Volume 1: The Boy the World Ignored
Chapter 1
The Invisible Child
The evening sky above the village burned orange as the sun slowly disappeared beyond the hills.
Inside a modest wooden house near the edge of the village, a large family gathered around the dinner table. The smell of warm rice and vegetable soup filled the air.
Voices overlapped.
Laughter echoed.
Chopsticks clinked against bowls.
But in the far corner of the room, one chair remained slightly separated from the others.
And in that chair sat Kaito Ren.
Thirteen years old.
Thin.
Quiet.
Invisible.
He stared down at his bowl while the rest of the family talked among themselves.
His older brothers argued about school.
His younger siblings laughed about something that had happened earlier that day.
His father spoke loudly about work.
His mother occasionally nodded while serving more food.
Yet not a single one of them looked toward Kaito.
Not even once.
Kaito lifted a spoon slowly and took a small bite of rice.
He chewed quietly.
No one asked him how his day was.
No one asked if he was hungry.
No one even noticed when he finished eating.
When the dinner ended, everyone stood up and began leaving the room.
Kaito remained seated for a moment longer.
Then he quietly carried his bowl to the sink.
He washed it carefully.
Placed it back on the shelf.
And walked outside.
The cool night air greeted him like an old friend.
Behind the house stood a small training area he had secretly built himself.
It wasn't much.
Just a wooden post stuck in the ground with cloth wrapped around it.
But to Kaito, it was something important.
It was the only place where he felt he existed.
He stood in front of the training post.
His fists tightened.
Then—
THUD.
His fist slammed into the cloth.
Again.
THUD.
Again.
THUD.
Each strike echoed softly in the quiet night.
The stars slowly appeared above him as he continued.
Punch.
Kick.
Strike.
His movements weren't perfect.
But they were determined.
Sweat rolled down his face.
His breathing grew heavier.
Still he continued.
Because here, in the silence of the night, no one could laugh at him.
No one could ignore him.
Only the sound of his fists breaking the air remained.
Finally he stopped.
His chest rose and fell as he caught his breath.
Kaito looked up toward the sky.
Thousands of stars glittered above him.
He whispered quietly to himself.
"One day…"
His voice trembled slightly.
"One day I'll become strong."
Not for revenge.
Not for pride.
But because deep inside his heart…
He wanted something simple.
He wanted someone—
Anyone—
to finally see him.
Chapter 2
The Dogs and the Kitten
School was no better.
The next morning the classroom buzzed with noise as students chatted before the teacher arrived.
Kaito walked inside quietly and sat at his desk near the back.
Immediately the whispers began.
"Look who's here."
"Hey Kaito, did you cry again last night?"
A boy named Daisuke leaned over his desk with a mocking grin.
"You look tired. Did your imaginary friends keep you awake?"
Several students laughed.
Kaito remained silent.
He opened his notebook and stared at the blank page.
Ignoring them had become second nature.
But ignoring them did not make them stop.
At lunch break, things became worse.
As Kaito walked across the schoolyard, someone shoved him from behind.
He stumbled forward and fell into the dirt.
Laughter erupted.
Daisuke stood over him.
"Stand up, weakling."
Kaito slowly pushed himself up.
His hands trembled slightly.
The boy expected him to fight back.
But Kaito simply brushed the dirt from his clothes and walked away.
The laughter followed him.
It always did.
Two weeks later, the village organized a small family trip to a nearby forest.
Children ran excitedly between trees while adults prepared food and set up blankets.
Kaito sat alone beneath a large oak tree.
No one had invited him to play.
No one asked him to help.
So he simply watched.
Eventually he stood up and began walking deeper into the forest.
The sounds of laughter faded behind him.
Leaves crunched beneath his shoes.
The forest was quiet.
Peaceful.
For the first time that day, Kaito felt his shoulders relax.
Then suddenly—
BARK!
Loud, aggressive barking shattered the silence.
Kaito turned toward the noise.
A few meters ahead, three wild dogs surrounded something small near a pile of rocks.
The dogs snapped and growled viciously.
Between them stood a tiny kitten.
Its fur was dirty.
Its body trembled.
But it refused to run.
It hissed fiercely at the much larger animals.
The dogs lunged closer.
Without thinking, Kaito grabbed a fallen branch.
"HEY!"
He charged forward, swinging the stick.
The dogs jumped back in surprise.
Kaito swung again, shouting loudly.
After a moment of hesitation, the dogs finally retreated into the forest.
Silence returned.
The kitten remained where it stood, breathing quickly.
Kaito slowly crouched beside it.
"You're brave," he murmured.
The kitten looked up at him.
For a moment, neither moved.
Then Kaito gently lifted the small animal into his arms.
"You didn't run," he said quietly.
A faint smile touched his lips.
"Maybe you're stronger than everyone thinks."
The kitten purred softly.
And for the first time that day—
Kaito didn't feel completely alone.
Chapter 3
The House in the Forest
Kaito continued walking with the kitten in his arms.
The deeper he traveled, the quieter the forest became.
Sunlight filtered softly through the tall trees.
Eventually he reached a small clearing.
And there—
stood a wooden house.
Simple.
Old.
But well cared for.
Smoke drifted lazily from the chimney.
Kaito stopped.
He hadn't known anyone lived this deep in the forest.
Before he could decide what to do, the door slowly opened.
An old man stepped outside.
He had long white hair tied behind his head and a beard that reached his chest.
Despite his age, his posture was straight and strong.
Sharp eyes studied Kaito calmly.
They stood in silence for a moment.
Then the old man spoke.
"You have the eyes of someone who has suffered."
Kaito froze.
No one had ever said something like that to him before.
The words felt strangely heavy.
Before he could respond, a young girl suddenly peeked out from behind the old man.
She looked about the same age as Kaito.
Long dark hair fell over her shoulders.
Her eyes were bright with curiosity.
"Grandpa," she asked softly.
"Who is he?"
The old man continued studying Kaito for another moment.
Then a gentle smile appeared on his face.
"That," he said slowly, "is someone who has lost his way."
The girl stepped forward.
She looked directly at Kaito.
And smiled warmly.
"My name is Aiko."
The simple kindness of that smile caught Kaito completely off guard.
For the first time in his life—
Someone greeted him like he mattered.
The old man gestured toward the house.
"Come inside," he said calmly.
"You look hungry."
Kaito hesitated.
He glanced back toward the forest path that led home.
Then he looked again at the small house.
And the girl who was still smiling at him.
Something inside his chest stirred.
Very slowly…
Kaito nodded.
And stepped toward the house.
Without realizing it—
He had just taken the first step toward the life that would change everything.