[1] The Things Only I See

(Makoto POV – Remote Village, 6 Years Old)

Does anyone ever really look at the world?

Not just see it, but peel it open, layer by layer, until its truth bleeds through?

Most people can’t.

The few who maybe could… don’t.

But I don’t get to choose.

It started on my fourth birthday. Without warning, build-up, or gentle transition. One moment I was a normal kid in a quiet village, the next… the world unraveled in front of me.

My vision warped. Or maybe reality warped, and I was the only one left behind to witness the changes.

Everything doubled, overlapped, and fought for prominence in my new reality.

Red|blue. Warm|cold. Kind|cruel.

Like two worlds pressing against each other, as each tried to suffocate the other.

The first world is the one everyone else sees. Everything normal.

The second is the inverted truth. A reflection of reality, flipped inside-out. Its raw and honest in a way nothing should be. A world only I’m forced to witness.

Everything has an inverse. The other half of a coin. Normally, you're unable to see the opposite face while looking at the other… but I see both whether I want to or not.

“Hehe. Have a good day, kiddo!” My elderly neighbor shuffles past and ruffles my hair. To anyone else he looks like the definition of a harmless old man with a warm smile, crinkled eyes, and soft voice.

But in my inverted sight…

He carries an air of care, interest and sympathy… meaning deep within, he's cold, empty…

A hollowed-out figure still pretending to care. A man long since done with the world, masking his growing indifference and apathy with kindness.

“You too!” I smile and wave anyway.

The first year was the worst… a constant blur of fear and confusion. I couldn’t tell which world was real. I didn’t understand why some people looked terrifying in my eyes even when they spoke gently. I didn’t understand why the “kind” ones filled me with dread.

But now…

Now I know better.

The more vile and monstrous someone looks in my inverted vision, the kinder they truly are. And the sweeter their inverse appears… the deeper their real malice runs.

The kind and cruel auras, the generous and hateful shadows… they’re not truth. They’re reflections of the truth I can’t see directly.

“Mom! I’m back!” I call as I push open the door to our tiny house.

The place is humble, worn, but comforting. The wooden floors polished by years of footsteps, small rooms with mismatched furniture, the familiar creak of the front door. It may not be the best… but It's home. It's warm, clean, and safe.

Mostly.

“Dinner’s almost ready, Makoto! Wash your hands and sit down!” Mom calls from the kitchen, her voice drifting through the house. It's a gentle and melodic voice that could soothe anyone.

"Okay!" I grin and hurry to the table, my legs swinging beneath the chair as the scent of simmering broth and fresh vegetables fills the air.

In the normal world, my mother is the embodiment of kindness. Her gentle eyes, tired hands, and a smile that always reaches her cheeks.

Any yet, her inverse…

Her inverse is the darkest of anyone I’ve ever seen.

A storm of hate and violence coils around her shadow-form, so dense it used to leave me shaking. There were nights I hid under my blankets when she tucked me in, too afraid to look at her face. Not hers, but the other one layered on top of it like a curse.

I didn’t understand how someone so loving could radiate such monstrous darkness.

But now I do.

Love casts the deepest shadow.

The kinder the heart, the darker its inverted truth.

The more someone cares… the more terrifying their inverse appears.

Mom’s shadow isn’t hate at all. It’s love, so intense and pure it becomes overwhelming in my sight.

A storm I’ve learned to understand, to embrace… not fear.

Her real love has never once failed me. And the inverted world — my curse or gift or… something — doesn’t lie.

It simply shows the truth, just in a way no human should ever have to decipher.

But I do.

Because I’m alone in this doubled world.

And no matter how much I learn… no matter how much I interpret or understand…

I can’t turn it off.

I’m always staring at two worlds. One I can never fully embrace, and another I can never fully escape.

Mom’s voice snaps me out of my thoughts before I drift too far.

