Chapter 1: — “A Normal Day... or Not!”

The city never really slept. Neon lights flickered against the pale morning sky, and the streets buzzed with hover-drones delivering breakfast packs, cleaning bots sweeping sidewalks, and people moving like currents in a river of holograms.

I adjusted my school bag and tried not to trip on the slick pavement, classic me. But really, my mind wasn’t on the sidewalk. It was on him.

Kaito.

Of course. How could it not be?

He wasn’t even here yet, but I’d already peeked at the morning ahead. That’s the thing about my power: I can see a few minutes or hours into the future. Sometimes it helps me avoid small mistakes. Sometimes… I use it to check if I ever get the courage to confess to Kaito. Spoiler: so far, every version ends the same way.

Nothing changes.

I shoved the thought away as the monorail hummed above me. The smell of ozone and synthetic coffee mixed strangely in the air, making the city feel alive. People rushed past, heads buried in AR glasses, tapping on floating holographic screens. And somewhere in this chaos, I’d find him soon.

I stepped onto the moving platform and let my eyes wander. Just a peek, a tiny glance into the immediate future. I saw myself stepping into school, sliding into my usual back-row seat, and Kaito entering a few seconds later, hair ruffling slightly, oblivious to my existence.

My heart gave a little flip.

I sighed and told myself to focus. It was just a crush. Just a hopeless, ridiculous crush that made my mornings impossible.

The monorail screeched to a stop at my station. I practically flew out, weaving through the crowd. Holo-ads flickered above me: energy drinks, virtual tutors, even warnings about minor tech malfunctions downtown. I ignored all of it.

Only one thing mattered.

Kaito.

I rounded the corner, and the school building loomed ahead: towering glass walls, faint neon outlines, drones hovering at the entrance. The air buzzed with the soft hum of machinery and students chatting, but my focus was elsewhere.

I adjusted my bag again, trying to calm my racing heart. Even with my power, some things couldn’t be controlled. Especially him.

Sliding through the doors, I spotted familiar faces, friends already talking and laughing. I made my way to my usual back-row seat. My palms were sweaty, my stomach tight, but I couldn’t stop thinking about the moment he’d appear.

And, like clockwork, I knew exactly how it would happen.

Kaito would stroll in, bag casually slung over one shoulder, headphones dangling around his neck, completely unaware of how many times I’d imagined this moment. My heart beat faster. I wished I could peek further, maybe this time, just maybe, I’d finally see him notice me.

Some habits die hard. Some crushes never fade. And some powers… don’t always give you what you really want.

But for now, I had my front-row seat to the start of another Monday.

The classroom smelled faintly of chalk and recycled air, with sunlight streaming through the wide windows. My desk, like always, was in the back row. Safe. Far from the teacher’s immediate line of sight.

And conveniently, close to him.

Kaito hadn’t arrived yet, but my heart was already racing. I’d peeked at the monorail scene a few times on the way in, a little habit I couldn’t quite kick. I knew exactly how he’d walk in: bag slung lazily over one shoulder, headphones dangling, oblivious to my existence.

Classic Kaito.

I dug through my bag, pulling out my notebook. Not that I needed it… mostly I just needed something to hide behind. Something to hide the tiny sphere forming silently in front of me.

A sphere of soft violet light hovered just above my palm, small, delicate, almost like a soap bubble with a faint glow inside. Only I could see it. Only I could hear it. And yes… it was time for my morning entertainment: checking the immediate future to make sure I didn’t humiliate myself.

I flicked my wrist subtly, hiding the sphere behind my notebook as the classroom buzzed with chatter. The scene flickered to life inside the bubble.

There I was… sitting in my seat, my hand raised nervously as the teacher called on me. I opened my mouth, heart pounding, and immediately realized I had said the wrong answer. My face heated, and a couple of classmates snickered softly.

“Yuzuki…” my future self whispered inside the sphere, “that was… not great.”

I winced at the tiny voice echoing in my mind. The scene continued. The teacher corrected me patiently, pointing to the proper answer on the board. Relief washed over my tiny future-self.

“Okay,” I murmured under my breath, just loud enough for me to hear, “I see how this goes.”

I took a quiet mental note of the correct answer, letting the sphere continue until the teacher’s voice reached its climax in the projection:
“The correct answer is… 47.”

