HOTD: A New Dawn

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Tysone heaved a sigh of relief when Mai treated him to something more filling and nutritious. Egg sandwiches. Not his first choice, but still a choice. Maybe he could americanize the shit out of these anime girls? Bring some good ol' burger and mac and cheese to the block? 

He chuckled at the thought. Not that he would actually do it—he decided to eat healthy. 

Now, if Mai was invisible, Tysone was visible enough for the both of them. When he had to duck slightly over the door's frame to enter the store, that's when most eyes registered his towering height, and then his skin color. 

'It's not as if black people don't visit Japan… but it is also true that there's a glaring lack of black characters in anime.' Good bit of news was that, even though many were wary of him, there were still a bunch of lovely, older ladies that discreetly checked him out. 

As for the man behind the cashier? He merely blinked. Maybe there were enough foreigners to desensitize him.

The place wasn't big, but it felt very modern; most items were sandwiches that reminded him of Subway, and an espresso machine that sat behind the cash register, ready to brew fresh coffee. The entire store smelled like freshly baked bread.

Tysone and Mai sat in a quaint corner, across from each other. Her visage looked perfect against the wooden, minimalist wall. Tysone sipped at his coffee first before digging in.

Mai eyed his tall physique with slight unease before taking small, careful bites of the sandwich. Tysone noted she ate like a little bird—but with elegance.

Then, he broke the silence between them with a monotone voice. "So. Let's talk, shall we, Bunny Girl? You mentioned how you felt today, but it mustn't be a one-time phenomenon. Is there any distinct trigger, a catalyst? What you feel on this day should not differ too much from the previous one. To summarize, it should still follow some sort of pattern, no matter how muddled. Triggers aren't always simple or obvious, Bunny Girl. It could be environmental; are you usually noticed at school or any other place?"

"Mai. I would appreciate it if you referred to me by that instead, stranger. A-as for your questions." Her expression turned into a scowl. "...I haven't thought about it too hard."

Tysone, on the other hand, kept staring at her. Mai could easily think it was one of those creepy, intense eye contact some men like to use to intimidate you, if it wasn't for how genuine he looked. "Tysone."

"What?"

He sipped his coffee, its warmth coursing through his throat. "My name. Tysone. I thought we were introducing ourselves."

She huffed behind her own mug. "Right." She eyed him. "Tysone, huh. Weird name, though."

It was kind of cute how she couldn't say his name without adding as much accent to it as she did sugar to her coffee.

"That's prejudice against western names. Not only are you racist, you're obviously a weeb as well, aren't you, Bunny Girl—sorry, I meant, Mai?"

"Stop throwing such accusations towards someone you met today... you probably are some pervert, to be able to see me even when nobody else could. Perverted foreigner that likes harassing people in bunny outfits... how sickening." Mai averted her gaze, focusing on nibbling on the sandwich again. She cleared her throat after her small outburst. "Anyways, like I said, I'm not sure when exactly it started..."

Tysone finished his food quickly. It was no wonder Mai thought his eating pace was unnatural, though.

"You know that I've been in show business... I've been in it for as long as I remember. It was not all that bad, but the constant scrutiny and expectations from all around me, from so early in my childhood..." Mai began talking in an exhausted tone. "Maybe that was what broke me in the first place. Everyone was watching my every step."

Tysone poured himself another cup of coffee and rested his arms on the table. "That's actually an interesting way to look at your past. And it's a very interesting childhood you've been given. Anyway—"

He spoke, sipping slowly. She listened to what Tysone had to say.

"—From your perspective, you were seen. Noticed. Not unlike today." He sighed, chewing over his words. "Do you think that in turn, you developed a fear of being looked at? Maybe because too much attention and no free will might've created the most delicate of flowers, yet one made from glass. Hence the trigger of vanishing altogether."

Her eyes widened, blinking once.

"Glass flowers don't do well in this world. And no free will must be synonymous with not wanting your future to be decided by others." 

"... You sound ridiculous. Like I'm the lead protagonist of a novel."

"Maybe it is ridiculous, and maybe you are a protagonist to some fictional writer who has too much time on their hands." Tysone waved his cup around. "It was merely a guess. Also, no matter how we rationalize this, it doesn't change that you need to be looked at for this to be reversed, no? Once that hurdle is crossed, you'll get to determine your future—that being this glass flower of yours not being broken by the pressure and attention given to you. An idea is but a step in an elaborate journey. Are you going to start your journey, Mai?"

A cold silence followed in between.

"This… doesn't happen at school. At least, not like this." Mai admitted, defeated. 

"Maybe because you're in contact with many people who can remember or recognize you? It's normal that if person A and B remember you, person C who would have forgotten you is more likely to remember or notice you as well. Humans tend to follow the crowd. If one person acknowledges you, others are more inclined to do the same, especially in a social setting like school where interactions are frequent and expected."

Mai's brow furrowed in thought as she processed his words. "So, you're saying that because I'm surrounded by people who know me, even if it's just a little, I remain visible?"

"Exactly." Tysone nodded, leaning forward slightly. "At school, you're in a controlled environment where people have formed a perception of you. Whether it's your classmates, teachers, or even just acquaintances, there's a network of recognition that keeps you anchored in reality. But out here, in public places like this store or the library, where people don't have a direct connection to you, the syndrome takes hold because there's no one to acknowledge your existence."

His gaze locked with hers, his expression serious.

"Which is why you need to actively seek out places with people who do know you—like school or work—and interact with them regularly. Your feelings of isolation and fear is what empowers this spell. By being surrounded by people who recognize you, it acts as a counterbalance to those negative emotions and keeps you visible in the eyes of the world. At least, that's my take on it."

Tysone raked back his unkempt dark hair, taking a sip of coffee to wet his dry throat. The truth hurt—but Mai, for what was worth, took everything he had to say seriously. She seemed malleable; now was the best time to intervene before her glass flower self broke and shattered like a fallen china vase.

Mai laughed dryly. "Is it really that simple?" She asked after a stretch of silence, in the smallest and most vulnerable voice. "Ignoring the vanishing... problem, for a moment."

Tysone ate two egg sandwiches again, at lighting speed—as if he never ate. Mai was starting to wonder just where his food went. He answered with the usual deadpan, poker face and nonchalant attitude of his, while sipping coffee in between his sandwich.

"That I can't tell you, Mai. Only you can really answer that."

Her face fell. He was really insufferable when it comes to being helpful, wasn't he?

She sighed, tapping a nail on the table. "I don't exactly care that I'm remembered. There's not really anything I want out of others besides for them to stop putting me up to some pedestal, but I don't want to be ignored to such an extent." She trailed off, eyes shifting from him to her coffee, gripping it tightly as if the mug had the power to change everything. "I just want to be treated normally."

Tysone sat there in silence, content to wait patiently for Mai to gather her thoughts. After what seemed like an eternity, she let out a deep exhale, releasing some of the tension from her shoulders and relaxing into her chair.

"I guess what I really care about is knowing that I'm not just another pretty face lost in a crowd, or just another piece of garbage that disappears when everyone ignores it." Mai said, voice barely a whisper. "Even if I know people will always look down on others for their looks or accomplishments, at least being noticed is better than just being forgotten completely, right?"