+++ Chapter One +++

The spring breeze slowly died down as the cherry blossoms, which had faded long ago, lost what little scent they had left. The sounds of insects rivaled the noise of bustling Tokyo, active day and night. This was the end of May, nearly approaching the new month of June. Summer was drawing near to this country.

A sliver of blinding light slipped in through the curtain over my window. I slowly opened my lazy eyes. As I did, I saw the ceiling made of wood that looked rotten. I took a very heavy breath and let it out slowly, keeping time with the ticking seconds of the alarm clock that was going off. Its sound was so loud that I still flinched when I heard it ringing. Why I did that is probably obvious. I can't wake up on my own, so I need an alarm to startle me. Luckily for me, I'm the type who's easily disturbed while sleeping, so the alarm sound can wake me up without much trouble.

I sat up in my bed. A small mattress that could only fit one person. I turned my gaze to the floor of this 4-jō room. Not a very large room. I felt a bit of regret about choosing this place to live. The apartment my big bro recommended when he came here a month ago would probably have been more comfortable. It was a 6-jō room, and honestly, that's about the size of my living room here. It would have been great to live there. Only problem was the rent was too expensive. 500,000 yen a month, plus water and electricity.

Well… complaining about it doesn't do any good. Besides the high rent, that place was also too far from my school. Here, things are easier for me. This apartment is pretty old, and honestly, the water sometimes cuts out, and they shut off the electricity when it's windy or raining. But since the rent is cheap—only 100,000 a month—I feel like my financial burden is a lot lighter. Besides that, this apartment is closer to my school, so I don't have to take a bus or any other transportation to get there. Just a five-minute walk north. If I run, only two minutes.

I got out of bed and stepped out. The room outside my bedroom was a small living room. About 6 jō wide. Just a little bigger than my bedroom. Just a little. There's no TV or anything like that in here. Just a small dining table, a few boxes used for storing stuff, and a compact kitchen. There's not much to brag about in this room. Nothing I could really show off either. This room—this place I live in—is really empty. No entertainment to enjoy, whether in physical form like books or digital like that TV I mentioned. All that's here is an orderly, empty space. I think "orderly" is the best word to describe the state of this room.

I went into the bathroom. Took a towel hanging from the hook on the door, then turned on the faucet at the sink. The water came rushing out like Victoria Falls. I reached my hand into the water, scooped some up, and used it to wash my face. It felt cold. Really cold. What little drowsiness I had left was now completely gone.

I stared at the mirror mounted on the wall above the sink. I could see the somewhat sullen face of an ordinary young man without any particular talents. My face. Me. Weak-looking eyes like someone who's always sleepy, sharpish black hair just long enough to reach my neck with bangs that slightly cover my forehead, thin lips like a girl's, a somewhat pointed nose, and skin a little dark like someone from the southern coastal regions. Yeah… this face is kind of a mess. I can't really tell if it's a woman's face or a man's face. If I grew my hair out a little, people who saw me might actually think I was a woman.

I smiled a little at the thought. I dried my wet face with the towel. Then I grabbed my toothbrush and brushed my teeth. After I finished, I went through my usual morning routine. I had breakfast—toast and hot coffee—put on my uniform, and left. A normal morning, with a normal day, like always. Normal. No weirdness, nothing out of the ordinary. My hope of living a life with no problems and no supernatural events was about to go on as usual…

Toshigaya Kizu. Second-year student at Touha High School, Setagaya District, Tokyo. An ordinary young man with a little bit of skill, ready to live his ordinary life once again.

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