Perfect.

Just as I was about to finish memorizing it, the classroom grew quiet, and I felt the teacher’s gaze slide over toward me. My stomach lurched. The teacher was calling on me. Now.

Heart hammering, I made the sphere vanish with a subtle wave of my hand, careful to keep it completely unnoticeable. Not a flicker of light, not a sound, gone. My notebook closed slightly, hiding my palms.

“Yuzuki,” the teacher said, voice calm but firm, “what’s the answer to number three?”

I swallowed hard, trying not to look as nervous as I felt. My fingers twitched slightly, the habit of fiddling with my powers. Then I straightened up and said, with as much confidence as I could muster:

“47.”

Silence.

And then… a faint smile from the teacher.

“Correct.”

My shoulders relaxed just a little. Inside, I was practically doing cartwheels. The sphere had done its job, no one would ever know. Not a single classmate.

I let my mind wander briefly back to Kaito. He had finally arrived, sliding his bag off his shoulder and glancing at the board. Not that he noticed me, of course. He was always so focused, so… Kaito.

I caught myself staring a second too long, and my face warmed. I doodled absently in the margin of my notebook to cover my blush.

The teacher continued explaining the problem, but my thoughts kept drifting. Every time I used the sphere, every time I peeked just a few moments ahead, it reminded me how different my life was from everyone else’s. Not in a bad way. Just… complicated.

And yet, I wouldn’t trade it. Not if it meant maybe, just maybe, I could prevent future embarrassment… or get one step closer to him noticing me.

The class went on, equations and explanations blurring together, but I kept my eye on the back of Kaito’s head. I wondered what he was thinking, what he was planning. And, of course, I wondered if he’d ever notice me the way I noticed him.

— 

The classroom buzzed with the usual chatter. Students shuffled papers, tapped screens, and whispered about homework or last night’s holo-drama. Everything was… normal. Predictable. Safe.

Except for me.

I noticed it first as a faint glint outside the window, a shimmer against the pale blue sky. At first, I thought it was some new drone or advertisement. But no. It was bigger. Much bigger.

A blimp floated above the city, slow and deliberate, its neon panels flashing red warnings in bold letters:

“ATTENTION: UNAUTHORIZED AI ACTIVITY DETECTED. CAUTION ADVISED.”

The rest of the class didn’t seem to notice. Some kids glanced out, shrugged, and went back to their own worlds. But I couldn’t. My stomach tightened. That kind of warning didn’t appear for trivial reasons.

I followed its movement across the sky. My fingers twitched. Something felt… off.

And then I noticed Kaito.

He wasn’t pretending to ignore it like everyone else. His eyes were locked on the blimp, sharp, focused, almost glowing with determination. His jaw clenched slightly, and a faint crease appeared between his brows. I had never seen that look before, not at school, not in class. Something about it made my heart skip.

What… what’s he thinking?

I blinked, confused. Why would he care so much? It was just a blimp, right? But the intensity in his gaze suggested otherwise. There was purpose behind it, a plan.

Instinctively, I summoned my sphere again, hiding it behind my notebook. Its violet glow shimmered softly against the pages, silent and invisible to the rest of the classroom. I focused, hoping to catch a glimpse of what was about to happen next.

The sphere flickered, but something was wrong.

I could only see through my perspective. I could see myself walking home later, as usual. I could see my routine, my dinner, my homework, the path I always take. I could even peek a little further and see tomorrow’s breakfast. But… nothing. Nothing about Kaito.

My stomach sank.

I clenched my fists under the desk. My vision of the future was useless this time. I couldn’t see what he was going to do. I couldn’t see if he was in danger. I couldn’t see the next few hours of his life.

Anger, frustration, and fear bubbled inside me. The sphere flickered in response to my emotions, tiny sparks of violet light dancing like fireflies behind the notebook. I gritted my teeth.

“Why now?” I whispered to myself. My voice barely audible. “Why can’t I see him?”

The class moved on around me, oblivious. Laughter. Notes being scribbled. A paper airplane zooming past the ceiling. None of it mattered. Only him.

I felt a cold knot of worry twist in my stomach. Kaito’s eyes remained fixed on the blimp, and my mind raced. Did he already know something? Was this… part of his secret?

I had no way of knowing. No future to peek at, no sphere to give me answers. My power, which had always been my secret crutch, suddenly felt meaningless.