“Here’s your food.” She announces, placing a plate and a cup of juice in front of me. Steam rises in soft curls from white rice topped with glossy beef stew, rich with the smell of spices and slow-cooked vegetables.

It looks absolutely delicious|disgusting.

My stomach growls.

'Mom’s cooking is always amazing.' I think with a smile. I scoop up a spoonful and take a bite. Warmth spreads across my tongue, and the flavor bursts so strongly I start eating faster without meaning to.

Mom settles down across from me, leaning her cheek into her hand as she watches, a soft smile tugging at her lips.

“No need to hurry, Makoto. The food’s not going anywhere.” She chuckles.

I freeze mid-chew. “Oka—”

Her stare sharpens instantly.

I slam my mouth shut.

“Don’t talk with your mouth full.” She warns, narrowing her eyes with that signature mom-glare that terrifies all children.

I swallow hard. “Yes, Mom.”

That earns a satisfied nod, and the tension melts from her face.

A peaceful silence settles over us. The soft clink of utensils echoes through the small house, mixing the distant sound of resting leaves and evening cicadas outside.

I glance up at her.

She looks… beautiful.

“Mom.” I mumble between bites. “You’re really pretty!”

Her hair flows like black silk over her shoulders, catching the warm light of the setting sun. Her deep blue eyes gleam like sapphires, bright even after a long day. Her skin looks soft, and her cherry-red lips curve into a smile that brightens the entire room.

'Yeah. Mom’s the most beautiful.' That fact makes pride swell within my chest.

She lets out a gentle laugh, brushing a stray strand of hair behind her ear. “Thank you, Makoto. When you tell me that every day, it makes me feel young.”

I tilt my head. “But isn’t twenty-fi—OW!”

Her finger flicks my forehead before I even notice her move.

“You should never comment on a lady’s age.” She declares.

“But wh—” Her eyes narrow.

I immediately straighten up. “…Yes, Mom.”

“That’s my boy.” She grins and returns to her food.

We fall into light conversation about nothing and everything important. How her day went. What I explored outside. A funny story about one of the neighbors.

Our home feels warm, safe… complete. I could wish for nothing else.

After dinner, I help her clean up and she washes the dishes while I wipe them dry, occasionally splashing me with water just to laugh when I yelp. Then she plays with me until night creeps in through the windows.

Life is simple.

Life is peaceful.

Even with my curse.

Later, she tucks me into bed, smoothing out the blankets with practiced hands. A gentle breeze drifts through the open window, carrying the scent of grass and distant rain.

Her voice is soft as she reads me a story, each word wrapping around me like a lullaby.

BZZZZZZTTTT—

The sound cuts through the calm night like a razor. It's sharp and rapid, signalling the rapid beating of wings. Likely an insect, but way too loud to be natural.

And when mom doesn’t react…

'It’s those things again.' I force my expression to remain neutral so she won’t worry.

Then it slips inside… a monster.

A shifting mass of warped flesh, thin wings fluttering like torn cloth, bulbous eyes staring without blinking. I’ve seen them since before my curse fully awakened. Creatures of an unseen world.

They latch onto people, weight them down, drain them… make them sick.

Everyone else walks blindly past them.

But not me.

Ever since two years ago, on the day my curse awakened, I see something else too. A soft, white glow that lingers inside every living being. It's warm and calming, like a light that nourishes all things.

I don’t know what it is, only that I have far more of it than anyone else in the village. And these creatures are made from the inverse of that glow, representing all that is bad.

'At least I can use this ability to kill them.'

My eyes narrow as I focus on the bug-like creature. Its wings jitter. Purple veins pulse across its body.

I reach inward, toward the part of my curse I suddenly knew how to use. My own energy stirs inside me, tingling down my fingertips.

[Cursed Energy → Reverse Cursed Energy]

The world twists, as that warm, gentle, white glow turns blue in my reverse world.

The ability to Reverse All Things twists the energy, flipping it into its opposite.

