Shiraishi [I seem to be someone with an especially low presence. The reason I realized this is because I found out that even though I was clearly in the graduation photo, I was mistaken for not existing, and they pasted a photo on it.
Everyone wants to fully enjoy their youth, but I can't achieve that.]
A teacher walked into the classroom and asked, "Is Shiraishi here?"
However, no one nearby responded.
"Not here? Then I'll just leave the handout on his desk."
Just as the teacher thought no one was there, a boy suddenly appeared and patted him on the back. "Teacher, I'm right here."
Oh!! The short teacher jumped in fright, turned around in surprise, and saw the boy he was looking for hand him the handout. With his hands crossed behind his back, the teacher asked, "Shiraishi, where were you?"
The boy scratched his head. "I was right behind you."
The boy took the handout and walked toward his seat. [I'm like air, it's hard for the people around me to notice me.]
Just as he passed by a certain classmate while proving the point, that classmate was surprised and said, "Shiraishi's here."
"Ah, where?"
"He's right here, you know."
It seemed that finding this boy was something extremely rare.
Shiraishi [Even though I'm right here, it's so hard to be noticed. That's just how I am. Forget enjoying my youth — I can't even step onto the stage of youth.]
[But...]
Shiraishi was searching for something on his phone when suddenly a person with pink hair, two strange hairpins stuck in it, wearing toy glasses, and looking like a weirdo appeared behind him.
Shiraishi [Saiki-kun always notices my existence.]
It was a sunny midday break, with birds chirping noisily outside, and our Shiraishi-kun was sitting at his desk looking at his phone.
(Yare yare, your self-introduction plus flashback is seriously dragging on way too long, and who are you calling a weirdo?)
"Sa, Saiki-kun, um..."
Saiki Kusuo glanced sideways at the search screen on Shiraishi's phone.
Passerby
Ways for a passerby to slack off in class
Ways for a passerby to become transparent
Ways for a passerby to get noticed by others
Saiki tilted his head, pressed his index finger and thumb against his chin, and the corners of his mouth curved up slightly in what looked like an evil smirk.
After noticing Saiki's smile, Shiraishi Junta felt the world turn black and white.
"Wait, it's not like that, Saiki-kun, it's not me, it's this phone..."
[Don't mind it, I didn't see anything.] With that, Saiki walked to the desk behind Shiraishi Junta and sat back down in his own seat.
Shiraishi Junta lowered his head and thought [Class 1-B's Saiki Kusuo-kun, excellent academic performance]. In the scene, Saiki was resting on his desk, staring blankly at the Shiraishi in front of him.
[Superb athletic ability]. In the scene, Saiki Kusuo was handing a towel to someone playing basketball.
Shiraishi [Someone like me should generally have nothing to do with Saiki-kun. That's how it ought to be.]
(Seriously, even I'd feel embarrassed if someone praised me like that, and what you're saying doesn't quite match the me in those scenes.)
Saiki Kusuo stared at the Shiraishi-kun in front of him and thought (Yare yare, I've been observing Shiraishi-kun for a week now. I've confirmed he's someone whose presence is so low it's almost in the realm of superpowers. Ordinary — no special abilities, but his presence is incredibly low. Coming into contact with someone like this is a very good choice.)
(As for the situation on the first day before school started when I spoke to Shiraishi, Saiki Kusuo already had a rough understanding. That's because Shiraishi... he thought Saiki was talking to someone else. Because his presence was so low — so low that he believed no one could possibly see him at the start of school. Ah, what a pitiful child.)
(Unlike the one next to me.) Saiki looked toward his left, where someone was shaking a tree.
"Saiki, let's settle this once and for all."
Saiki: ...
Ever since he went to the toy city a few days ago and had a showdown with Itsuki, the guy had completely changed. Afterward, he kept bothering Saiki, seizing every chance to challenge him to a match.
[Yare yare, didn't I already lose to you in rock-paper-scissors yesterday? Why are you back again?]
Itsuki said with high spirits, "Games like that don't mean anything. Let's do a proper one this time, no holding back."
(Your character has totally shifted, hey.)
After getting thoroughly crushed at the toy city, he turned into this. He kept coming for duels. At first it was okay, but over time, Saiki started getting annoyed. Later he deliberately lost a few rock-paper-scissors matches to him and even threw eating contests on purpose, but the guy still wouldn't let up.
Saiki thought he hadn't been found out.
[I'm going to the bathroom, see you.]
Saiki stood up, left the classroom, and headed to the bathroom. Itsuki followed right after. "Wait up, Saiki! These 10 minutes of break time are more than enough for us to settle this once and for all."
Saiki walked into the bathroom, turned around, and looked at Itsuki. [I'm going to use the toilet now. Stop following me. There's nothing worth comparing anyway.]
Itsuki: "Who said that? If you don't mind, how about we compete this time on who can pee farther and longer..."
[Shut up.]
Bang!!
The next second, Saiki slammed the door shut. (Seriously, I regret it now. Why did I ever do that?)
After the bell rang for class to start, Saiki returned to the classroom, sat down, and said to Shiraishi, [Shiraishi-kun, let's walk home together after school.]
Shiraishi turned around in surprise and said to Saiki, "Saiki-kun, don't you think my presence is really low? Someone on your level is willing to be friends with me?"
[It's fine. Low presence — isn't that exactly your charm? And don't overthink it. You and I are the same kind of person.]
Saiki actually found Shiraishi's low presence very intriguing.
"Ah, really? I see!"
Shiraishi smiled and turned back around.
Shiraishi [Low presence is a charm? No way, stop dreaming, Shiraishi. Saiki just happened to notice you by chance. He's only temporarily interested in you. That won't last. Someone on Saiki-kun's level would never actually want to be friends with you.]
In Shiraishi's mind, Saiki had already become a high-quality human male.
Saiki: ...
(Really now, Shiraishi-kun, don't underestimate yourself. The charm you possess is far stronger than mine. And I'm definitely not some high-quality human male.)
Hearing the words "high-quality human male," Saiki couldn't help but think of a certain man in a suit, with slicked-back oily hair like a pig's, wearing glasses, singing and dancing.
Saiki sat in his seat and sensed a gaze fixed on him. He turned and saw Kubo Nagisa, his neighbor at the next desk.
She was resting her cheeks on both hands, staring at him with her big, sparkling eyes wide open.
[Is something the matter, Kubo-san?]
"Saiki-kun, are you really interested in Shiraishi-kun? You've been watching him the whole time, like a scientist looking at... some new, fascinating species."