Chapter 1-Encounter
Seventeen-year-old Masato Hayakawa feels invisible in a world that has never valued him. One fateful collision at Shibuya Scramble Crossing introduces him to a mysterious girl who saves him—but disappears as quickly as she appeared. Her parting words, “There’s nothing in this world that has no value,” linger in his mind, challenging everything he’s ever believed.
The Girl From Nowhere is a gripping story of pain, hope, and the strange stranger who changes a life forever.
“A Glimpse of You"
Chapter 1- Encounter
(January 7/2026.)
Shibuya Scramble Crossing.
—Masato Hayakawa’s inner voice.
My name is Masato Hayakawa.
There is nothing left in my life except regret.
My childhood was a story filled with pain.
There isn’t a single thing I’m good at.
I can’t trust anyone. I can’t love anyone.
I tried to value other people’s feelings.
Desperately—so no one would get hurt.
But no one ever valued my feelings.
They pick at my flaws over the smallest things.
I never knew a mother’s love,
nor a father’s kindness.
My father always said,
“You’re useless.”
Even at seventeen,
I haven’t accomplished anything.
I can’t contribute even a single yen to my home.
My body is weak, and I don’t have the strength to support anyone.
So I don’t expect anything from anyone.
I gave up on being respected a long time ago.
And yet—
my heart is always longing for love.
When I try to play volleyball,
I always end up pushed to the back without noticing.
No matter how hard I try,
in people’s eyes, I’m always a “failure.”
Thinking about all that,
Masato was running through Shibuya Scramble Crossing.
He was about to be late for school.
He checked his wristwatch.
—7:35 a.m.
That was when it happened.
At the crossing, he bumped into a girl.
Her smartphone fell to the ground.
Masato hurriedly picked it up.
And then—he saw her face.
Just one second.
That was all.
But he couldn’t look away.
(…She’s so beautiful.)
A voice echoed deep in his chest.
Coming back to his senses, he handed her the phone
and started running again.
But—
wanting to see her one more time, he looked back.
The traffic light had already turned red.
Still chasing her with his eyes,
his attention gone, he stepped into the intersection—
The next moment—
—BAM.
A car struck Masato.
A scream.
Shouts.
The murmuring voices of people echoed in the distance.
Masato slowly closed his eyes.
—and then.
When he opened them again,
he was in a hospital.
Masato slowly opened his eyes.
As his gaze shifted, he saw a white ceiling, the faint sound of machines, and a doctor standing beside him with two nurses.
The doctor spoke with a look of relief.
“Thank goodness… you’ve regained consciousness. You were unconscious for two days.”
Masato tried to sit up, but a sudden surge of pain made him cry out.
“…Ah! What…?
Why am I in a hospital?”
The doctor replied calmly.
“Don’t you remember?
You were in a traffic accident at the Shibuya Scramble Crossing.
It’s been two days since then, and you’ve finally woken up.”
After a brief pause, the doctor continued.
“We tried contacting your family many times, but there was no response.
However, there was a woman who brought you here and completed the admission procedures.
She’s probably… your younger sister. She’s waiting outside right now.”
The doctor signaled to one of the nurses.
“Please let her know that the patient has woken up.”
The doctor and nurses left the room.
A short while later, the door quietly opened.
A young girl slowly stepped into the hospital room.
“…Are you okay? Do you feel better now?”
Masato stared at her, losing his words for a few seconds.
Then, as if something suddenly came back to him, he said,
“Wait…
You’re the person I bumped into in Shibuya, right?”
The girl smiled faintly.
“Yeah. I’m glad you remember.
I thought you might forget everything after the accident—like in a movie.”
With a light laugh, she continued,
“…Hasn’t your family come?
It’s already been two days.”
A faint pain flickered in Masato’s eyes.
“…They exist, but it’s like they don’t.
My father might be disappointed that I didn’t die.
And my stepmother… she’d probably be disappointed to see that I’m still alive.”
The girl’s eyes widened in shock.
“Why?
Do they hate you that much?
And… if you have a stepmother, then what about your real mother…?”
Masato quietly let out a breath.
“Because I’m a useless person.
To my family, I’m like a disposable pen.
Once it’s used up, it gets thrown away.”
After a brief pause, he went on.
