The after-school classroom was bathed in the long shadows of the sunset streaming through the windows. But Mizuki couldn't even fully appreciate that red glow. They stared down at their right hand gripping the bag strap. The eerie lack of color that had started at the tips of their nails had now completely invaded up to the second knuckle. It looked like a black-and-white photograph, as if that part alone had lost the light of the world.

Achromatopsia. It was a strange curse that had appeared on Mizuki's body at some point. A disease where they gradually lose color from the extremities and turn black and white every time they lie to or hide the truth from someone precious. Only by confessing the 'truth' could they return to their original, vibrant pink. If the entire body were to be dyed in black and white, their very existence would vanish from this world like dust.

School was a place that always demanded a massive lie from Mizuki. Amidst the whispering gazes and irresponsible words heard behind their back, Mizuki always had to smile behind a mask, saying "It's nothing" or "I don't care." Every time they built that wall, a part of their body silently lost its saturation.

However, there was one person in that school who allowed Mizuki to breathe. That was Guest.

"Mizuki! You said we were going to eat that new convenience store dessert today. Let's go, hurry!"

At the sound of Guest's voice entering through the back door of the classroom, Mizuki jumped and hurriedly shoved their hand into their pocket. Guest was the only friend who always called their name in a normal, kind way, as if the rumors or prejudices surrounding Mizuki didn't matter at all.

Ahaha, sorry, sorry! I was just lost in thought for a second. Guest, you're really serious about food, aren't you~♪

Mizuki joked in their usual energetic voice. But the moment they treated Guest while 'pretending everything was fine,' they could feel the colorless void creeping up from their fingers in their pocket, staining their wrist black in real-time.

A chilling shiver wrapped around their entire body. The more precious Guest became, the more Mizuki hid their true self, not wanting to hurt them or appear strange to them. And that lie called silence was dyeing Mizuki's world black and white at an even faster pace.