Rain had just stopped, but the streets of Tokyo still glistened under the streetlights.
Riku Takahashi walked alone, hands deep in his hoodie pocket, trying to ignore the world around him. He was used to being invisible. In school, in life… even to himself. People passed by without a glance, as if he was just another shadow.
Until tonight.
She appeared like she didn't belong to this world.
A girl in a white dress, barefoot, standing in the middle of the empty road. Her hair, dark as midnight, moved with the breeze. Her eyes found his instantly—like she had been searching for him all along.
"You," she said softly, almost like it was an accusation. "You can see me… right?"
Riku froze. His heart pounded in a way it never had.
"See you? You're standing in the middle of the road. Of course I
Before he could finish, the sound of an engine roared from behind.
A black car sped toward them, tires screeching. Instinct took over. Riku ran, grabbed her wrist, and pulled her to the sidewalk. They stumbled together, breathless.
The girl looked at him, a strange sadness in her eyes.
"No one else saw me… except you."
Riku was about to ask what she meant when the car stopped abruptly, just meters ahead. Two men in dark suits stepped out. They weren't ordinary men—the way they moved, the coldness in their gaze—it was like danger itself had taken human form.
"Give her to us," one of them ordered, voice low and threatening.
Riku's first instinct was to back away. He didn't even know who she was. But something in the way her hand trembled inside his grip… something about those tear-filled eyes… made him take a step forward instead.
"No," he said.
It was the first time in years Riku had said that word to anyone with such conviction.
The men exchanged a glance. One reached into his coat.
"Run," the girl whispered.
And they did. Through alleys, across puddles, the city lights flashing past them.
Riku didn't know where they were going, or why men in suits were chasing them. All he knew was that for the first time in his life, someone had looked at him… really looked at him. And he wasn't going to let her disappear.
A thousand questions burned in his mind, but when they finally stopped to catch their breath, she only said one thing:
"My name is Akiyama Hikari… and if you stay with me, your life will never be the same."