Three days had passed since a single student had vanished from campus without a trace. In an institution as tightly monitored and meticulously controlled as the Advanced Nurturing High School, the sudden disappearance of anyone—let alone a first-year—was an unprecedented anomaly. Anxiety rippled through the student body like an infection. Whispers flourished in corridors; glances sharpened with mistrust. Even those normally detached from the ebb and flow of school life felt a lingering unease settle over them like a fog.
For Class D, however, the blow landed with particular weight. Kiyotaka Ayanokoji—quiet, subdued, and often overlooked—was still a classmate who had shared an entire year with them. Whether through friendships, passing conversations, or simply occupying the same room, his absence left a hollow impression that none of them knew how to correctly process.
The shock was amplified by how abruptly it had happened. One day he was there—an unassuming presence in the corner of a classroom—then the next, he had vanished. When the class reported it to Chabashira-sensei, the only response they received was a curt, "The school is looking into it."
A flimsy reassurance. Not nearly enough to quell the rising fear the class was undergoing.
So when, two hours into the school day, every class was instructed to gather in the main auditorium, dread pressed heavier across the campus. Theories flew wildly; some feared the announcement of a new special exam, cruelly timed in the midst of a missing-student investigation. Others wondered if a cover-up was underway.
Yet the moment they arrived, herded by their homeroom teachers, those fears dissolved into confusion.
The auditorium—usually reserved for formal ceremonies, council announcements, and rare full-school assemblies—was filled to capacity. First years, second years, teachers, the four homeroom instructors, and Acting Chairman Tsukishiro were all present. The atmosphere was oppressive, thick with hushed tension. Even the overhead lights, stark and clinical, seemed to burn more intensely than usual.
After several minutes of stiff silence, the room collectively froze as a man in a crisp black suit ascended the stage. He carried a reinforced briefcase in one hand—sleek, metallic, unmistakably official. Tsukishiro approached him with a laptop in hand, offering it with a solemn nod. The significance of the briefcase was immediately apparent to the sharper minds in the room.
Students like Sakayanagi, Ryuen, Katsuragi, and Horikita narrowed their eyes. Whilst Ichinose held her own thoughts and suspicions on the matter.
Something about this already felt wrong.
The suited man stood behind the podium, expression unreadable. His voice, when he finally spoke, was calm but carried the weight of authority.
"As I'm sure you're all wondering," he began, "what this situation entails—or how exactly it will proceed—I will be as concise as possible."
The snap of the briefcase latches echoed throughout the auditorium. Inside lay a small USB stick, unremarkable in appearance, save for the engraved initials: K.A.
Those same sharp-eyed students stiffened almost imperceptibly. A detail far too specific to be coincidence considering exactly who was missing.
"As the student body is undoubtedly aware," the man continued, "the first-year student, Kiyotaka Ayanokoji, disappeared three days ago. This morning, we received this device, accompanied by a message insisting that we examine the contents immediately. Given the initials and the sender's apparent knowledge of the student, the case was connected to his disappearance effective-immediately."
A murmur rolled through the seats, restrained but unmistakable.
"We would not usually disclose such material to students," he said, his voice flattening into something grave, "but the message explicitly demanded that the contents be shown to all of you. The implication is clear: doing so may ensure the safe return of Ayanokoji."
A moment of silence passed.
"Furthermore... preliminary analysis suggests that this student may have been transported to another dimension. As ridiculous as it may sound..."
It was as though the room inhaled collectively—and forgot how to exhale.
Disbelief struck like a hammer against glass: sharp, disorienting, splintering any rational thoughts the student body or teachers could form. Even Tsukishiro, normally composed with an air of cold precision, visibly tightened his jaw. It was a truth—or perhaps a fantasy—being forced upon them like plunging into a frozen lake midwinter, the shock swallowing them whole.
Yet the man was not finished.
"For reasons currently unknown, this device is capable of reproducing Ayanokoji's thoughts. His internal monologue will be projected audibly to all present. We are, at this stage, still unsure why or how this is all happening exactly."
The impact of that statement alone was staggering. Thoughts which are meant to be privately silent and intangible—laid bare for an audience of hundreds to hear unwittingly.
"We ask that you keep an open mind. Do not discard the possibility of the supernatural," the man continued, voice steady despite the bombshell. "Our hope is to understand what has happened and secure the student's safe return."
With that, he closed the briefcase, stepped away from the podium, and exited the hall flanked by two towering guards whose presence alone commanded silence.
Tsukishiro returned to the podium, expression smooth and unreadable, though his eyes carried a faint edge of unrest.
"For the sake of retrieving Ayanokoji-kun," he said, "your summer break will be pushed forward by one month, and your schedules temporarily revised. You will spend most of each day here, viewing the contents of the USB. Only breaks for meals and rest will interrupt the viewing session."
His gaze swept across the room—cold and assessing.
"Partner with someone of the same gender and report your pairing to your class teacher by the end of the day. Your first session will last two hours, followed by lunch, then an additional two hours before dismissal."
He gestured to the laptop.
"Without further delay... let us begin."
The lights dimmed.
The screen brightened.
And the story of Ayanokoji in another world began...
(A/N and that's a wrap. I hope it wasn't too long winded for an intro. Most people skip it but, to the few who did read it, thank you very much. I'll probably finish the draft on chapter 1 and let it marinate for a bit and see how it does or how I'm feeling to do the next one. On to chapter 1 Wax wings!)