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Leo Vance knew exactly who Kato Megumi was—he'd been watching her like a hawk for days—but for the sake of the narrative, this had to be their "official" first encounter. In the world of social engineering, the first impression wasn't just a meeting; it was an anchor. And he'd just dropped a massive, trauma-sized anchor into the center of her life.
He found her a few minutes later, sitting on a weathered wooden bench near the edge of the street. Her face was still a mask of pale shock, her hands resting limply in her lap. She looked like a porcelain doll that had been dropped and narrowly missed shattering.
"Hey," Leo said, his voice dropping into a low, comforting register. He walked over to a nearby vending machine. The machine hummed and glowed with a soft, neon blue light in the encroaching twilight. He punched a button twice, the heavy clunk-thud of the cans echoing in the quiet street.
He walked back and pressed a cold can of soda into her palm. "You look like you're about to faint. Drink this."
"Thank you," Megumi whispered. Her voice was thin, barely audible over the distant sound of a siren.
Leo popped the tab on his own drink with a sharp crack-hiss. The smell of artificial grape and carbonation wafted up. He took a long, slow swig, feeling the cold liquid sting his throat as he sat down beside her. He leaned back, his broad shoulders taking up a significant portion of the bench, providing a solid, physical presence next to her.
"Those yakuza guys are out of their minds," Leo muttered, shaking his head. "They don't give a damn about who's in the way. I've seen some rough stuff back in Seattle, but a street war in the middle of a Tuesday? That's next level."
Megumi held the can with both hands, the metal cold against her skin. She didn't open it. Instead, she pressed the chilled side of the can against her cheek, a small shiver running through her frame.
"I guess this is just... a unique feature of the city," she said, her voice slowly regaining some of its steady, flat tone. "In Japan, organized crime is almost... institutional. They're dangerous, but they usually stay in the shadows. Most people spend their whole lives trying not to notice them."
Leo watched her out of the corner of his eye. Even under the adrenaline-fueled terror of nearly being flattened by a Crown sedan, her presence was incredibly low. It was like her body was trying to blend into the bench. But he could see the slight tremor in her fingers. She was terrified. She'd realized that if those yakuza had hit her, they wouldn't have stopped to exchange insurance info. She'd have been a stain on the asphalt while a shootout happened over her body.
"You're shaking," Leo noted, his voice gentle but firm. He stood up, the movement fluid and powerful. He tossed his empty can into a trash bin ten feet away with a perfect, metallic ping. "Come on. We're getting out of here."
Megumi blinked, looking up at him as if seeing him for the first time. "Where are we going?"
"When life tries to kill you and fails, you celebrate," Leo said, offering a lopsided, American-style grin that was far more charming than anything the local boys could muster. "We're going to find the best dessert place in the city. Forget the books and the stationery—you're alive. That's worth a slice of cake, at least."
Megumi hesitated. She looked back toward the street where her bag was still lying in the dirt, surrounded by the remnants of a staged gang war. She didn't have the heart to go back there. What if the police were there? What if the yakuza came back?
She didn't put her name in her books. There was nothing in that bag that could lead back to her. In a city of twenty million people, being a ghost was her only real superpower. If she just walked away, she'd be safe.
"Okay," she said softly, standing up. Her legs felt like jelly. "Where are we going?"
"You tell me," Leo said, stepping into stride beside her. "I'm the new guy, remember? I'm still using GPS to find my way to the bathroom. Lead the way, Kato-kun."
They took the tram toward the port area. The rhythmic clack-clack of the wheels on the rails and the soft hum of the electric motor acted as a sedative, slowly bringing Megumi's heart rate down. Leo sat next to her, his presence like a warm shield against the rest of the world.
After a ten-minute walk from the station, they arrived at a quiet, stylish dessert shop tucked away in a cobblestone side street. It had an old-world, European feel to it—warm yellow lights, the smell of burnt sugar and vanilla, and soft jazz playing from hidden speakers.
Megumi led him to a small booth in the corner. As they sat down, a waiter appeared almost instantly, setting down menus and a carafe of water.
"That's weird," Megumi murmured, her brow furrowing slightly as she looked at the waiter's retreating back.
"What is?" Leo asked, pouring her a glass of water.
"Usually... I have to sit here for ten minutes and wave my arms like I'm signal-flaring a ship before anyone notices me," she said, her tone as flat as ever. She pushed a menu toward him. "Li Wei-kun... you have such a strong presence. It's actually kind of impressive. I'm a little jealous."
Leo took the menu, scanning the prices in yen and mentally converting them to dollars. Cheap enough for a 'broke' student, but nice enough to be a 'treat.' He ordered a couple of their signature tarts and two coffees.
"What do you mean, 'low presence'?" Leo asked, leaning forward and resting his chin on his hand, projecting a look of genuine curiosity. "You're sitting right in front of me. Hard to miss."
Megumi gave him a wry, weary smile. It was the most emotion he'd seen from her so far. "I'm like a ghost in class. Seriously. There have been days where I just don't show up, and the teachers won't even mark me absent because they just assume I'm in my seat and they missed me. Those yakuza guys? They probably didn't even realize a girl was standing there when they swung around the corner."
She looked down at the table, her fingers tracing the grain of the wood. "It's been like this since I was a kid. My parents once went on a whole family road trip and left me at a gas station because I went to the restroom and they just... forgot I was in the car. They were halfway to the next city before they realized."
Leo nodded, his mind filing this away. It was a fascinating trait—a literal, non-supernatural invisibility.
"That sounds like a major pain," Leo said. "Especially when crossing the street. If drivers don't see you..."
"Exactly," Megumi said, nodding. "My parents tried everything. Hospitals, psychologists, even shrines and temples. My mom even made me wear a bell for a year when I was six. Nothing worked. I'm just... me. The girl who isn't there."
Leo looked at her, his blue eyes intense. "Well, I saw you. And I'm pretty sure you're here now."
Internal monologue: You have no idea how much 'there' you are, Megumi. To Tomoya, you're a blank canvas. To me? You're the most important piece of the game. And now, you're the girl who owes her life to the American transfer student.
"I guess so," Megumi said, her voice softening as the waiter returned with the tarts. The smell of fresh raspberries and warm pastry filled the space between them. "Thank you again, Leo-kun. For noticing me."
Leo smiled, the warm light of the cafe reflecting in his eyes. He reached for his fork, the weight of the "System" and the "Qi" hum in his blood feeling lighter for a moment.
"Anytime, Megumi. Anytime."
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