Kanata Iwatani, a 15-year-old boy with purple hair and bright blue eyes, walked anxiously on the road to school. Each step felt heavy, as if there was a weight binding his legs. He knew what awaited him ahead: jeers and taunts from his classmates. Lacking a Gift like theirs, Kanata was always a target for bullies. His body trembled and shivered as he approached the school gate. With a steely resolve, he took a deep breath and stepped into the school.
As Kanata opened the classroom door, a cacophony of voices filled the room. His eyes immediately fixed on Keike, the leader of the bully group who always targeted him. Keike approached him with a sneering smile, his eyes shining with hatred. "Hey, worthless trash without a Gift! Let's see you return to being a dog!" he mocked. The entire class erupted in laughter, their voices echoing off the classroom walls. Kanata felt his face flush, but he struggled not to show his emotions. He simply walked to his seat, trying to ignore the jeers.
Throughout the lesson, Kanata tried to concentrate on the material being taught, despite the feelings of isolation and despair clouding his mind. He wished for an extraordinary Gift like his friends, something that would make him significant rather than the subject of ridicule. However, that dream seemed more distant as the bell rang, signaling the end of class.
Afterward, Kanata left the classroom and headed to the field, hoping to find some peace. He just wanted to talk to Yuna, the girl who always treated him kindly. Yuna, with her bright smile, warmed Kanata's heart a little amidst his sadness.
However, as Kanata stepped onto the field, the calm atmosphere suddenly shifted. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a horde of goblins charging from behind the bushes, attacking Yuna, who was alone. With his heart racing, Kanata didn't think twice. Without hesitation, he ran toward Yuna, pushing her back into the school to distance her from danger. "Come on! Get inside!" he shouted. But Kanata's body was pulled back by an aggressive goblin attack.
In an instant, Kanata felt as though the world was spinning. He fought with all his strength, not with power, but with intelligence. He dodged attacks and ran between the goblins, pretending to be a clever predator. But their numbers were too great, and Kanata knew he couldn't escape forever.
"Yuna, go! Hurry!" he shouted, trying to distract the goblins. In that moment of crisis, Kanata felt adrenaline coursing through his body. He ran as fast as he could, searching for a way out, but suddenly felt a hard blow to his back. His body fell, and everything went dark.
In his unconsciousness, Kanata felt as if he had fallen into an eternal void. Yet, when he woke up, something strange occurred. In his mind, a soft voice whispered, "You are chosen. Obtain the Gift that will change everything." Kanata felt the entire world spinning around him. When he opened his eyes, there was a strange glow enveloping him. The Gift that appeared before him was a symbol of luck—a symbol he never expected to receive. However, he sensed something odd: this Gift felt weak and useless.
"Luck?" Kanata whispered, confusion and disappointment flooding his heart. He couldn't believe this was the Gift he wanted.
But amidst the chaos, he heard Yuna calling his name from afar. Seeing that he was still alive and the new Gift he had received, Kanata was determined to do something better. Even though his Gift seemed useless, he knew there might be deeper power behind it.
With newfound courage, Kanata stood up and planned his next move. As he prepared to fight the goblin horde once again, he felt luck flowing within him. Perhaps, just perhaps, he could use his wisdom and luck to navigate this situation.
"Let's see how lucky I am," he muttered, smiling despite the anxiety lingering in his heart.
With renewed determination, Kanata began to move, using his intelligence to trap the goblins. He ran and turned, utilizing every corner to dodge attacks, hoping that luck would help him. Kanata felt a shift around him; even when facing fear, this new Gift gave him the impetus to confront the challenge.
With bravery, Kanata sought to devise a plan. Every time he dodged a goblin attack, he felt his luck functioning like a safety net. He knew that despite lacking flashy power, his Gift could provide him with an unexpected advantage.
Realizing he had to protect Yuna and himself, Kanata began to dig into his abilities. "If I can only hope, let's do it well!" he shouted, running faster, searching for a way to defeat the goblin horde.