“This isn’t just about my family.
In the eyes of this world too, I’m nothing but a loser.”
After a moment of silence, Masato gave a bitter smile.
“…Why am I telling you all this?
I’m fine now, so you can go home.
Saying thank you… that’s about all I can do.”
He lowered his gaze.
“Thank you.
Someone who has nothing to give can’t possibly do anything for you.
Really… thank you.”
The girl slowly stood up and turned to leave the room.
At the door, she stopped, turned back, and said,
“There’s nothing in this world that’s unnecessary.
Everything in this world… has value.”
Leaving those words behind, she walked away.Masato remained lying on the bed, watching her retreating figure.
Her footsteps gradually faded away.
*Complete silence filled the hospital room…*
*Why… did she even come for me?*
The next day.
Masato slowly tried to sit up in bed.
The moment his feet touched the floor, a sharp pain shot through him.
“…It hurts this much…?”
He looked toward the toilet.
Then he glanced around the hospital room.
No one was there.
Who should I call?
And even if I call… who would come?
In the first place, there’s no reason for anyone to help me…
Thinking that, Masato fell silent.
Gripping the support beside the bed,
he tried to walk on his own.
His leg was injured.
Each step was heavy, painful.
He moved forward slowly—
when suddenly, he lost his balance.
Thud.
Masato collapsed onto the floor.
Gritting his teeth, he tried to stand again,
but his leg wouldn’t respond.
“…Damn it…”
He opened his mouth to call for help—
then closed it.
Who would I call…
And why, anyway…?
He lay there, staring up at the ceiling.
The white ceiling of the hospital.
Empty. Blank. Nothing there.
A quiet sadness floated in his eyes.
Then—
He felt someone watching him.
Masato kept staring at the ceiling.
From behind him, a girl bent down.
Masato’s upturned face
and the girl’s face looking down at him—
Their eyes met directly.
“…You…?”
The girl said nothing and quickly moved closer.
She supported his body and helped him stand.
“Slowly. Don’t put weight on your leg.”
She bore his weight on her shoulder
and guided him to the toilet.
After a while,
the same girl brought him back and laid him on the bed.
Masato lay there and let out a deep breath.
“…Why did you come back again?”
“I told you I was fine on my own, didn’t I?”
The girl looked straight at him.
“Really?”
“After seeing that just now, I don’t think so.”
Masato’s expression hardened.
“You and I have nothing to do with each other.”
“Why did you come back? I told you not to.”
“Please… don’t force kindness I never asked for.”
“Stop trying to make me grateful.”
The girl looked slightly irritated.
“You’re really a strange man.”
“Instead of saying thank you, all you do is complain.”
Masato’s voice trembled slightly.
“…Why did you help me?”
“You should’ve just left me to die.”
“That would’ve been easier.”
The girl stopped.
In her eyes were anger and exhaustion mixed together.
“Listen.”
“Whether you live or die has nothing to do with me.”
“I just did what any human being would do.”
After a short pause, she said,
“…So, what’s your name?”
Masato answered immediately.
“Why do you want to know?”
She gave a light laugh.
“I just want to know what kind of pathetic man I helped.”
“If you don’t want to say it, fine.”
“It’s not like I’ll come see you every day anyway.”
She turned away angrily and started walking off.
Masato hesitated for a moment—
Then spoke quietly.
“…Wait.”
She turned around.
“What?”
“Masato…”
“Masato Hayakawa.”
“That’s my name.”
He turned his face away.
“…You can go now.”
As she headed for the door, the girl said,
“If you stay alive…”
“We might meet again.”
“…Or maybe we never will.”
The door closed.
Masato remained silent,
staring up at the ceiling.
Ten days later.
At last, Masato was discharged from the hospital.
Sitting on the bus, watching the city flow past him backward, he kept thinking.
It had already been fourteen days since he left home…
And yet, not a single call had come from anyone.
Whether he was alive or dead—
No one cared about that.
Maybe, if they saw his face,
their joy would turn into sorrow…
asking why he survived.
The bus stopped.
Masato got off and headed toward his house, dragging his leg.
Bandages were still wrapped tightly around it.
Knock, knock.
The door opened.
Yuriko Hayakawa-(The Stepmother of masato) ,
The stepmother’s eyes moved from Masato’s face to the bandages wrapped around his leg.
