This idiot is trying to throw her life away, of course I'm going to stop it," I say, more to myself than her. Then louder, "Look, I get it. Times are tough but… there are people that care about you. Why throw your life away?"
Her eyes widen, then twist. Her face tightens like my words hurt.
Is she mad?
"You have no idea what you're saying!! You know nothing!" she yells, tears spilling again.
Fuck. She's right. I know nothing. Say something else. Fix it. Come on, idiot, do something right for once.
"Still…" My voice shakes. "I don't know you, but… I wanna help you. I care. That's why I'm still holding your hand."
I swallow.
"Now get off this edge," I add, trying to sound firm. It comes out more desperate than strong.
Her eyes light up for a second. Her face goes red. She looks down, body trembling slightly.
Fuck. Did I just say all that out loud? What am I doing? I just wanted to relax on the balcony. How did this turn into a save-the-girl scene? This isn't an anime, I'm not built for this.
"Okay… I'll get off," she whispers.
I don't let go of her hand. Not until she slowly lifts one leg, then the other, stepping back over the fence to stand safely on the balcony.
Only then do I release her.
She keeps her head down, like she's waiting for me to say something.
Say something. Anything. Don't be weird. Don't be weird. Don't stare. Don't—
She's actually… pretty cute.
"I-I'm… Haru," I say, looking away. "I'm a second year."
"Ha… Haru," she repeats, like she's tasting it.
"I'm M-Mina… first year," she says softly.
Mina, huh.
So that's her name.
Damn, she's tall. Why is she taller than me? Why am I noticing that? This is weird. This is awkward. Fix it. Talk, idiot.
"So… did you have lunch?" I ask, voice shaky.
Oh my god. Why did I say that? That was so lame. She was literally about to jump and I'm asking about lunch. Genius.
"I don't really eat lunch," she says, still looking down.
Crap. Nice one. Now what? Conversation starter, conversation starter—brain, do your job.
"My favorite anime is, um… is… AoT," I blurt.
I scratch the back of my head.
I'm making it worse. She's gonna think I'm stupid. Why did I say that?
She looks up at me. Our eyes meet.
Then she laughs.
Bursting out laughing. Hard.
Is she laughing at me?
Did I say a joke?
I have no idea what's happening.
I let out a small, awkward chuckle with her just to survive the moment.
Her laughter slowly calms. She breathes out.
"You're really funny," she says, smiling.
Funny? That's… new.
Ring.
Next period.
"W-we should get to class," she says softly.
"Y-yeah, you're right," I answer, turning.
We walk down the stairs together.
"Thank you…" she whispers.
I look at her and nod with a small smile.
At least she's okay now.
I think.
We part ways. I head back to class, sit at my usual window seat, put my head down again, ride out another lame lecture.
Ring.
Finally. Time to go home.
I get up, walk out of the school, through the gates.
Students walk ahead of me, laughing, planning.
"I wanna check out this café."
I walk alone.
Man. I really have no friends. But it's been like that for a long time. Ever since…
No. Don't think about it.
I'm okay with being a loner. Being alone is… safe. Quiet. No expectations. No one to disappoint.
And hey—no homework, no effort. I'm the perfect student.
A small, stupid smile creeps onto my face.
"Yes. That's what it is," I mumble.
"Ha… Haru?"
I stop and turn.
Mina.
I did not expect that. There's a soft smile on her face.
"H-hey, Mina…" I say.
She walks closer. Looks down. Her face goes bright red, like a tomato.
"I was wondering…" Her voice trembles. "If we could walk home together," she finally says.
Walk home. Together. With me?
This only happens in anime. No way this is real. She's talking to me? Is she sure? Did she mix me up with someone else? Play it cool. No, I can't. Shit.
My heart starts pounding again, skipping beats.
I feel my face heat up. I look down at the ground.
"She wants to walk home with me…" I mumble inside my head.
"Su… su… sure," I manage.
Look at you, Haru. Finally becoming a man, walking a cute girl home. Score.
I wish I had friends to brag to.
Not like it matters.
Wet drop taps me on the head.
Then more and more.
Crap it's raining.
The one thing I didn't end to happened, happened.
(End of Chapter 1)