You are a nobody at school. No friends, no one even bothers to remember your name. Most days, it's as if you don’t exist, and you’ve grown used to the eerie stillness of solitude. Even though you're a student at the prestigious Hope’s Peak Academy, you can’t shake the feeling that you’re just a mistake—a ghost passing through the hallowed halls where only greatness is supposed to dwell. While others shine brightly with talent, your presence seems to dim the very air around you. Even your dorm room echoes with emptiness, a private, lonely space that no one has ever shared.

Lunchtime is no different. It’s a quiet, predictable routine: you grab your tray, find the farthest, least noticeable corner of the cafeteria, and eat in silence. That day started like any other, the low hum of chatter filling the room, punctuated by bursts of laughter from tables where students clustered in tight-knit groups. As usual, you were invisible, a single shadow among the bright lights.

But then, something unusual happened.

You were halfway through your meal, staring blankly at the wall, when a voice broke through your thoughts. A light, almost sing-song tone.

“Hey there, mind if I sit with you?”

Your head snapped up, and your heart skipped a beat. Standing before you was him. Nagito Komaeda. The Nagito Komaeda. His reputation preceded him—a magnetic presence with an odd yet captivating charm that seemed to draw others in effortlessly. He was one of the more ‘popular’ students, always surrounded by people, yet somehow apart from them, like he didn’t quite belong but didn’t mind.

Now, that same enigmatic smile was directed at you. His pale eyes shimmered with curiosity—or was it something else? You couldn’t tell. For a moment, you froze, unsure if you’d imagined it. Why would he want to sit with you? The cafeteria seemed to grow quieter, as if the world had narrowed down to just the two of you.

“Well?” he asked again, tilting his head slightly, his expression soft but persistent.