I sat on the chair, waiting for class to start, watching my classmates doing magic. I was enjoying it. I opened my diary and started writing about Kohane. Then I stopped and looked out the window.
If I had a power, what would it be? I thought.
Suddenly, the door slid open. It was Kohane. Every boy looked at her. Yes, because I love Kohane, I thought. Cute... What am I thinking?
The teacher entered and started the class.
"For today's lesson, we will be discussing how to control your mana."
Everyone was excited—except me. I looked down in despair.
Kohane looked at me and felt sorry for me.
After class, the teacher said to me,
"And again, Kaito, you failed once again... How many times will you fail, huh?"
Then the teacher left.
At recess, everyone left the classroom one by one to go to the cafeteria.
I should thank Shirayuki for yesterday, I thought.
As Kohane was about to step out the door, I approached her.
"Kohane, can I tell you something—"
Suddenly, a guy confessed to Kohane.
"Kohane, after class, will you go out with me?"
Kohane replied, "I would like—"
"Oh, Sazaki, did you call me?" I said.
"Umm, nothing." I stepped out.
While I was walking down the hallway, Kohane said to the guy who confessed,
"I would like to not get bothered by you every day. Thank you and sorry."
At that moment, I wondered what Shirayuki was about to say. I recalled her words, I would like...
In my mind, Kohane said, I would like to...
I thought, Maybe I'm not that good enough...
I think I'm a fool...
"No, you're not."
"That voice, kohane?" I said softly
She said, "Why would you call yourself a fool? Anyways, thank you for saving me there from the other day."
I was shocked.
"I should be thanking you for healing my wounds," I replied.
She blushed and said, "No, it's nothing—"
The guys at the back shouted, "Kohaneee! Please go out with meee!"
She softly murmured, "These guys are really getting on my nerves, like the other earlier. How many times should I say no?"
I was relieved that I now knew she had rejected the guy from earlier.
Kohane's friends called her.
"Kohane, what are you waiting for? Let's go eat together."
"Okay, coming..." she replied.
Kohane turned to me and asked, "Why don't you come with us?"
I said, "I'm good. I've got other business to attend to."
She replied, "Okay, if that's so. Anyways, you can come and eat with us anytime... Bye."
She left but smiled at me.
A few seconds passed.
I fell to my knees—turns out I was dazzled by Kohane's kindness.
Cuteness overload.
While I was in the yard, I heard the bullies.
"Well, well, if it ain't the guy who's a void."
I said, "Oh please, just let me eat. I didn't even do anything to you guys."
The teacher called, "Hey, you guys, can you help me here?"
One bully said to me, "Tsk, lucky you, but you won't be living later."
I shivered.
They left.
After class, everyone left one by one until I was the only one in the classroom.
I prepared to leave and noticed something under Kohane's desk.
I walked toward it and was shocked.
It was Kohane's notebook and wallet.
What am I gonna do now?
Maybe I should leave it here...
No... No, no, no, no. Someone might take it.
The wallet fell to the ground and opened.
I saw Kohane's photo and her address.
Her house is near here. Wow, but she's almost late every day.
I should return it to her.
I left.
While walking toward the school gate, I was blocked by the bullies.
"I told you, we'll come back."
The other guy said, "Look at your back, Kaito."
I looked—and my bag was gone.
When I turned, it was in the guy's hand.
"Hehe."
I dashed but instantly froze mid-air—I couldn't move.
"Huh? What is this? Let me go!"
It was the other bully's power—time stop.
That bully explained his power and opened my bag, then noticed, "Hey, Kaito."
I replied, "What now?"
The bully showed Kohane's wallet.
"Hey, put that down... Touch my stuff, but that."
They opened Kohane's wallet and said, "Oh, it's from that girl who stopped us before."
I shouted, "Hey, I said stop!"
The bully said, "Why don't you shut up?"
They kicked me hard in the stomach, multiple times.
One bully shouted, "Hey, come here, guys! This girl is a millionaire."
I shouted, "He-ey, stop messing with her things!"
I broke free from the time stop.