I leaned closer to the window, still hiding the faint glow of the sphere. Kaito’s figure stood out, calm yet alert, like he was preparing for something, something big. My pulse quickened, and a shiver ran down my spine.

I didn’t know what he was going to do. I didn’t know if he’d be safe. And, for the first time, I realized that some futures weren’t mine to see.

Desperation gnawed at me. I wanted to know. I needed to know. But no matter how many times I tried, the sphere offered nothing. Just the empty hours after school where I’d walk home, alone, while Kaito… did something I couldn’t even imagine.

My hands tightened on the edges of my notebook. I hated this. Hated that I was powerless to protect him, even in my own little way.

The blimp hovered a little lower, its red letters flashing a warning that now seemed personal, as if it were pointing directly at Kaito. My breath caught. The fear and worry I’d been holding in my chest pressed harder, almost suffocating me.

And yet… there was that glimmer of something else. Curiosity? Determination? The same spark I always saw in Kaito when he was focused.

Whatever he was planning, he wasn’t backing down.

I swallowed hard and whispered under my breath, “Kaito… what are you about to do?”

The rest of the classroom didn’t notice a thing. And for once, I had no way of knowing if the future would answer me.

The sphere flickered one last time, as if sharing my frustration, then dimmed softly behind the notebook. I tucked it away, trying to steady my shaking hands, my mind spinning with possibilities I couldn’t see.

All I knew for sure was that something was about to happen. Something big. And for the first time, I was scared not just for me… but for him.

The bell rang, shrill and cheerful, signaling lunch. Relief washed over the classroom like a small wave, a break from lectures, equations, and my endlessly spinning thoughts about Kaito.

I grabbed my bag and headed to the cafeteria, the hum of hover-drones buzzing above as they carried trays and drinks to students. One of the service drones floated toward me, balancing a plate neatly: a steaming bowl of synthetic ramen and a side of nutrient-packed salad. I smiled faintly, picking up the plate and holding it carefully.

All seemed normal. Too normal.

I should have peeked at the future. I should have summoned the sphere. But I didn’t. I just assumed… well, nothing extraordinary would happen.

Famous last words.

I turned a corner toward the empty bench I always preferred, back, near the windows, sunlight catching the city outside just right. And then… it happened.

I bumped into someone. Hard.

The world tilted. Plates wobbled. My stomach lurched. And then, thud. I landed squarely on my butt. Pain shot through me, sharp and humiliating. My ramen almost spilled, and I frantically clutched the plate.

“Ah!” I gasped, looking up, and froze.

Kaito.

His familiar black hair was slightly mussed, eyes widening in concern as he reached out a hand.

“Are you okay?” he asked, calm and steady.

I could barely breathe. My face turned a vivid shade of crimson. My brain short-circuited. Here he was, my crush, offering me his hand, and I was sitting on the floor like a complete fool.

Without thinking, I took it. His hand was warm, firm, grounding. He helped me to my feet, and I felt my knees wobble a little, heart hammering like a drum.

Inside, I was screaming. Say something. Confess. Anything! Just… talk to him!

“Uh… thanks,” I managed, my voice barely above a whisper, which only made my blush worse.

Kaito’s lips curved into a small smile. Relief and genuine gladness shone in his eyes. “Glad you’re okay,” he said softly.

I wanted to stay there. I wanted to say something more, ask him about the blimp, about the weird warnings, even just chat about lunch. But before I could, he stepped back, giving a little wave.

“See ya.”

And just like that, he walked off. My stomach sank, my heart thudding painfully in my chest. I wanted to scream, to call after him, to demand he stay so we could have a proper conversation. But… he was gone.

I let out a frustrated breath and muttered to myself, barely audible. “Why didn’t I check the sphere? Why didn’t I peek ahead? If I had, I would’ve known this was going to happen… and maybe… maybe I’d have had the courage to say something instead of just… being a nervous, love-struck freak.”

I hugged my tray a little closer and shuffled toward the bench. I had to pretend to be calm while internally screaming at the universe.

I sat down, placing the plate in front of me, still blinking back a blush that felt permanent. The cafeteria buzzed around me, chatter and clattering cutlery blending into white noise. Nobody noticed. Nobody saw. Nobody cared.

Except me.

