The school restroom reeked of cheap disinfectant and something darker.
Despair, perhaps.
Hide stood in front of a cracked mirror, staring at a reflection he barely recognized. His lips were split and swollen. A long scratch stretched across his right cheek. His left eye was beginning to bruise, slowly turning into a deep purple that was painful to look at.
With trembling hands, he turned on the faucet. Cold water rushed out, and he splashed it onto his face again and again, hoping to wash away more than just the dried blood. Hoping to cleanse the shame, the pain, and the overwhelming sense of uselessness rooted deep within his chest.
But nothing disappeared. Everything remained, clinging to him like permanent stains.
Hide pulled a rough tissue from the dispenser and carefully dried his face. Every touch felt like sandpaper scraping against wounded skin. He stared at the mirror once more, forcing his lips into a smile; a thin, empty smile devoid of life.
"Okay," he whispered to the reflection. "You can still walk. You can still breathe. That means you still have to keep living."
The words sounded hollow even to himself.
He grabbed his worn-out school bag and slung it over his shoulder with a mechanical motion before leaving the restroom. The hallway was quiet. Most students had already gone home or headed to their clubs. His footsteps echoed alone across the cold tiled floor.
As he passed through the school gate, Hide lowered his head. He knew some students were still gathered nearby. They were always there—like scavenger birds waiting for something entertaining to mock.
And today, he was that entertainment.
"Hey, look! It's Hide!"
"Damn, his face is wrecked. Sadashi must've been in a really bad mood today."
"Kind of pitiful… but what can we do? He really is useless."
Their laughter shattered like glass hitting the floor; sharp, slicing into something inside Hide's chest that had already been broken so many times he no longer knew if anything whole remained.
He quickened his pace.
He didn't run. Running would only make them laugh louder. Instead, he walked faster with his head down, eyes fixed on the cracked asphalt beneath his feet.
Ignore it. Just ignore it.
Maybe tomorrow will be the same. It might even be worse. But today is almost over. Just endure a little longer.
The convenience store where Hide worked part-time was a ten-minute walk from school. A small building with faintly flickering blue-white neon lights. A place where Hide spent four hours every day after school. Standing behind the cashier, smiling at customers who never truly saw him.
The doorbell rang as he entered.
"Ah, Hide! You're five minutes late!" shouted Tanaka-san, the middle-aged manager with a protruding belly and a thin mustache that always looked irritated. "And… what happened to your face?"
"I'm sorry, Tanaka-san. I… fell," Hide replied quickly, already used to the lie. "I'll start working right away."
Tanaka-san stared at him with an unreadable expression—a mix of suspicion and indifference—then nodded.
"Change your uniform. And don't make customers uncomfortable with a face like that."
"I understand."
Hide went into the small back room and changed out of his school uniform into the light-blue convenience store uniform with a faded name tag. He washed his face again at the tiny sink, trying to make himself look more… normal.
But no matter what he did, the bruises were still obvious.
The next four hours passed in a haze of routine.
Scan the barcode. Put the items in a plastic bag. Say "arigatou gozaimasu" with a smile that never reached his eyes. Repeat.
Customers came and went like shadows. No one truly cared. No one truly looked at him.
Until the doorbell rang again. Someone completely unexpected walked in. Chiasa Asano.
Hide almost dropped the scanner in his hand. His chest began pounding wildly. His breathing turned uneven. His eyes widened in shock.
Chiasa was a girl who didn't belong in a place like this.
She had long, soft brown hair that was always neatly combed. Warm, large eyes and a smile that seemed capable of lighting up any room she entered.
The only bad thing about her was…
She was Sadashi's girlfriend.
She was supposed to hate Hide as much as that person, the main character of this world, hated him.
But somehow, Chiasa was different.
She walked calmly between the aisles, picking up a few items—a bottle of green tea, a salmon onigiri, and a small chocolate bar. Then she headed to the counter, her clear eyes meeting Hide's, which no longer reflected light.
There was something in her gaze. Something gentle. Something that made Hide's chest feel strange. Like warmth trying to grow in a place that had long been frozen.
"Good afternoon, Hide-kun," Chiasa greeted softly, almost like a whisper.
"G-Good afternoon, Asano-san," Hide replied. His hands moved mechanically as he scanned her items. He tried not to look at her face for too long. Tried not to let himself hope.
Chiasa was silent for a moment, her eyes studying his face with an unreadable expression.
Then she spoke quietly, "Your face… are you okay?"
Hide's heart stopped for a second. "I-I'm fine," he answered too quickly. His nervous tone was obvious. "I just… fell."
"Fell," Chiasa repeated softly.
Her voice wasn't accusing. Just… sad. As if she knew the lie but didn't want to force him to admit it.
Hide lowered his gaze. Focusing on the cashier screen.
"Your total is 680 yen."
Chiasa took out her wallet. But instead of paying immediately, she pulled out something else. A cute Hello Kitty bandage. Completely out of place in this situation.
"Here," she said, placing it on the counter beside the money. "For the cut on your cheek. It might look childish, but… at least it can help a little."
Hide stared at the bandage. His throat tightened. Memories of Sadashi's cruelty flooded his mind.
Take it or don't?
Come on, Hide. This isn't just bullying anymore. You'll be dead if Sadashi finds out.
His heart wavered violently.
Before the girl's kindness could lift him too high, he felt he needed something to hold onto—so the fall wouldn't hurt as much.
"Asano-san… you don't have to…"
"I know I don't have to," Chiasa interrupted gently. Her smile was sad, yet sincere. "But I want to."
She picked up her shopping bag. Before leaving, she paused and turned back.
"Hide-kun," she called softly. "I hope you know… you're not alone. Even if it sometimes feels like you are."
Then she left. The doorbell rang again as she disappeared into the darkening sky.
Hide stood there. Staring at the Hello Kitty bandage in his trembling hand. Something inside his chest cracked.
Not in a painful way, but in a strange one.
Warm. And a little frightening.
For the first time in a very long while, he felt something that resembled… hope.
Hide remained frozen. Staring at the bandage in his hand.
For the first time. It felt like not only bad things happened in his life.
"Maybe… this world isn't that terrible after all? Heh, heh," he chuckled softly, his cheeks flushing in embarrassment.
Unfortunately, that feeling wouldn't last long.