Everyone was shocked.
The one holding the wallet got punched in the face by me.
He said, "Take him down!"
I got beaten up—burnt and full of wounds, my uniform with holes, skin full of burn marks.
The bullies said, "Okay, we should stop. Hehe, let him be."
I stood up, but my legs were shaking like I couldn't stand anymore.
I took my things and Kohane's, put them in my bag, and started walking out.
While I was gone, the guy who got punched said, "No worries. He won't be living anymore."
The other guy asked, "Why?"
He said, "Because I planted a mini mine on his heart, using my power that can pass through objects."
The other replied, "Hey, aren't you going too far?"
The guy who planted the mine said, "Are you questioning me? Trying to side with that brat?"
"No, but he's human, just like us."
"Human? Hahaha. He's not like us. He doesn't even have powers. You know what? Get the hell out of my face."
The other guy said, "No, I'm not. I'm gonna take you down."
The guy who planted the mine said, "Everyone, take him out!"
The guy got beaten up.
The guy who planted the mine said, "Just one tap on this button and his heart will explode."
Meanwhile Kohane was very frustrated because she lost her wallet and notebook.
"Where did my notebook and wallet go? My life savings are in the wallet!!!"
A doorbell rang.
Kohane's mom said, "I'll go get it."
When Kohane's mom opened the door, she was shocked to see a student beaten up and seriously injured—turns out it was me.
Kohane's mom helped me to the sofa.
"Hey, are you okay? Say something! What happened to you?"
I replied, "Ah, this is nothing."
She said, "What do you mean 'nothing'... Hold on, stay there. I'll go get first aid."
After a few seconds, Kohane's mom returned and treated my wounds temporarily.
She asked, "Can you stand up?"
I said, "Sadly, I can't."
She said, "Stay still. I'll call my daughter."
She shouted, "Kohane, come here quick! It's an emergency!"
Kohane replied, "Coming!" and rushed down the stairs.
Kohane's mom said, "He needs our help."
When Kohane saw me, she shouted, "KAITO!"
She rushed toward me and started healing me.
She asked, "What happened to you?"
I replied, "Ah, nothing. It's just the bullies beating me up."
She said angrily, "I told you not to go near them! And how did you know I lived here?"
I reached for my bag from the table, but Kohane said, "Let me get it for you. You shouldn't move too much."
I thanked her, and I opened my bag and pulled out her wallet and notebook.
She was shocked.
"My wallet and notebook! Where did you find it?"
I said, "You left it under your desk in the classroom."
She said, "Thank goodness it was you who picked it up..."
"Ok, you're now fully healed."
I was shocked and said, "Wow, I feel normal, like nothing happened."
Kohane chuckled.
"Thank you so much," I said.
"It's nothing, really."
But then Kohane fell to the ground, tired.
I was shocked.
"Shirayuki! Are you okay?"
I dashed toward her and helped her.
"I'm fine, thanks. I'm just a little tired. Please just call me Kohane."
"Ok... I'll call you Kohane from now on."
She replied, "Thanks."
After a while passed, I was about to leave.
I walked toward the door and turned back again.
"Thank you again, Miss Shirayuki and Kohane."
Kohane's mom said, "No problem. You can come by next time."
"Thank you."
But the bully pressed the button.
My chest exploded.
I was shocked.
Everyone was.
"Huh?" I said.
Suddenly, I fell to the floor.
Kohane rushed toward me and said, trembling,
"Stay still... You'll be fine in no time."
I asked, "What just happened?"
Kohane said to her mom,
"Mom, get the ambulance quick!"
Kohane's mom rushed to call the ambulance.
While Kohane tried to heal me, she got a nosebleed.
I saw it and knew Kohane was pushing herself too hard.
I held Kohane's hand.
She looked shocked. I said, "Kohane, stop… I'm okay now."
"No, you're not! Let me heal you—" she tried.
"No! Please… you're bleeding!" I shouted.
"This is nothing. I don't care if I bleed or not—what I care about is saving you," she replied.
"Well, I care!" I yelled back.
