The smell of miso soup hit me before my eyes were fully open.
I trudged into the kitchen, still half-asleep, only to see Airi sitting at the table, already munching on a piece of grilled fish. She looked up at me like I was a wild animal that had wandered in by accident.
"You're up earlier than usual," she said with her mouth half-full. "What happened? Did the world end and no one told me?"
I ignored her, sat down, and picked up my chopsticks.
"Don't talk with your mouth full," I muttered.
She grinned. "That's rich, coming from someone who talks like the world's on mute."
I stayed quiet, stirring my rice with no real intention of eating it yet.
She narrowed her eyes at me.
"...You're going to school, right?"
"Obviously."
"Wow. Didn't expect that much effort from a background character."
I shot her a glance. "Says the NPC who only exists because I let her."
She gave me a deadpan stare. "You know, if you were a little nicer, maybe someone would've fallen for you by now."
"Good. That's the goal."
She blinked.
"Wait. You're actually going to the school festival thing today, right? You never do that stuff."
I shrugged. "They forced me into it."
"...Liar. You could've said no. You always do."
I didn't answer.
She watched me for a second, eyes narrowed, then went back to her food. "Whatever. Just don't come crying to me if you collapse from moving your legs for once."
I stood up, grabbed my bag, and turned toward the door.
"Don't wait for me tonight."
"You never say that," she said, pausing mid-bite.
"Exactly."
---
The school gates came into view, buzzing with energy already. Banners were half-hung, students were shouting across the courtyard, and the usual fog of chaos that came with festival season was in full swing.
I slipped through the entrance, invisible like always.
Or so I thought.
Because standing by the classroom door—
Clipboard in hand, like a living checklist—
Was Shirakawa Nao.
And she saw me.
Of course she did.
---
The field was buzzing with noise—students calling out lap counts, teachers blowing whistles, and the air thick with pre-festival energy.
I stood at the edge of the track, stretching my legs half-heartedly, trying to ignore the heat radiating from the sun and the annoying chatter around me.
"Minami! You're up next. Warm up properly," one of the student council members shouted.
I raised a hand lazily in response.
"Yeah, yeah."
Jogging to the far corner of the field, I stopped by a spot where the trees blocked most of the noise. A little peace, finally.
I rolled my shoulders and leaned into a stretch—
—and that's when my eyes caught something above.
The rooftop.
There she was again.
Haruka Shion.
Leaning against the fence, legs crossed, back hunched slightly, playing something on her handheld console—her usual.
Even from this distance, I could see the flicker of light from the screen reflect against her glasses. She looked peaceful. Distant. In her own little world.
"This is the day, Shion," I thought with an exaggerated sigh. "Why won't you put that game away and show your true potential?"
I smirked at my own sarcasm.
Wait… why would I care about an NPC?
Shaking the thought off, I looked back at the track.
"Focus," I muttered under my breath. "She doesn't exist unless I say she does."
Still, for a second too long, my eyes lingered on the rooftop—on her.
---
As soon as I turned away from the rooftop, the whistle blew.
"Minami! You're up!"
I jogged to the track, trying to ignore the dull buzz in my chest.
The sun hit hard. My shoes pressed against the starting block. The entire class crowded the sidelines, noise and cheers blurring into static.
I lowered my body, eyes forward.
Focus. Just run. That's all you're here for.
"On your mark…"
I took a breath.
"Get set…"
A flash of Shion's blank face behind that glowing screen flickered in my mind.
Just an NPC…
"Go!"
And I ran.
Faster than I wanted to.
Like I was trying to outrun something.
---
---
As I slowed down at the finish line, my breath sharp and dry, something caught my eye near the gym.
There she was—Nao Shirakawa.
Practicing cheerleading moves alone. Again.
But this time, she wasn't just messing around like last time. Her movements were sharper. Focused. Like someone who knew exactly what they were doing.
I turned to a classmate nearby.
"Is she even part of the cheer squad?"
He nodded. "Yeah. Well… kind of. The lead twisted her ankle yesterday. Can't perform. Nao's filling in last minute."
I looked back at her.
Every move, every step—it was like she'd been preparing for this from the start.
A question surfaced in my head before I could stop it:
Did she already know this was going to happen?
Or… had it already happened long before any of us noticed?
And once again, I found myself watching someone I supposedly gave no meaning to.
---
---
Just as he turned to leave, Reiji caught one last glance toward the field.
Nao was still there—mid-step, focused—until her eyes met his.
She smirked.
Caught.
Reiji's expression shifted, a flicker of irritation flashing across his face.
Tch... annoying.
He looked away, shoving his hands into his pockets as he walked off—pretending he hadn't been watching at all.
--
Reiji crossed the finish line, his breath ragged, sweat dripping from his temples.
Cheers erupted around him, some calling his name, others just screaming out of school spirit. He barely noticed.
His pulse thundered in his ears, louder than the crowd. Louder than the compliments. Louder than everything.
He bent forward slightly, hands on his knees.
It wasn't exhaustion. It was noise.
Empty noise.
He straightened up and walked to the side of the track, ignoring the slaps on his back and the grins of teammates. None of it mattered. The race was just running. Point A to point B. Something anyone could do with enough practice.
Why did they celebrate something like that?
And then—he saw her.
Nao.
Standing on the edge of the cheer squad, one hand on her hip, the other holding pom-poms. That same smirk on her face. Not wide. Not teasing. Just… calm.
Controlled.
She knew he was looking. Of course she did.
But instead of waving or saying anything, she turned her attention back to the group and continued practicing—not performing—just... moving.
And in that still moment, Reiji remembered something.
The classroom. That morning.
He'd asked one of his classmates:
"Does she even belong to the cheer squad?"
The guy had shrugged. "Nah. Their lead twisted her ankle yesterday. She's filling in."
Twisted her ankle… yesterday?
Reiji's mind rewound—back to the day before, when he saw Nao practicing alone. When no one else was around.
"Did she already know this would happen?" he whispered under his breath.
"Or…"
A pause.
"Did this already happen before everyone else... and only she noticed?"
The cheers around him blurred into nothing.
His thoughts were loud again.
Too loud.
And at the center of all that noise—Nao's smirk stayed burned into his mind, like an afterimage you can't blink away.
--