As Kanata continued to run, his breath came in gasps, and his mind raced for an escape from this terrifying situation. The pursuing goblins were closing in. Even though he managed to evade attack after attack, he knew he couldn't keep running. But as he reached the turn toward the main field, Kanata suddenly stopped.
In front of him, walking calmly and confidently, stood the student council president, Seiji Yukimura. Seiji was known as an arrogant and cold student, always looking down on others, especially Kanata, who lacked a notable Gift. His neatly styled white hair and perfectly tailored student council uniform added to the air of superiority that followed him wherever he went.
"Kanata," Seiji called, his sharp eyes observing the terrified boy. Behind Seiji, the goblins began to approach. Yet, Seiji seemed unfazed by them, as if the monsters were merely a minor annoyance.
Kanata tried to control his breathing, "Seiji... the goblins, we need to run!"
However, Seiji merely chuckled softly, a condescending smile gracing his face. "You're really stupid, Kanata. You always run from your problems, don't you?" he said mockingly. "I know you don't have a reliable Gift. You always claim to have a Gift, but who would believe a loser like you?"
Kanata stared at Seiji with a confused expression. He had once told Seiji that he had a Gift, but like everyone else, Seiji didn't believe him. To them, Kanata was just a weak boy who was always the subject of ridicule.
Seiji raised one hand, and suddenly the air around them grew cold. Kanata could feel a sudden gust of wind piercing his skin, and before Seiji, ice began to form from the empty air. The ice quickly spread, creating a massive wall that separated them from the goblins pursuing Kanata.
The goblins charging forward came to an abrupt halt when their bodies touched the ice wall. In an instant, they were completely frozen, becoming unmoving ice statues. Seiji observed his handiwork with a cold and expressionless demeanor.
"I can handle this easily," Seiji said, his voice dripping with arrogance. "Unlike you, I have a real Gift." He walked closer to Kanata, ignoring the frozen monsters surrounding them. "Your Gift? Luck? That's not a Gift. That's just nonsense for weak people who can't face reality."
Kanata felt heat rising to his face. Although Seiji might be right that his Gift of luck wasn't as strong as others, there was something within him beginning to ignite. Seiji continued to speak, ridiculing him with every word. "You think you can fight these monsters with just luck? You're more foolish than I thought."
Yet, deep within Kanata, something was slowly rising. Despite always being considered weak and belittled, a strong drive began to emerge. After all, he had survived the goblin attack thus far not through physical strength, but through intelligence... and perhaps, a bit of luck.
Seiji sighed, appearing bored. "Enough, you're better off going home and letting people like me handle this." He turned, leaving Kanata there alone, surrounded by the frozen goblin statues.
Seiji, feeling satisfied with himself and leaving the frozen goblin statues behind, walked toward the school door. At that moment, he saw Yuna rushing out of the building, her face full of concern. Seiji smirked, feeling confident that Yuna was coming to him—perhaps to thank him for freezing the goblins and saving the situation.
However, the opposite occurred. Instead of approaching Seiji, Yuna ran past him without stopping. Her face expressed deep anxiety as she glanced briefly at Seiji, then quickly turned her gaze back to the figure standing far behind the student council president—Kanata.
"Kanata!" Yuna called his name in a panic, her voice clearly showing how worried she was. Without any hesitation, Yuna sprinted toward Kanata, leaving Seiji in utter confusion.
Seiji paused for a moment, watching Yuna's back as she moved away from him. He stood still, not expecting that Yuna, who usually remained calm, would be so worried about Kanata, someone everyone had always looked down upon. The arrogance on Seiji's face began to fade, replaced by disbelief.
Meanwhile, Kanata, still on the edge of the field, watched Yuna run toward him. He was shocked, not expecting Yuna to come to him with such a worried expression. After what had just happened, Kanata thought Yuna might choose to distance herself from him like most others at school. But it turned out Yuna was different.
"Kanata, are you okay?" Yuna stopped right in front of him, her breath coming in rapid gasps from her hurried run. "I saw the goblins... I thought you were hurt...," she continued, her voice trembling slightly.