When Kazuma Sato stepped out of the classroom, Sakurazawa Tomomi was already gone.
The hallway was silent, bathed in the fading glow of the setting sun that cast long shadows across the floor. Kazuma's restless heart gradually settled, and in the calm atmosphere, he began to reflect on everything that had happened over the past two days.
What a wild rollercoaster.
Still, this kind of life wasn't bad at all.
He walked down to the central garden, opened his system inventory, took out an invisibility cloak, and draped it over his shoulders. Then he casually tapped the gacha button."Let's see how powerful this secret item really is. Little one, can you still see me—"
"Meow?"
The kitten padded along behind Kazuma on her tiny paws. When her owner suddenly vanished, she froze for a moment, then jumped in panic, her fur bristling as she let out a loud meow.
Where did he go? Where's my owner?!
Over the past two days, the kitten had clung to Kazuma wherever he went. Now that he had disappeared, it felt as if the world were ending. She paced anxiously before suddenly sniffing the air, catching a familiar scent.
With a leap, she jumped straight into Kazuma's arms.
"Meow—!"
"Alright, alright, don't be mad. I was just teasing you," Kazuma said with a laugh. The invisibility cloak was powerful, but it still left behind a faint scent. Humans couldn't detect it, of course. Moreover, once the kitten was held by Kazuma, she became invisible as well. As long as something was under the cloak, it could turn transparent—not just people.
Very convenient.
Just as he was enjoying the effects of the secret item, the system suddenly notified him that his gacha reward had arrived. The notification itself felt strangely dramatic. Kazuma opened the system interface—and was instantly blinded by a dazzling golden light.
"Did I actually hit the jackpot?"
A glittering card appeared in his inventory, accompanied by exaggerated special effects.Wait… what is this?
[Good Friend Communication Card]: A treasure obtainable only through trials in mysterious ruins. Even in the 22nd century, it is regarded as a legendary item, possessing miraculous power.
A legendary item that cannot be stolen. Only those acknowledged by the owner can bind and use it. Those who possess a communication card can sense one another and will always be able to reach each other in times of trouble. The card dispels all abnormal statuses and prevents negative effects, including those caused by secret items. When danger arises, it can unleash miraculous power to avert disaster.
Kazuma stared blankly at the card description in his inventory, momentarily speechless. Wasn't this absurdly overpowered? And it wasn't just a single card, but a complete set of seven!
He took one out and saw his own photo printed on it, confirming that the binding was successful. Clicking his tongue in amazement, he muttered, "Pulled the whole set in one go? That's insane. Sakurazawa, are you secretly my lucky star?"
"I was thinking of playing it safe and developing steadily, but then the system drops something like this on me… what a lifesaver."
Kazuma happily fiddled with the card in his hand, hugging the little black cat as he stood there grinning foolishly.
The Nanao Household
At home, Akane Nanao wasn't wearing her school uniform. Instead, she had changed into a casual shirt, looking far more relaxed than usual. Even so, her charm was undiminished, and her full, prominent chest remained impossible to hide.
It was the morning of the second day. Akane Nanao wore an apron as she cooked—more precisely, as she prepared bento boxes.
"Akane, why are you up so early?" her mother asked.
"Of course it's to make bento boxes," Akane Nanao replied matter-of-factly.
"You don't usually wake up this early, and you certainly don't put this much effort into lunch," her mother teased. "And you even made two. Be honest with me—do you have a boyfriend?"
"Oh, it's not what you think!" Akane Nanao protested, her face flushing. "It's just for a good friend."
"Is that so?"
Her mother had been watching closely. There was no hiding her daughter's thoughts from her. "Is it that Katase-kun? I've heard you mention him several times."
Akane Nanao's smile stiffened instantly. She turned around, irritation flashing across her face."It's not him."
"Hm?"
Something was clearly off with her daughter.
Akane Nanao didn't explain further. She carefully arranged the food in the bento box, paused, hesitated, then finally drew a small heart on it with sauce. Muttering to herself, she said, "It's not that I wanted to… I've just seen a lot of bento boxes decorated like this. It makes them look nicer. Yeah. That's a perfectly good excuse."
After putting the two bento boxes into her schoolbag, Akane picked up her shoulder bag and said, "Mom, I'm heading out."
"Be careful on the road. And if you get the chance, bring that friend home so your mom can meet him!"
Akane Nanao, who had just stepped outside, stumbled. She didn't bother explaining and instead ran even faster.
On the way, she opened her phone and saw that Katase Shoya had sent several messages, asking how she was doing and expressing concern for her health. Reading them stirred complicated emotions in her heart. If this had been earlier, she would have been genuinely happy.
But now, she felt absolutely nothing.
After thinking for a moment, Akane replied to him on LINE:"I just realized I don't think I even have Kazuma's email address yet. Let's put phone numbers and emails aside for now—at the very least, we should be LINE friends. I'll go find him later."
A day later, discussions among students about the death in the old school building still hadn't died down. Akane Nanao could hear people whispering and speculating in the hallways.
Many believed the old school building was truly haunted—that an evil spirit had possessed a stray dog and killed Coach Tougou, or that a ghost had done it directly. After all, the police had searched for a long time and failed to find even a single stray dog.
Because of this incident, the old school building was officially treated as a forbidden zone. Students didn't even dare to approach it, much less go inside.
This was good news for Kazuma.
When Akane Nanao entered the classroom, Kazuma still hadn't arrived. She greeted a few friends, returned to her seat, and chatted with them. In the class, both Akane Nanao and Kanna Hiiragi were popular and outgoing. Their social circles were clearly defined, forming cliques with unspoken hierarchies.
As the morning reading session began, Kazuma entered the classroom just as the bell rang. Akane Nanao had no choice but to focus on her studies, though she still couldn't help sneaking a few glances at him.
During the break, Akane Nanao was surrounded by friends excitedly discussing yesterday's events. She smiled and responded to their questions, leaving her with no chance to look for Kazuma.
After all, in Japan, reading the atmosphere was a basic survival skill. Akane could only go along with the flow and continue chatting.
Kanna Hiiragi found the situation amusing. She clearly noticed her friend's dilemma but had no intention of stepping in. Instead, she sat off to the side, watching with a faint smile. When Akane shot her a pleading look, Kanna Hiiragi deliberately pretended not to notice.
She had no intention of helping.
As for Kazuma, he slept on his desk during class, and the same thing continued during breaks. Students passed by him constantly, but he was like a background character. He truly deserved the title of the class's invisible man.
Aside from Akane Nanao and Kanna Hiiragi, there was also a pretty pink-haired girl who occasionally glanced in Kazuma's direction.