The streets of Tokyo were alive with their usual morning chaos—horns blaring, hurried footsteps, and the endless chatter of students making their way to school. Kaito Mizuno strolled through it all at his own leisurely pace, hands tucked into his pockets, headphones drowning out the world.
He wasn't in a rush. Never was.
By the time he arrived, the first period was already well underway. The teacher barely glanced at him as he slid into his seat, muttering something about "hopeless cases" under her breath. Not that he cared.
The day passed in the usual blur of half-listened lectures, exchanged jokes with classmates, and a strategic nap or two. He wasn't what people called "studious," but his grades were solid enough that no one could really complain.
Lunch was spent lounging on the rooftop, staring at the sky, ignoring his friends' complaints about his lack of motivation. Gym class was a joke—he barely put in effort and still managed to perform better than most.
And just like that, another day of high school came and went.
By the time he got home, Kento was nowhere to be seen, probably out with his university friends. Their parents, as usual, were busy with work. That left Kaito alone, free to do whatever he wanted.
Which, in his case, meant flopping onto his bed, phone in hand.
He scrolled aimlessly through social media, half-watching a random video, when his screen suddenly flickered.
Ping!
A notification appeared—one he didn't recognize.
[Congratulations. You have been selected.]
Kaito raised an eyebrow. "Huh?"
He tapped the notification out of pure curiosity.
The second his finger made contact—
FLASH.
A brief burst of light filled the room, like a camera flash going off at full power. Kaito blinked, momentarily disoriented.
And then—
Nothing.
The screen went black for a second before returning to normal. No strange apps, no follow-up messages. Just his regular home screen staring back at him.
"…Weird."
Had it been a prank? Some weird glitch? Maybe his phone was acting up.
Either way, there was no point worrying about it.
Yawning, Kaito tossed his phone onto his desk and stretched. His body felt heavier than usual, exhaustion seeping into his bones. Maybe he really was coming down with something.
Shaking off the thought, he slipped under his blankets, burying himself just like he had that morning.
As his eyelids grew heavier, the strange notification drifted to the back of his mind.