The world didn't look brighter the next morning.
But it looked clearer.
Ikaru Shinji sat at his desk, not in the classroom, but in his bedroom. The early sunlight crept through his curtains, casting thin shadows across the floor. His alarm had gone off twice already, but he hadn't moved.
He was reading.
No, scanning.
The system's interface hovered faintly before him, only visible when he blinked hard enough—like a vision floating between the real world and his inner one.
Player Note:Emotional Suppression Lv1 reduces panic during social interaction.Does not eliminate underlying pain.Side effects may intensify if used as emotional crutch for 3+ consecutive days.
He clenched his jaw."…So, I'm not healing. I'm sedating."
The truth stung.
He arrived at school on time but mentally distant. His classmates buzzed with the same tired conversations: test anxiety, new gossip, the latest anime. But Ikaru's head felt like it was tuned to a different frequency. Everything sounded like static.
Until a voice cut through.
"Hey, ghost boy."
He blinked.
Yui Hoshizaki stood beside his desk, arms crossed, eyes sharp but not unfriendly. She had that look people get when they notice a glitch in the matrix—and decide to poke it.
"You weren't listening during homeroom," she said.
Ikaru blinked again. "I didn't know anyone noticed me."
She shrugged. "That's because you don't look at anyone. You stare through them. Like you're buffering."
He stared at her for a moment longer than necessary. Then, awkwardly:"…Thanks?"
She cracked a half-smile. "Not a compliment."
The system pulsed faintly in the corner of his vision.
New Interaction: Yui HoshizakiAffinity: +1%Status Effect Detected: Curiosity → Mild ConcernDialogue Option Unlocked: [Ask Why She Cares] / [Deflect With Humor] / [Withdraw]
He selected nothing. The system flickered and faded. He didn't know how to choose answers anyway. Maybe it responded to intent. Maybe it just read his soul.
"Why do you keep talking to me?" he asked finally.
Yui leaned forward, voice low. "Because everyone else either avoids sad people or pretends they aren't there. I don't do either."
"…That simple?"
She tilted her head. "Should it be more complicated?"
The next interaction came during lunch.
Ikaru had defaulted to his usual solitary seat near the vending machines. His food tray remained untouched.
Yui dropped her lunch box beside him without asking. She unwrapped a sandwich, took a bite, and stared at nothing.
He watched her, baffled. "You're really just gonna sit here?"
She nodded, mouth full. "You're interesting."
That startled him more than he expected.
System Notification:New Bond Thread Initiated: "The Observer Route"Status: TentativeRequirements: UnknownRisk Factor: LowCuriosity Level: 31%Affinity: 4% (+3)Warning: High Sensitivity to Dishonesty
"You know I'm not really good company right now," he muttered.
Yui chewed slowly, then replied: "So be bad company. I'm not here for the entertainment."
He blinked again. People didn't say things like that.
Not in real life.
New Trait Detected:Honesty ResonanceYou gain +1 Hope when interacting authentically with a perceptive character.
Hope: 3Emotional Damage: 73 (gradual reduction)
For the first time since the rooftop rejection, Ikaru's chest didn't feel so tight.
After school, the system activated again on its own.
Daily Summary:Emotional Damage Healed: -14Trait Growth: Emotional Suppression (Stable)Hope Gained: +1Route Progress: 3% - ObserverCharacter Flagged: Hoshizaki, YuiAffinity: 5%New Skill: Authentic Reaction (Passive)Description: Allows you to connect without pretense. Stronger with characters marked "Perceptive."
He tapped the screen.
This wasn't just a game.
It was a reflection.
Every interaction, every emotion suppressed or unlocked—it was tracking the soul he didn't even know how to access anymore.
That night, something strange happened.
As Ikaru sat by his window, watching the streetlights blink like artificial stars, the system pinged again.
New Character Thread DetectedName: Hoshizaki YuiBackground: Transferred twice. Known for emotional detachment and sharp intuition. Avoids groups. Sensitive to pain—especially when it isn't hers.System Compatibility: UnregisteredStatus: "Observer"Potential Role: Unknown
And then another window popped up.
[Optional Quest Unlocked]Name: Let Her SeeObjective: Share one unfiltered emotion with Yui.Reward: ???Failure: Trait Regression
He stared.
Let someone see him?
No masks. No pretense. No system skill to shield him?
He wasn't sure if he could do that.
But for some reason, he whispered, "Accept."
The screen faded.
The next morning, she was waiting outside his classroom.
No words. Just a nod, and a slow walk side-by-side down the hall.
He didn't speak.
She didn't ask.
But somehow, something passed between them that no system could quantify.
Connection.
Real and terrifying.