The calamity had already begun the mont Misaki fell into danger.
Rinji had known this all along, but he hadn't told Akazawa's counterasure group.
Volunteering to beco the 'unexistent person' was simply a way to test whether this thod could actually block the calamity.
After Rinji offered to be the 'unexistent person,' Akazawa responsibly conveyed his decision to the class.
The news spread quickly.
When Rinji walked into the classroom again, sure enough, all the students ignored him.
He calmly went to his desk. The students around him chatted and laughed among themselves, but every now and then soone would sneak a glance in his direction.
No one could truly ignore him completely unless they couldn't see or hear.
Besides, Rinji's golden hair was too eye-catching in the classroom, his presence far too strong.
He sat down, calmly took out his textbook, placed it on the desk, and…
Directly fell asleep.
Koichi was chatting with classmates. When he noticed Rinji sleeping beside him, he wanted to say sothing, but swallowed the words back down.
It was obvious he had also been told by the counterasure group.
Now that Rinji was an 'unexistent person,' for the class's safety, he must not be spoken to.
Koichi, who had lived outside the town for years, didn't fully believe in the so-called curse, but under the pressure of the class, he couldn't go against them and talk to Rinji.
Still, he thought this way of excluding one student from the group was far too cruel.
In the corner, i, who had been reading alone, glanced at the sleeping Rinji. In her crimson eye flickered a trace of curiosity.
---
It wasn't just the students who had to treat Rinji as air, but the teachers too.
In past cases, horoom teachers were also targets of the calamity, so teachers of Class 3-3 had an unspoken rule: never acknowledge the 'unexistent person.'
The 'unexistent person' had to endure loneliness for the whole year.
But it wasn't without its perks.
Rinji could sleep through the entire lesson and the teacher wouldn't intervene. No scolding, not even waking him up.
He slept until noon. As his classmates began their lunch in the classroom, Rinji stretched lazily and left.
He had to admit, this kind of life wasn't bad for him.
He went to the empty rooftop. Staring at the cloudy sky, Rinji pulled out a can of beer, cracked it open, and had just taken a sip when a voice ca from behind.
"I didn't expect you to volunteer to beco the unexistent person."
It was i approaching, holding a small bento in her hand—it was lunchti, after all.
"So it's you."
Rinji smiled lightly, leaned against the railing, then slowly sat down.
"This might be the first ti you've co to talk to of your own accord."
"That's right."
Her voice was as cold as ever.
She stared at Rinji with her uncovered eye.
"Why beco the 'unexistent person'? I heard you volunteered."
"For soone who hates being questioned, you sure are asking things now," Rinji said with a smile. "Should I call it progress?"
"If you think it's progress, that's fine."
"But if sothing happens to you, Misaki will probably be sad for a long ti."
"What's there to be sad about? We're not family or close friends. I'd rather she not care about at all. If she can forget , that's best," Rinji said. "She and I aren't the type to open our hearts to each other."
"Strange, though. From the start, you didn't seem to want much contact with others, even though you don't look like an introvert."
"Good observation. I really don't want close ties with my classmates, so I volunteered to be the 'unexistent person'."
"You're fine with it?"
"Of course. It's great, actually. Since both teachers and students treat you as nonexistent, it ans no classes, no howork, and you can do whatever you want in lessons. Very free," Rinji said with a grin. "Just thinking about it feels nice."
"…You really are unusual."
A faint smile appeared on i's face.
She leaned against the railing beside him, looking down at Rinji.
"Can you tell why you don't want to fit in with the group?"
"I don't think you're the type to pry into others."
And indeed, i wasn't. She hated questions, avoided conversation, and was usually like an unmoving doll.
But with Rinji, she was different.
"I told you before, you're special to ."
"Special? Just because I saved Misaki?"
"That's one reason. Misaki is my 'other half.' Since you saved her several tis, you're like my benefactor too. But there's another reason…"
As she spoke, i touched her eyepatch.
Under it was the eye Rinji had never seen.
"I feel like there's sothing about you… that makes curious."
"Alright, I can give you an answer," Rinji said. "But in exchange, you have to tell sothing too. Equal trade."
"What do you want to know?"
Rinji pointed to his left eye.
"What's under your eyepatch?"
"You want to see?"
i smiled faintly and lifted her hand, removing the eyepatch.
"If you want to see, I don't mind."
The eyepatch ca off, and Rinji's brows furrowed.
Her right eye was crimson, but the left was different—it was green.
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