The Invisible Girl

In the season of cherry blossoms, he met her.

Qin An enrolled at Higashiryo Municipal Junior High School in Kamigawa. The gate was inconspicuous, the sports field was inconspicuous, and the people were inconspicuous.

The only thing that brought comfort was the cherry blossom avenue in front of the school gate in spring. The petals fell like pink snowflakes, and when a gentle breeze blew, it created a rain of blossoms.

Qin An walked quietly along the avenue. Occasionally, a petal would land on his hair, only to be carried off by the wind to a farther place.

No best friend suddenly appeared behind him to slap his shoulder. No cute girl stood under a cherry tree waiting for a beautiful encounter. Just like three years ago, when he introduced himself in Chinese, there were a few gasps, and then nothing. Everyone went back to discussing their own things in their own circles. Maybe that was fine. But today felt different.

Beside the avenue was a small river. Cherry petals fell on the water, and now and then a small fish would leap up and snatch a petal.

But today, something was different by the riverbank. There was a girl standing there.

She wore a white fluffy hat. Her upper body was a regular shirt and wool sweater. Below was a knee-length pleated skirt, the student uniform of Higashiryo Middle School, paired with knee-high socks. Her shoulder-length hair draped down her back. From behind, she looked like a very cute girl. Given the nature of the boys at this school, they should have been all over a girl like that. How could they just leave her alone?

Qin An walked past her without thinking. Suddenly, she turned her head and said to him, “Hey, why can’t anyone see me?”

Thick eyelashes and big, sparkling eyes. Her bangs were scattered but not messy. Her jet-black hair made her fair skin shine even more. Without a doubt, she was a beautiful girl.

The fluffy hat on her head was suddenly blown away by the wind. Cherry blossoms filled the sky. But she showed a sad expression, tears welling up in her eyes.

“Why can’t anyone see me?”

She stood on tiptoe and gave a light leap. Before Qin An could stop her, she jumped into the river. The river wasn’t deep. Ordinarily, even if you couldn’t swim, you wouldn’t drown. But that was only ordinarily. Qin An saw a few bubbles rise to the surface, and then nothing.

“She can’t be that reckless. A beautiful girl jumping into the river early in the morning? Did she get dumped?” Qin An grumbled, then immediately dropped his backpack, took off his shirt, and dove into the river like a carp leaping.

In the river, only about a meter deep, Qin An quickly saw the girl lying quietly on the bottom. He pulled her out. She seemed unconscious from swallowing too much water.

When Qin An stood up, his lower body was soaked. He laid the girl gently on the ground and pressed on her abdomen. Her small cherry lips parted slightly, and water sprayed out like a little fountain.

Her bloated stomach deflated like a punctured balloon, but she still didn’t wake up. Qin An crossed his hands and pressed on her slightly raised chest to perform CPR, but it was useless.

“Is there only one option left?”

He pried open her small mouth and leaned his face close to hers. Before he could start mouth-to-mouth, the girl woke up at just the right moment. Her round chestnut-like eyes met Qin An’s. Before she could even gasp, she fainted again. Knowing she was alive, Qin An naturally wouldn’t take advantage of her.

He thought some kind person would come to help him, but he noticed the people around just glanced at him, covered their eyes, and shouted, “Pervert!”

Hey, hey, that’s not how the script goes. They must think he’s a streaking pervert. It seemed like no one else could see the girl except him.

Qin An quickly put on his clothes, picked up the unconscious girl, and hurried away from the scene.

But to others, it looked like a pervert with wet pants running while apparently holding something imaginary in his arms.

Qin An knew he was probably doomed.

In the nurse’s office, Qin An placed the girl on a white hospital bed and turned to leave. But a hand reached out from behind and grabbed his shirt.

“Don’t go. Ah-choo!” The girl sneezed, shivering from cold.

“Take off your clothes first and put this on.” Qin An took off his wool sweater and tossed it to the girl behind him without looking back.

He waited for a while but heard no movement. Only more sneezes.

Qin An raised his hands and said, “I promise I won’t look back. Just change in peace!”

Seeming reassured by his promise, the girl calmed down. Behind him came the rustling sound of clothes being removed.

Just when the girl was down to her underwear, the nurse’s office door suddenly burst open. The nurse, draped in a white coat, shouted, “Pervert!” and ran away crying.

Qin An was left with a head full of question marks. This was big trouble. The nurse at Higashiryo Middle School was famously intolerant of anything indecent. He could guess where she was going now.

The girl blushed, but quickly put on Qin An’s wool sweater. It carried a strong masculine scent. Her face turned red all the way to her ears.

“If you’re okay, I’ll go now.”

“No.” She grabbed his shirt again.

“Is there something else?” Qin An turned around helplessly.

The girl’s body was still quite small compared to his. The oversized clothes just covered her underwear, but her pale thighs were exposed to Qin An’s view. He could vaguely see pink between her legs.

“Don’t look!” She shouted, using her hand to cover her crotch. But seeing her bare thighs still being stared at, she hurriedly grabbed a blanket and covered her legs, then sighed in relief.

“You can see me?” she asked doubtfully.

“Isn’t that obvious? Otherwise, who would have saved you? By the way, are you really a student at this school? Or a transfer student? I feel like I’ve never seen you before.”

Qin An had been at this school for nearly three years, so he was pretty seasoned. Normally, a girl like this would definitely leave a deep impression.

“Actually, I’m like air. No one can see me. Every class, the teacher thinks I’m absent and says, ‘Hirasawa didn’t come again today. What a bad kid!'” Her voice was ethereal, but it carried unspeakable sadness.

“I actually come very early every day, earlier than everyone. But when I sit in my seat, no one says good morning to me. After school, I’m always the last to leave, but no one says goodbye. During breaks, no one talks to me. When I try to talk to others, no one answers. The worst was today. My mom only set out two sets of chopsticks and bowls, for her and my dad. There was clearly supposed to be one for me too.”

After saying that, her tear ducts finally burst. Tears rolled down like pearls onto the blanket, wetting a large area.

“I try so hard, so why can’t anyone see me!”

She shook Qin An’s body vigorously, venting her frustration.

But then footsteps came from behind. Qin An turned his head and heard cries of “Pervert!” and “Hentai!” Clearly, it was the nurse’s voice.

Qin An felt more question marks appearing over his head.

“Maybe you’re not alone. I’m like air too.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

She gazed into his azure blue eyes. His eyes were deep, sad. But the little person in the depths of his pupils was her. Maybe she wasn’t alone. Because she was in his eyes.

The girl suddenly smiled mischievously. Warmer than April, more beautiful than the cherry blossoms outside the window.