Chapter 1.2: An Ordinary World part 2

Similar to Daichi, Katashi held a disdain for individuals like Kazuki, finding them repulsive and hopeless. However, Kazuki paid no mind as he saw no reason to view himself as problematic.

The final member of the group was Ichinose Kaito, one of the most intelligent individuals among them a true nerd at heart. Fortunately, he harboured no negative opinions toward Kazuki. While he also shared similar hobbies, he preferred to keep them concealed.

Kaito possessed an average height and body mass, striking a balance between being a nerd and maintaining a social life. He spent most of his time with Daichi and the other three students.

"Good morning, Adachihara-san, Takahashi-kun, Ito-san, and Ichinose-san" Kazuki greeted them.

"Haha, this is, um quite an awkward situation, but please understand the context of what you just witnessed."

Kazuk let out a bitter laugh as he responded to their greetings, "Do you even have the right to talk to Takahashi-san? Huh?" The moment the greetings were over, he could sense the invisible wall of animosity surrounding him. Aiya held more popularity than Akari, and together they were like living goddesses.

"You understand your behaviour, so why don't you fix it? How long do you plan on taking advantage of Akari's kindness? She won't protect you forever, you know," Daichi advised Kazuki. From his perspective, Akari's intentions were being wasted on a dishonourable student like Kazuki

"Daichi-kun, I talk to Kazuki because I want to," Akari replied, countering Daichi's cold advice. However, Akari still refused to let Kazuki go.

Many people had encouraged Kazuki to change, but their efforts had no effect due to his unwavering dedication to his hobbies. He loved his hobbies more than anything else. When he lived with his parents, his father was a business manager, and his mother was a shounen manga author.

His parents had a successful career and even signed him up for a part-time job. However, Kazuki preferred to live a peaceful school life. If only Akari didn't worry about him so much, he could have a perfect school life.

During his days, he also pondered his future and occasionally dreamed about his future career. However, he didn't believe he could achieve it in his current state.

"No way… Uh, haha… I'll think about it," Kazuki replied, resolving the situation. Aiya secretly apologised to Kazuki, and he, in turn, acted as though nothing had happened and smiled.

As Daichi and the others returned to their seats, Akari cast a meaningful glance at Kazuki. He was curious about why she seemed hurried. Minutes before the bell rang, he tidied up his desk in preparation for the day's lessons.

"Oh no, the teacher is here. Return to your seats," one of the classmates alerted them.

"Hey, guys! The bell has already rung. Didn't you hear?" another classmate chimed in.

Kazuki suddenly woke up, startled by his classmates' voices. In this situation, everyone in the classroom regained consciousness and hurriedly prepared themselves. Kazuki deeply apologized to the teacher for sleeping in class.

The teacher let it slide as she retrieved the attendance record from her drawer. Kazuki heaved a sigh of relief, thankful for escaping any further consequences… for now.

"Alright, students, it's time to check attendance," the teacher announced.

"Hey, Kazuki, wake up! Class is about to start," one of his classmates nudged him.

"Huh? Ahh good morning, Ichika sensei," Kazuki greeted the teacher.

As the bell rang for the first session that morning, all the students rushed back to their seats, and teachers entered their respective classrooms according to their schedules. The teacher seemed accustomed to the noisy environment and didn't scold anyone. She walked to her desk and began checking the students' attendance.

Kazuki lifted his head from the desk, taking a moment to survey the classroom. He realised that most of the students had dashed off to the canteen to buy their lunch, resulting in a significant decrease in the number of students present.

The majority of the students had gone to the canteen or elsewhere to have their lunch. Minutes passed, and the class was dismissed early signalling the start of lunchtime. Kazuki made his way to the canteen, and to his surprise, Akari approached him again, standing in front of his desk.

"Kazuki-kun, do you want to go to the canteen together? She asked.

"Hmm, sure, why not?" Kazuki replied.

"Alright, let's go!" Akari exclaimed with a cute smile, suddenly grabbing his hand and running.

They quickly found a vacant seat in the school canteen, engaging in conversation and enjoying their lunch together. People around them grew furious and jealous. Some students even plotted to harm Kazuki, but under Akari's protection, such a thing would never happen.

"Kazuki-kun, here, say "ahh" " Akari said, raising a spoon toward his mouth, attempting to feed him.

Kazuki hesitated, not wanting to create a romantic scene. However, Akari didn't mind the attention and was unbothered by the menacing glares of their peers.

"Relax, it's just the two of us here. There's no need to worry," Akari reassured him.

"Yea, but they're watching us right now," Kazuki responded, conscious of the gazes fixed upon them.

Akari's best friend, Aiya suddenly arrived at the canteen. Observing the atmosphere, she noticed Kazuki and Akari sitting together and decided to join them at their table. Along the way, she received greetings from the male students and responded politely before finally reaching their table.

"Kazuki-kun, it's a rare sight to see you eating with Akari," Aiya commented.

"Can I join you two?" she added.

"Sure, go ahead, Aiya-chan," Akari welcomed her.

Aiya joined their table, making Kazuki feel even more uncomfortable. The tension inside the canteen continued to rise as more and more students saw their favourite goddess sitting beside Kazuki.

(Why does it feel like I'm being antagonised? Can't they just give me a break?)

More students grew jealous of Kazuki, and he tried to ignore their presence as he carried on with his daily routine. He felt uneasy as people attempted to provoke him by spending time with Akari and Aiya. If people only respected him for who he was, he wouldn't have to endure all this. Lunchtime came to an end, and it was time for them to return to their class room.

"Hey, Kazuki-kun, let's walk back together," Akari suggested.

"Umm… Let's see… Okay, why not?" Kazuki agreed.

As tensions eased, they left the canteen and walked back to their classroom together. Upon entering the classroom, Kazuki returned to his seat and waited for the next class to begin. Before classes started, students engaged in discussions and formed groups. Aiya herself invited Kazuki to join their group, which also included Akari.

Kazuki had no choice but to join them, even though some had neutral intentions, while others harboured hostility. He had no option but to ignore their glares as he approached their gathering. A subject teacher, Saitou Ichika, entered the classroom.

Observing the students engrossed in conversation, she scolded them, reminding them that class was already starting. At that very moment, a strange purple light appeared from the floor, spreading from person to person. The students became alarmed by the mysterious light, including Kazuki,who was curious about its origins.

They attempted to flee, desperately trying to escape the strange light, but all of them suddenly vanished into thin air.

"GUYS QUICK, GET OUT!" someone shouted.

All twenty-four students, inclncluding Kazuki, disappeared without a trace. Their belongings remained in the classroom, and it resembles a ghost town. Students from other classrooms were shocked when they discovered that an entire class had vanished into thin air.

Authorities arrived at the scene and conducted an investigation, but they found no clear evidence or leads to continue the search. Eventually, they gave up and closed the case. But that is a story for another time.