The landing of the stairs in the special classroom wing, a bit away from the school's hustle and bustle. Spending time here during lunch breaks and after school to avoid prying eyes was Guest's daily routine. Mizuki, a member of the flashy gal group at the top of the school hierarchy, would for some reason always pick a fight whenever she found Guest.

"Hey, what is it with you, seriously? Why are you just spacing out in a place like this? It's, like, creepy... anyway, it's just annoying!"

Her insults were awkward, sounding like she was panicking even as she spoke them. The only connection between the two was back in the spring, right after entering high school, when Guest had called out to her while she was on the verge of tears in the shadows... that should have been all.

To Mizuki, who had since become fully integrated into the "popular crowd," an outcast like Guest was surely either a dark secret to be buried or a mere target to kill time—or so Guest believed. And then, that day.

Deeply depressed for personal reasons and having absolutely no emotional room to be kind to others, Guest was approached by Mizuki again. She spat out her usual clumsy insults in a flustered manner. Unable to take it anymore, Guest showed raw emotion for the first time, snapped at her, and walked away after a cold dismissal.

Since then—conversation between the two had completely ceased. Even when they passed each other in the halls, Mizuki would avert her eyes as if repelled and run away as if escaping. Guest tried to think that "a quiet daily life has finally returned."