She froze.
"I care about you," I said, gripping her hand tighter. "I don't want you to get hurt. So stop it. Please… I'm begging you."
"If I stop… you'll die," she whispered.
"It doesn't matter if I die," I murmured. "I don't even belong to this world."
"You do belong to this world!" she shouted. "Even without powers!"
Then, softer: "It's just... I don't want you gone. It feels like... like something's missing if you're not here."
My eyes shimmered. Then I coughed up blood.
She gasped and tried to heal me again, but I stopped her.
"I said… stop it."
Her tears finally fell.
"Kohane…" I said gently. "You mustn't cry… Because this is my time now. I don't have anyone else left. I must go... be with my family."
Now she knew—my family had passed away.
"Nobody ever really cared about me… except you, your mom, and that annoying orb at home," I said with a weak smile. "That's the biggest reward I've ever had. Bigger than powers. And I'm grateful… Thank you."
A tear slid from my eye.
I coughed again. "I think... it's time now. Thanks to your powers, I got to speak this long…"
"Kaito, stop it!" she cried. "You won't die! I promise!"
"Don't worry," I said calmly. "I'm not afraid to die. And... thank you. For caring about me."
She trembled. "I don't just care about you… I loved you. So don't die on me."
I was stunned.
"I… liked you too."
She hugged me.
In that moment, I was truly happy—someone cared for me. I whispered, "Goodbye, Kohane… Thank you. Let's meet again."
Then everything went still— My pulse stopped.
I heard her calling my name in the distance.
"Kaito? Kaito? KAITO?! KAITO!!!"
She cried so hard.
Then her mom came running in.
"Kohane, the ambulan—"
Her phone fell.
She was shocked… I was gone.
Kohane kept shouting my name, sobbing.
Suddenly, I felt my body glow… yellow.
My body started to turn into glowing shards, floating upward. A beam of light shot out from me into the sky.
From my legs to my head, I began to fade.
She hugged what was left of me.
"Kaito, don't go…" she sobbed.
And then… I was gone.
But my diary fell gently into her hands.
On the cover:
"Don't read unless I let you."
"Kaito…" she whispered.
It was locked by magic.
But just then—my voice whispered to her:
"I allow you, Kohane."
She turned around—fast.
But no one was there.
Her tears fell at the sound of my voice.
The lock clicked open.
She stepped outside and looked up at the sky.
"Take care… Kaito," she said.
Somewhere above the clouds, a man hovered with a hood.
"Sorry to disturb you, boy…"
He suddenly reassembled my shards—and I woke up.
"Kohane!" I yelled, panicked.
"Huh? Where am I?!"
I looked down.
I was flying.
I turned to the man.
"Who are you?! How am I alive again?! Why am I flying?!"
He calmly said:
"Pass the organization's entry exam… or that girl will die. Work for us, and she'll be safe."
I clenched my fists.
"Don't you dare touch Kohane."
"Then pass the exam," he said.
Suddenly—
I woke up in my bed.
"Was it all a dream?!"
"…No. It can't be. I still have the hole mark on my chest."
I rushed out.
"I need to get to Kohane—fast!"
But when I opened the door… agents were waiting.
"Come with us," one said.
"Why should I?" I asked.
They handed me a photo
It was the man who revived me.
"Now you know," the agent said. "Come with us or else."
"I guess I don't have a choice," I muttered.
My orb rushed over and hovered near me.
It didn't even ask who the agents were.
As the car drove off, I heard it whisper:
"Kaito… come back safely. And awaken… hopefully."
Back at school, my desk was surrounded by candles and roses.
A framed picture of me sat quietly.
Kohane placed a single white rose on the desk and cried.
Her friends comforted her.
She opened the window, holding my diary close.
"Kaito… wherever you are… I'll be safe like you said. So don't worry…"
Tears fell from her eyes like rain.
Meanwhile while on the car an agent said
"Make sure not get marked zero on the exam"
I nodded my head and whispered
"Kohane wherever you are, please be safe...
I'll come back soon, Just wait a little longer"