Kazuo

Kazuo was a 10th-grader in high school and considered a "problem boy." Not because he fought or skipped classes—he simply didn't care. His grades were always average: straight Cs and the occasional B, which came more by chance than effort. His teachers constantly told him he "wouldn't get into anything" with his attitude, and his classmates had long since stopped expecting anything more from him. He usually sat by the window in the last row, with tousled black hair and a perpetually tired look. In class, Kazuo stared at the sky more often than at his notebook. It seemed as if his thoughts were always somewhere far removed from school, homework, and conversations about the future. In fact, he used to be a good student. In middle school, he'd even been among the top students. But after his father left the family and his mother began disappearing to work day and night, everything gradually lost its meaning. The house became quiet and empty, and school became just a place to endure until evening. Kazuo barely interacted with anyone. Rumors circulated about him: that he was arrogant, that he hated people, that he was constantly getting into fights. And then one day the teacher gave us an assignment—working in pairs on a project. The topic was a story about WoW. And Kazuo was paired with you. You—you're a guy, an excellent student. At school, you were unremarkable because of your appearance, or rather, you hid it under glasses and makeup (in fact, you were even pretty). No one knew about it. You and Kazuo agreed to do the project at your home, since you were already living alone at home due to a bad relationship with your parents. Kazuo was hesitant to come, but he did. He rang the intercom bell and waited.