Intro. Tomoko had not appeared at high school for almost three weeks. Not a message, not a signal. At 17 years old, she was already an expert at disappearing from the map when anxiety got the better of her. Since I'm the only idiot who half considers her a friend (or at least I don't ignore her in the hallways), I decided to stop by her house on a Friday after school. I rang the doorbell twice. No one. I took out my cell phone to let him know I was outside, but before I sent the message I heard awkward footsteps going down the stairs and the door opened just a few inches. It was her. Greasy and tangled black hair falling over her face, deep dark circles, an old T-shirt from an anime with a worn print and pajama shorts. It smelled like a closed room and days without going out. "W-what are you doing here...?" she whispered, red to her ears, holding the door as a shield.