She let out a short, tired sigh.
“So you’re back.”
“Where were you all this time?”
Masato didn’t answer.
She crossed her arms.
“That injury—was it really that serious?”
“You disappear for days… and then come back like nothing happened.”
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
“Do you have any idea how much hospitals cost?”
“Medicines. Tests. Beds.”
“All that money…”
She shook her head.
“You never think about anyone but yourself, do you?”
Masato lowered his gaze.
She stepped aside, making space.
“Go on.”
“But remember this—”
“If you’re going to keep causing trouble,”
“at least try to be useful someday”
Masato said nothing.
He only forced a faint smile
and He went to his room and saw his father, (Kazuo Hayakawa) , passed out drunk on the bed. The familiar stench of alcohol filled the air. Masato didn’t have the courage to wake him. Instead, he sat on the floor, leaning against the wall, feeling the weight of the world pressing down.
Dad stirred, grunting. His eyes barely opened.
“Masato… is that you?”
Masato slowly stood, every movement painful. Dad squinted at him, still groggy.
“You… back already?” he muttered, voice rough. “You know, I work hard to keep this house running. And what do you do?”
Masato’s chest tightened. He opened his mouth to reply, but no words came.
“You’re useless,” Dad continued, more quietly this time, almost to himself. “Not just to me… to everyone. You think the world owes you something, huh?”
Masato winced, feeling a sharp sting—but not from his leg.
Dad shook his head. “I shouldn’t even care. You’re a burden… a waste of space. Everything I do… all the money I earn… all of it is for this family. And what do I get in return? Worry. Trouble. Nothing but trouble.”
Masato stayed silent, his eyes on the floor.
“I know you try, kid,” Dad said after a pause. “But… it’s never enough. And maybe… maybe it never will be. Maybe it’s because I can’t see what’s in you, or maybe… maybe you’re just too weak. But every time I see you, I see a reminder of… everything I failed to fix. Everything I can’t fix.”
Masato’s throat tightened. He wanted to run, cry, scream—but he only felt the hollow ache inside.
“Get some rest,” Dad muttered, lying back down, murmuring complaints under his breath. “And… try not to make me regret this.”
Masato sat there a while, staring at the ceiling. Dad didn’t yell, didn’t hit, yet every word landed like a weight pressing into him, a reminder of how little he was worth in the eyes of those closest to him.
Even after hearing all that… after being measured and found wanting…
Masato was still alive.
The room became silent once again.
Masato slowly lay down on the bed.
His expression was completely hollow.
I don’t feel anything anymore…
Even after hearing all that…
Even after being shown every cruelty of this world…
I am still me.
A person with no value at all.
At that moment, the girl’s voice echoed in his head—There’s nothing in this world that’s unnecessary.
Everything in this world… has value.”
A faint smile appeared on Masato’s lips.
Come to think of it…
I never asked her name.
Even though she saved my life…
I ended up saying something terrible to her.
I shouldn’t have said it that way.
But regretting it now means nothing…
We’ll probably never meet again in this lifetime.
She left knowing my name.
But I never even learned hers.
I’ll never be able to ask her now.
And besides…
She doesn’t know.
That my accident was because of her.
At the Shibuya crossing…
I was looking at her.
She was so beautiful…
I couldn’t take my eyes off her, not even for a second.
“Masato is startled by his own thoughts. What am I even thinking…? She’s someone far away—like the moon. And I am… Just a man with no value, no standing, nothing at all.”
Thank you so much for reading Chapter 1 of *A Glimpse Of You*.
I’m a new writer, and this is my very first story, so please forgive any mistakes or rough spots along the way. I poured my heart into Masato’s journey, and I hope you could feel the emotions, the struggles, and the little sparks of hope he experiences.
Writing this story has been a personal experience for me, and I’m truly grateful for every reader who takes the time to follow Masato’s path. Your support means more than words can express.
Chapter 2 is coming soon, and Masato’s story will continue to unfold with new challenges, emotions, and unexpected moments. I sincerely hope you’ll continue to join him, and that his journey will touch your heart as much as it has mine.
Once again, thank you for reading.
Your encouragement is what keeps me writing, and I look forward to sharing more of this story with you.
