For some reason, Kakeru felt something stir inside him—something he had never felt toward anyone before. It felt like a connection, almost like he had known her for years. Mai looked directly at him, their eyes locked for a moment, and she held his gaze with an unreadable expression.
Despite there being many empty seats in the classroom, she walked straight to the seat next to his and sat down. She was beautiful—almost unreal. Then she leaned slightly toward him and said, "Can I borrow your textbook? I didn't bring mine today."
Kakeru nodded, and they shared the book. While the lesson continued, she quietly asked for his name. After he told her, she replied in a soft, almost geeky tone, "Nice to meet you, Shinto-kun."
"Same here," he responded, feeling nervous… but also strangely happy. She was the first girl who had ever spoken to him like that.
The rest of the day passed quickly, and when the final bell rang, students rushed home. As Kakeru walked toward the school gate, Mai came running after him. She stopped him and asked if he was free tomorrow—and if they could meet. Kakeru agreed immediately, unable to hide his happiness. They exchanged contact details before parting ways.
The next morning, Kakeru woke up excited. He could barely sleep the night before. He got ready early and went to wait for her near the mythical tree—the place they agreed to meet. But strangely, Mai never showed up.
He waited… and waited… and waited. At one point, he wondered if she was pulling a prank on him.
She had told him where she lived, so Kakeru decided to go check on her. But when he reached the address, he froze. The house she mentioned had been abandoned for years. The windows were cracked, the walls were faded, and the whole place felt like it had been forgotten by time itself.