Chapter 1: Transfer Student & The Girl Under the Cherry Tree

The morning sun spilled softly over the rooftops of Mizuhara Town, painting the sky in pastel shades of orange and pink. A crisp breeze carried the faint scent of dew and something sweeter—the faint perfume of cherry blossoms drifting from the schoolyard ahead.

Haruto Minami tightened the strap of his school bag and exhaled slowly. His first day at Mizuhara High. A new town, a new school, and new classmates who would all stare at him during self-introductions. He hated self-introductions.

“Just don’t mess it up, Minami. Smile, bow, and say you like reading or something.” He mentally rehearsed the same safe routine he always used.

As he passed through the school’s main gate, the sight made him pause.

Cherry blossoms. Dozens of them, in full bloom. Their petals fluttered gently to the ground like soft pink snow, covering the path to the main building. In the center of the yard, an especially tall cherry tree stood like an old guardian, its branches swaying lazily in the morning breeze. Beneath it stood a girl.

She wore the Mizuhara High uniform, though the ribbon at her collar was tied a little crooked. Her long hair, the color of fresh chestnuts, shimmered faintly in the sunlight. She had a small notebook clutched to her chest, and her face—bright, almost glowing with warmth—lit up the moment she saw him.

“You’re the new transfer student, aren’t you?” she called out cheerfully, waving as though they had been friends forever.

Haruto blinked.

“Uh… yeah. Minami Haruto. How did you—?”

The girl giggled, her cheeks puffing slightly as she smiled. “I just knew. You had that lost puppy look about you.” She clasped her hands behind her back and tilted her head. “I’m Yui Hanabira. Nice to meet you, Minami-kun!”

Her energy was so casual, so familiar, that Haruto felt oddly disarmed. He nodded politely. “Hanabira-san. Nice to meet you too.”

“Just Yui is fine!” she chirped. “You’ll get used to this school in no time. I can show you around, if you want.”

Haruto hesitated. Something felt strange. The courtyard was bustling—students walking past, groups chatting near the shoe lockers, some even glancing curiously at him, the obvious newcomer. Yet not a single person seemed to notice Yui standing under the cherry tree.

No greetings, no glances. Not even the faintest acknowledgment.

“…Uh,” Haruto cleared his throat, “you… you’re a student here, right?”

“Of course! Second-year, Class 2-B.” She beamed proudly, tapping her notebook as if it were proof. “Same as you, actually. Lucky, huh?”

That couldn’t be right. He’d already been told his class—2-B. And yet, when he glanced toward the building, he noticed a few students giving him odd looks as he appeared to be… talking to the air.

Heat crept up his neck. He lowered his voice. “People are staring.”

Yui leaned forward, her eyes sparkling mischievously. “That’s because you’re new, silly. Don’t worry about it.”

Haruto pressed his lips together. Something about her words didn’t convince him, but arguing with someone he’d just met felt impossible.

“Come on,” Yui said, skipping a step toward the entrance. “If we don’t hurry, you’ll be late for your first class!”

He found himself following, almost against his better judgment.

---

The hallways smelled faintly of chalk and floor polish. Students slipped into classrooms, laughing, complaining about homework, adjusting their uniforms. Yui walked ahead lightly, humming a cheerful tune as if floating more than stepping.

She stopped at the second-floor corridor and pointed. “That’s the staff room, and over there’s the library. Oh! And the music room’s my favorite. The piano there has such a gentle sound.”

Haruto nodded quietly, though he couldn’t help noticing again—no one greeted her. No one even glanced her way. When a group of girls passed by, chatting, they actually brushed past where Yui stood pointing, and not one of them reacted.

Haruto froze. Hadn’t they just… walked through her shoulder?

“Something wrong?” Yui asked, tilting her head.

“…No. Nothing.” His voice cracked slightly. He wasn’t sure if he’d imagined it. The morning nerves, maybe.

---

When they finally reached Class 2-B, Yui gave him a bright thumbs-up. “You’ll be fine! Just be yourself.”

He nodded, steeling himself as he slid the door open. The chatter in the classroom quieted, replaced by curious stares. The homeroom teacher, an older man with glasses, beckoned him forward.

“Class, this is our new transfer student. Please introduce yourself.”

Haruto bowed slightly. “Minami Haruto. I transferred here from Kanagawa. I, uh… like reading. Nice to meet you.”

Polite applause followed. A few students whispered among themselves. The teacher directed him to an empty seat near the window.

As Haruto made his way over, he risked a glance at the door. Yui was standing there, beaming at him, giving an exaggerated double thumbs-up like some overexcited cheerleader.

No one else seemed to notice her.

---

The morning classes passed in a blur of unfamiliar names, textbooks, and polite introductions from classmates. Haruto tried to focus, but every now and then, he felt eyes on him—the ghost of Yui’s smile, the sound of her light humming drifting at the edge of his hearing.

During break, Aya Sato, a sharp-eyed girl from the seat in front of him, leaned over. “You were mumbling to yourself earlier. Do you… always do that?”

Haruto stiffened. “Mumbling?”

“Yeah. When you walked in. You looked like you were… talking to someone.” Aya’s tone was casual, but her gaze was piercing.

“I—I guess I was just nervous,” Haruto lied quickly.

She narrowed her eyes but shrugged. “Whatever you say.”

Before he could breathe in relief, Yui’s voice chimed from the window. “Phew! You survived your first introduction! You did great, Minami-kun.”

Haruto nearly jumped out of his seat. He glanced around quickly—no one reacted. Not Aya, not anyone. Yui leaned lazily against the window frame, swinging her legs like a carefree child, her smile warm and completely oblivious to the oddness of it all.

What the hell is going on…?

---

When lunch came, Haruto tried eating quietly at his desk. But of course, Yui appeared, plopping herself onto the seat beside him.

“Eh? Bread and juice? That’s all? You should eat more! The cafeteria curry is pretty good, you know.”

He kept his chopsticks poised awkwardly. “Do you… always talk this much?”

Yui grinned. “Yup. But don’t worry—you’ll get used to me.”

Her words carried an odd warmth. For the first time that day, Haruto found himself smiling faintly, despite the strangeness, despite the unease crawling at the back of his mind.

Maybe it wasn’t such a bad start, after all.

---

When the final bell rang, Haruto packed his things and stepped into the quieting courtyard. The cherry tree still stood there, petals drifting like lazy confetti.

Yui was waiting beneath it.

“See? Survived your first day,” she said brightly. “Told you I’d be right.”

He stopped a few feet away, hesitating. “…Why me?”

“Hm?”

“Why… did you talk to me this morning? Out of everyone?”

Yui blinked, as if the question had never crossed her mind. Then she smiled, soft and sincere.

“Because you looked like you needed a friend.”

The breeze lifted a handful of petals between them. Haruto didn’t reply, but something inside him softened.

He didn’t know why no one else seemed to notice her. He didn’t know why her presence felt both so real and so unreal at once.

But as he stood beneath the cherry blossoms with Yui Hanabira smiling at him, Haruto realized one thing:

His new school year was not going to be ordinary.