And Kaito.

I let my fingers twitch unconsciously, thinking about the missed opportunity, about how the sphere could have prepared me. Could have given me that tiny boost of courage. Could have made me less of a nervous, bumbling idiot.

Instead… I had only the memory of his hand in mine, the warmth of it lingering like a phantom, and the briefest glimpse of his smile, the one that made my stomach flip and my thoughts scatter.

I sighed, poking at my ramen. It tasted like everything I could never quite say to him, warm, comforting, and just slightly out of reach.

—

Lunch was over. The cafeteria noise had faded as most students returned to their classrooms, leaving the hallways eerily quiet. I clutched my empty tray and wandered down the corridor, thoughts still swirling about Kaito and the morning’s blimp. My curiosity, as usual, got the better of me.

That’s when I saw it.

Kaito’s locker. Half open.

I froze, staring at it. The hallway was completely empty. Not a student in sight. Not a teacher. Just me… and the locker.

Something inside me tugged, insistent and dangerous. Curiosity. Maybe a little recklessness. I edged closer, glancing back and forth to make sure no one was watching, and then… I opened it fully.

The moment I saw inside, chills ran down my spine.

A sleek, compact weapon rested in the locker. Green lights blinked faintly along its frame, and the design made it clear this was not just any ordinary school gadget. It was an LS-99 pistol blaster, capable of shooting actual lasers. My fingers shook as I lifted it. Cold metal against my palms. Heavy, dangerous. I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t speak.

“Wow…” I whispered. My voice sounded pathetic even to my own ears. Shock, disbelief, and awe tangled together in a tight knot inside me.

And then a voice. A sharp, commanding voice.

“What are you doing?!”

I jumped, dropping the blaster a little as my head whipped around. Kaito, standing at the far end of the hall, his eyes wide with fury, arms crossed. His usually calm expression was gone, replaced with raw anger.

“I-I… it was half open!” I stammered, panic rising. “I was… curious…”

That only made his glare more intense. He stormed forward, snatching the LS-99 from my trembling hands. The green lights reflected off his serious face, and I felt a chill creep down my spine.

“Do NOT tell anyone in this school about this!” he barked, voice low but threatening. “This LS-99 is not allowed here. Understand?”

I nodded frantically, too scared to even speak. My heart pounded in my ears.

“W-Why do you have it?” I asked nervously, my voice barely above a whisper.

“That’s none of your business,” he snapped, stepping closer. My stomach tightened as he leaned in, his hands gripping my collar lightly but firmly. The closeness, the anger, the intensity, it was terrifying.

“If you ever snitch to anyone, I’ll finish you,” he hissed.

I froze, swallowing hard. My mind screamed, but no words came out. I nodded, terrified, heart hammering so fast I thought it might break free of my chest.

He let go after a tense moment, stepping back and giving me a sharp look before turning to leave.

I didn’t wait. I ran. My legs felt like jelly, sweat forming at my hairline and under my arms. Every step echoed in the empty hall. I needed to get away, to escape, to breathe.

Once I was out of sight, I collapsed against the wall, gripping my knees. My chest ached, my hands shook. My crush… just yelled at me. My crush.

And I didn’t even blame him. I’d done something completely wrong. I had opened his locker, touched his weapon, violated a secret I wasn’t supposed to know. The fear, the thrill, the confusion, it was all wrapped inside my mind.

But beneath the fear, beneath the embarrassment and adrenaline, a question burned in my mind:

Why did he have a blaster in school?

Not just any blaster. An LS-99. A weapon designed to kill or at least seriously injure. And yet… why here? Why now? What was he planning, or preparing for?

I tried to push the thought away, tried to focus on anything else. My homework. Lunch. That morning’s blimp. My sphere, which could have probably shown me this if I had checked. But nothing worked.

The thought sat in my head, stubborn and sharp, refusing to leave.

Why?

Why did Kaito bring a laser blaster to school?

Even as I ran my fingers over my bag strap, even as I forced myself to walk to my next class, the image of the weapon, the green lights, and his furious expression stayed with me. I couldn’t stop thinking about it.

And for the first time, I realized something terrifying. The world I thought I understood, the city, the school, even Kaito himself, might be more dangerous than I ever imagined.

But… my curiosity wouldn’t let me rest.

No matter how scared I was... I needed to know.