My name is Kurokawa Shito. I'm a second-year student at Hoshikawa High School, 17 years old. My life? Well… you could say it's boring.
Every day is just the same routine: wake up, go to school, come home, eat, play online games, sleep. Repeat again tomorrow. Nothing interesting. At school, I'm like a shadow—often bullied, belittled, and avoided by my classmates. I've gotten used to living in silence. Sometimes, I even feel… like I don't really exist.
The only thing keeping me sane is my little sister—Kurokawa Kira. She's only 11, but always so caring toward me. Sometimes too caring. I'm pretty sure she's a bit of a brocon, though I pretend not to notice.
That day, I had a fever. My body felt weak, my head heavy. As usual, no one at home cared—except for Kira. And at school… only one person noticed how I was.
He's my best friend—Nishimura Sato. He's kind of loud, always bragging about his girlfriend, and keeps pushing me to get one too. But at least… he's always there.
"Oi, Shito. You okay? You look pale," Sato said, patting my shoulder.
"Y-yeah… maybe I just didn't sleep enough," I replied weakly.
"Dude, your body's burning up. Seriously, you have a fever," he said, worried.
"It's fine… let me sleep for a bit. Wake me up when the teacher comes," I said, resting my head on the desk.
"Alright… but if you pass out, don't blame me," he mumbled, still concerned.
(Dream)
As I closed my eyes, I entered a strange world. A white room with no boundaries, and in front of me stood a girl. Her face was unclear, hidden by light, but her long hair shimmered red. She wore a strange outfit—like a glowing crimson dress that shimmered softly in the light.
She looked at me… and smiled.
"Hi. It's nice to meet you," she said gently.
I stared at her, confused.
"Who… are you? Have we met before?" I asked sharply without meaning to.
The girl didn't answer right away. She just smiled softly, as if she knew something I didn't.
"You'll find out soon enough."
I woke up, gasping for breath.
The classroom was empty.
(What?! It's already time to go home?!)
I looked around, searching for Sato—but he was gone. Some friend. I told him to wake me up when the teacher came!
(You're dead, Sato. I'm kicking you tomorrow.)
I hurriedly packed my bag and left the classroom. While walking down the hallway, I saw a student council girl helping a teacher carry a huge stack of boxes. Probably from the storage room.
She looked like she was struggling. Her steps were shaky.
I wanted to help—but just as I took a step forward…
THUD!
A guy slammed into her from the side. The boxes crashed to the ground. The guy just glanced, grumbled, and walked off like nothing happened.
"Ugh… stupid clumsy girl," he said, disappearing around the corner.
I stared at the student council girl now sitting on the floor, holding back tears. Her shoulders shook, and then… she started crying.
I rushed to her side.
"Hey, are you okay?" I asked gently, crouching beside her.
She didn't respond. Her sobs just got louder. I panicked.
(Oh crap… what do I do? Does she think I'm one of those jerks too?)
"Don't cry, okay? It's all going to be fine. I'll help you clean this up later."
But she didn't stop. In the end, I got up and jogged to the nearest vending machine. I checked my pocket—still had enough money.
After buying a cold canned drink, I went back and handed it to her.
"Here… take this. Drink a bit. You must be tired helping the teacher, right?"
She slowly looked up at me. Her eyes were red, cheeks wet. Her hands trembled as she accepted the can.
"…Thank you," she whispered.
Her crying stopped.
I sat beside her in silence.
For some reason… her smile, her expression, even the way she said thank you—everything felt… familiar.
Like… she was the girl from my dream I suddenly remembered something… about the dream I had yesterday. A vague face appeared in my mind—a warm smile amidst fading light. And now, in front of me, stood a girl with long black hair flowing gently over her shoulders, her eyes as clear as a morning lake. Could it be… she's the girl from that dream?
With a mix of nervousness and curiosity, I finally spoke up.
"U-umm… excuse me, may I ask your name?" I asked, my voice almost trembling.
The girl looked a little surprised. Her eyes widened for a moment, then she lowered her gaze, her cheeks softly turning red. She clutched the straps of her bag tightly, as if trying to hide her embarrassment.
"M-my name is… Kobayashi Yumi," she said softly, her voice as gentle as a breeze.
My heart skipped a beat. No… she's too cute.
The way she spoke, her shy gaze, and how her voice almost got lost in the noise of the school hallway—it all made me want to keep listening. As if time slowed down.
I tried to act calm, even though my heart was pounding like crazy.
"E-etto… Kobayashi-san?" I called again, this time a little more confidently.
She slowly turned toward me. Our eyes met for a moment. In her gaze, I saw a mix of nervousness, curiosity, and… something warm. Her cheeks turned red again, and I started to feel awkward too.
(This is the first time I've ever talked directly to a girl… especially one like her…)
"U-uh… why are you carrying so many things? Isn't it a bit much for you?" I asked, trying to change the subject.
Kobayashi-san looked at the stack of boxes in her arms, then looked back at me. This time, she smiled softly—like a flower blooming shyly in early spring.
"I just… want to be useful to others," she said gently, but with sincerity.
I fell silent. Her words hit something inside me.
There are still people like her—who help not because they're asked to, but because they want to. Her smile… I recognized it.
That smile. The one from my dream.
(But someone as kind as her… would she even want to be near someone like me?)
I gave a bitter smile and laughed a little, hiding the growing self-doubt.
"Haha… that's amazing, Kobayashi-san. I didn't think people like you still existed," I said.
"Unlike me, who… doesn't even know what my purpose in this world is."
My head lowered, and that last line came out like a whisper of despair.
Kobayashi-san fell silent for a moment. She looked like she wanted to say something—but a teacher's voice calling from afar broke the moment.
"Ah… I have to go," she said quickly as she gathered her things.
As she stood up, I saw her flinch. Her eyes squeezed shut in pain.
"W-wait, what happened to your ankle?" I asked.
Her ankle was clearly swollen—probably from the fall earlier.
"You need to rest!" I exclaimed.
Without waiting for a response, I grabbed the boxes from her and ran toward the school storage room. They felt light—probably from the adrenaline rush.
After finishing up, I returned to the classroom.
There, Kobayashi-san was fast asleep in her seat. Her face looked peaceful, her chest rising and falling gently with each breath. The soft afternoon sunlight streamed in through the window, bathing her black hair in a golden glow. She looked like a figure from a classical painting.
(Is she even real?)
I sat down near her. Drowsiness started to take over.
The quiet classroom… the warm air… and the strange, calming feeling… made my eyes slowly close.
When I opened my eyes, my head felt comfortable. Soft. Warm.
"Good morning, Kurokawa-kun."
A soft voice woke me. I turned to see Kobayashi-san… sitting beside me. Or rather, I—was resting on her lap.
"W-wait, where am I?!" I panicked, quickly sitting up.
Kobayashi-san blushed, but she smiled—that same smile again.
"You were… on my lap," she replied softly, as if teasing me.
My face instantly burned. I looked down, staring at the floor.
"S-sorry! I didn't mean to…"
But she shook her head gently.
"It's okay. I moved your head. You looked like you were having a nightmare… so I thought… maybe this would help you feel better."
My heart ached. That strange feeling returned.
Why… are you so kind?
Have I… met you before?
But before I could ask, my head began to feel heavy. My vision blurred. The sounds around me echoed like they were underwater.
"I-I… what's happening…"
My strength faded. Everything turned dark.
But before it all disappeared, I saw it—
That smile.
The smile that erased all my fear.
If you'd like, I can help format this into a light novel page or visual scene.