The clock read 7:00 a.m., and shy rays of sunlight slipped between the gray buildings in the heart of Tokyo. Kaito Renji woke to the sound of his alarm—though he had actually been awake a few seconds earlier. As usual... he hadn't slept well.
He sat up in bed and stared out the window. His eyes dropped to the wooden floor where nothing reflected beneath him. No shadow. Only emptiness.
In the kitchen, Rina had prepared breakfast, placing the food in front of him with gentle care.
"Kaito, Mom left early for training, and Dad said he'll be late after boxing practice. I won't be home today because of the prep exam. Don't forget your lunch."
Kaito smiled with his usual cheerful tone.
"Don't worry! Today, I'll pretend I'm a master chef!"
She chuckled and patted his head.
"Well, at least you're good at pretending."
He left the house with his school bag slung over his shoulder. The weather was nice, but as always, he felt cold. Not from the air… but from the stares.
On the way to school, he passed by classmates walking in groups—who instinctively avoided him, like he was contagious.
It didn't hurt anymore.
Or so he told himself.
At the schoolyard
Beneath a cherry tree stripped of its blossoms, a girl sat alone, sketching in a small notebook.
Kaito glanced at her with curiosity. He'd never seen her here before.
As he passed by, she lifted her head—and their eyes met.
Her eyes were the color of the sky just before sunset, and something about her face felt… familiar, as if she already knew him.
She spoke softly, without any introduction:
"You don't have a shadow, do you?"
He froze.
She didn't ask who he was.
She didn't ask his name.
She just said what no one dared to say.
He replied sarcastically:
"Wow, nice way to say hello. Yes, thank you for the reminder."
But she smiled and closed her sketchbook.
"I didn't mean to offend you. It's just… I've never seen you look at your shadow. As if you hate it."
He paused for a moment, then asked:
"Who are you?"
"My name's Tsuki. I just transferred today. But you don't seem like a stranger to me."
He raised an eyebrow.
"Have we met before?"
She shook her head.
"No… but I dreamed about you once. You were in a place without sunlight… and somehow, you were the only thing glowing."
Before he could ask more, the school bell rang.
In the classroom
Kaito sat in his usual seat—back corner, next to the window. No one usually sat near him.
But Tsuki… sat right beside him without hesitation.
Whispers filled the classroom:
"She's sitting next to him?"
"Does she know who he is? He's..."
He ignored them.
Tsuki glanced at him and whispered:
"Let them talk. Sometimes, shadows blind people to the truth."
He stared at her for a moment, then said quietly:
"You're… weird."
She smiled.
"And you? No shadow… and no answers."
Evening – The empty house
Kaito returned home.
No one was in the kitchen.
His father was training in the basement.
His mother hadn't returned.
Rina was asleep from studying.
He sat in his room.
Took a deep breath… and looked toward the window.
For a moment, he saw a shadow beneath his feet—
But it moved in the opposite direction.
His throat went dry.
He rubbed his eyes, looked again…
The shadow was gone.
The dream – A voice from the shadows
That night, he dreamed.
He stood in a long, dark hallway… its walls seemed to be made of smoke.
Far ahead stood Tsuki, her back turned to him.
He walked toward her—
But from the walls emerged shifting creatures, with a single eye each.
They said:
"She sees more than she should…
And you… are drawing closer to your truth."
He turned around—
And saw himself smiling…
But it was a version of him with dark, lifeless eyes.
He woke up drenched in sweat.
End of Chapter 2