Prologue

Kuuga Tsukimiya had possessed an uncanny ability to see through others since he was a child.

He could discern the true nature of those around him, distinguish between those he could trust and those he could not, and choose his friends accordingly. He didn’t quite understand himself how he was able to tell, but once he sensed that someone was the type to betray him, there was simply no way they could ever become close.

Naturally, wise and perceptive people gathered around Kuuga, and at school he was always at the center of the group that drew everyone’s attention.

Kuuga’s judgment never faltered; aside from his parents, whom he had no choice in choosing, he had never been betrayed by anyone.

Surrounded by good friends, he had lived a happy life. Now, as the president of the student council at his high school, he selected officers he could trust, and his leadership was widely recognized.

“What’s wrong, Tsukimiya? Aren’t you heading home?”

All morning, an inexplicable uneasiness had been gnawing at him, leaving him restless. Lost in thought in his usual seat in the student council room, he was brought back to reality when one of the council members, preparing to leave, called out to him.

Student council officers were admired by their classmates, and after school, they would gather in the council room with expressions that seemed to say they were busy with important work. The truth, though, was that they rarely had much to do.

Unbothered by anyone else, they would chat with their friends in a way that looked vaguely like a meeting, perhaps deal with a few documents or create some announcements. Only when an event was approaching did things get genuinely busy; on most days, things were relaxed.

Today, too, with no major events on the horizon, the group had gathered, but only to share tea and idle conversation.

Kuuga’s friends, of course, noticed that he had been distracted the entire time. He was well aware of the worried glances they had sent his way.

And now, even as the atmosphere began to shift toward heading home, Kuuga remained seated. Sensing that something was amiss, a friend called out to him again.

“…Sorry, you can go ahead without me.”

“Is there something you need to do?”

“Huh? There’s nothing right now, is there?”

“What’s wrong? Did something happen?”

Feeling guilty for making them worry, Kuuga still didn’t think he could explain it clearly. He shook his head and urged them to leave first, which only led to more concern.

“There’s just something I want to think about. I’ll go home before it gets dark, so don’t worry about me.”

His friends looked at one another, clearly unsure if it was really okay to leave. They’d rarely seen Kuuga troubled by anything—he was usually clear-headed in every regard.

Especially when it came to dealing with people, he was almost unstoppable. With a single glance, he could sense what type of person someone was, and after a brief conversation, he could tell what they were thinking and how they felt about him.

Most things that happened in life were driven by human intent, so Kuuga’s ability had proven extraordinarily useful in nearly every situation.

And yet, here he was, lost in thought, refusing to tell his friends what was going on. It was only natural that they found it suspicious.

But this was something he could not explain.

He looked remorseful, but as he offered no further words, his friends finally accepted that pressing the matter any further was pointless.

“Don’t overdo it. Make sure you get home early,” they said, leaving him with those words. Kuuga watched them go, then let out a small sigh and leaned back into his chair.

Gazing absentmindedly out the window at the sky, stained red by the setting sun, Kuuga once again immersed himself in his thoughts.

He had never been betrayed by his friends. In the same way, he had never betrayed them.

“—But I might be the one to betray them.”

It wasn’t that he wanted to betray anyone. He just sensed that there was some unavoidable force at work—he simply had that premonition.

Unfortunately, he knew only too well that his instincts were sharp. A bad feeling like this was sure to come true.

He felt, vaguely but unmistakably, that he might no longer be able to come to this place.

He had no idea what would happen to him, no clear sense of what awaited. But somehow, he was sure they would never meet again.

Carrying a shapeless anxiety with no solution in sight, Kuuga finally left the student council room behind.

—From that day on, Kuuga Tsukimiya vanished without a trace.