Had he really met this girl today?
Thinking back, when he first arrived at Toyogasaki Academy, he had asked someone for directions to the principal's office.
What did that person look like?
To his shock, Yazuki realized he could barely remember her face.
No, it was more than that—he had almost forgotten that he had even asked someone for directions. It was as if her very existence had been erased from his memory.
Looking at the girl before him, bob haircut, proper features, neither too tall nor too short, fair skin, and well-proportioned—by three-dimensional standards, she was quite cute.
Strange. He shouldn't have such a weak impression of someone like this.
"Hmm? Still can't remember?"
The girl tilted her head slightly, still calm as ever, though there was a faint trace of disappointment.
"Uh, I remember! Your name is… Ka—"
Ka what? He genuinely couldn't recall. It was awkward.
Wait. Her voice sounded familiar.
Familiar? That made sense. They had talked earlier, so it was natural for him to recognize her voice.
No, that wasn't it.
Yazuki felt like he had heard this voice somewhere else before, outside of school.
Suddenly, something flashed through his mind, and he slightly widened his eyes.
"It's you, the one at the women's public—That was you!"
It had to be her. The exact same calm and unperturbed voice.
At that moment, the memories he had seemingly ignored flooded back like a tidal wave, making Yazuki realize that this girl had been by his side from the very beginning.
Even when he borrowed her clothes, she had been right there, seemingly playing on her phone. Yet, he had treated her as if she were invisible the entire time.
Ah, no, that wasn't quite right. It would be more accurate to say that her presence was so faint that he subconsciously assumed she had already left.
At this moment, Yazuki couldn't have felt more embarrassed.
He had left her hanging the whole way here. If she hadn't suddenly said his name, he probably still wouldn't have noticed her. She might have just left quietly in disappointment.
"Don't worry too much about it. Actually, Yazuki-kun, the fact that you were able to notice me this quickly is already quite impressive."
As if sensing his embarrassment, the bob-haired girl spoke in a tone of mild reassurance. It seemed like being overlooked was a common occurrence for her.
Out of the corner of his eye, Yazuki spotted a nearby café.
"Order whatever you like, it's my treat today."
The two of them entered the café and sat by a glass window near the exterior. Yazuki pushed the menu toward the girl sitting across from him.
"Ohh, well then, I won't hold back~"
"No need to be shy. As long as you can eat it, I can afford it."
"I'll have a rare cheesecake, tiramisu, pancakes, and a strawberry smoothie."
"I'll have a rare cheesecake? Hmm?"
The bob-haired girl repeated her order to the nearby waitress.
"Ah? Sorry, sorry! I didn't notice you there. What would you like?"
The slightly ditzy-looking waitress apologized repeatedly.
"I'll have a rare cheesecake, tiramisu, pancakes, and a strawberry smoothie."
"Ohh, one rare cheesecake…"
"I'll have an order of calamari, French fries, and a cappuccino."
That was Yazuki's order. He was starting to feel a bit hungry.
But this bob-haired girl's presence was truly faint. She blended into the air so effortlessly that the waitress had completely overlooked her in just a matter of seconds.
That wasn't normal.
"Alright, please wait a moment."
Then, the two of them sat face-to-face.
"Uh, Ka—Ka… Kana—"
Yazuki carefully recalled the name that she had mentioned before. It was something like this, right?
"It's Kato. Kato Megumi. That's my name."
The girl across from him corrected him in a neutral tone, completely unbothered by the fact that he had forgotten her name. She remained as composed as ever.
Maybe to spare him from further embarrassment, her plain expression softened slightly into a faint smile.
Still, Yazuki felt awkward and scratched his head.
He opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something but hesitated, as if what he was about to say involved something secretive.
It was as if he wasn't sure whether saying it would be good or bad for Kato Megumi.
"Kato."
He finally spoke, his voice low and serious, his gaze fixed intently on the girl across from him, who tilted her head slightly in confusion at his sudden seriousness.
"Hmm?"
"You have a hard time being noticed by others, don't you? Is it only around school and your neighborhood? Or does this apply to the entire country?"
Megumi's presence was so faint that it was as if the world itself was ignoring her. This gave Yazuki a strange suspicion.
Her expression momentarily froze.
"Hmm? It's like this everywhere. I always seem to leave a weak impression on people. Or rather, I just get easily overlooked."
Her voice remained as calm as ever. She didn't seem particularly bothered by it, but Yazuki could still detect a faint hint of loneliness; just a sliver of sadness, and ultimately, a subtle resignation.
"Everywhere? A worldwide phenomenon?"
Yazuki murmured thoughtfully.
"Maybe it's because I'm too plain. I don't have many friends, and I don't really have the courage to make more. So, it's not just you, Yazuki-kun. Everyone forgetting about me is just something I'm used to."
Megumi attributed her weak presence to her own personality, as if it were nothing to dwell on. She didn't want Yazuki to feel guilty about overlooking her earlier.
She gave a small smile, as if trying to ease his worries, but it only made her seem more pitiable in Yazuki's eyes.
"When did you start having such a weak presence?"
Yazuki's serious questioning made Megumi pause. This exchange felt like a doctor diagnosing a patient.
She tilted her head slightly, tapping her lips as she thought.
"I'm not too sure. I think it started when I was a child?"
"I see… Childhood, huh? That means… you might have been cursed or sealed even before birth."
Yazuki muttered to himself, deep in thought, nodding slightly.
"Huh? Cursed? Sealed?"
Megumi blinked at him in confusion. What was he even talking about?
Then, Tsukiyo's expression turned deadly serious, as if he were about to reveal the true reason for her weak presence.
"Kato, if my guess is correct, you've likely been cursed or sealed."