Whiteness cracks form across the monster’s form.

It shrieks, a horrible, tearing sound, as parts of its body dissolve into the glowing white energy as the two forces clashing violently.

Then—

POP.

Purple blood splatters across the floor.

I sag slightly, feeling a thread of my own energy trickle away, but it’s fine. The monster is gone.

And Mom is safe.

'I’ll clean it up once she leaves. She can't see the mess anyway.'

I shut my eyes and settle deeper under the blanket, pretending to sleep.

Mom gently strokes my hair for a while, then places a kiss on my forehead.

“Goodnight, sweetheart.” She whispers.

Only when her footsteps fade down the hall do I slip out of bed, grab the mop, and quietly begin cleaning the remains of a creature no one else will ever know existed.

(Makoto POV – Remote Village, 7 Years Old)

“You can see them too?” I ask quietly, studying the two girls crouched in front of me.

There’s no reason to ask unless I’m sure. And I am.

They’re overflowing with the same energy I carry, the inverse of the gentle glow that exists in all living beings, but is only significant in a rare few.

The few being me, and them. And I don't know to what extent.

The twins cling to each other, arms wrapped tight, their eyes sharp but frightened. They don’t answer, and just watch me like wounded animals assessing a hunter.

Nanako and Mimiko.

'I’ve heard their names whispered in the village recently, but always with fear, disgust, or hatred.'

The kids whose parents were executed.

Mom didn’t let me outside that day, but I overheard enough.

“Cursed.”

“Seeing things that aren’t there.”

“A danger.”

Now, looking at the twins… I see the truth.

Their auras flicker with bravery, joy, certainty… all the things they lack. The inverted truth only I can see.

'They aren’t dangerous. They’re just… alone.'

Starved. Dirty. Abandoned.

My stomach twists.

The villagers probably didn't bother caring for them after the execution. It’s the “smart” thing to do. To stay away from anyone touched by curses.

I should ignore them too.

That’s what everyone else does.

My lips purse, and I can’t stop the discomfort bubbling in my chest.

They’re like me.

Same glow.

Same curse.

Same isolation.

And none of their inverses suggest they're cruel or evil. Just two lost girls. They're even two years younger than me.

'If I were in their position… I’d want help too.'

They deserve at least that much.

I exhale slowly. “...If you know what I mean by ‘seeing them,’ then listen.”

The girls tense, gripping each other tighter.

“I recommend pretending you can’t see anything,” I say, my voice calm and matter-of-fact. “And if you want food, and a place to bathe… follow me.”

I turn around before they can ask anything else.

I don’t know how well this will go, with them or with Mom, but letting them starve feels worse.

Behind me, their footsteps hesitate… then follow, cautiously.

'I really hope Mom won’t be mad…'

Mom waits at the doorway, her arms crossed, but instead of anger, her eyes soften the moment she sees them.

A bright smile blooms across her face.

“I’m so proud of you, Makoto!” She beams, ruffling my hair before pulling me close. “I raised you to be a good person.”

I frown, my cheeks warming. “I just did it because I felt bad, not because I’m good,” I mutter, even though… I like the head pats.

She kneels down so our eyes meet, her hands gentle as they rest on my shoulders, her expression warm and steady.

“Sweetheart.” She pulls me into a warm, loving hug. “People don’t help others because they want to be ‘good.’ They help because something in them cares.”

Her voice softens.

“No matter the reason… you still helped. And helping others is what good people do.”

Her words hit somewhere deep inside me. The place wondering if there was a point to all of it. The place wondering if it was worth the risk…

I swallow. “So… does not helping people make someone bad?”

She pauses, thinking carefully before she speaks.

“There are many things that make someone good or bad.” She says slowly. “But listen, Makoto.” She cups my face gently. “Never feel guilty for the times you can’t help. That doesn’t make you bad. Helping people when it harms you… helps no one.”

She presses her forehead to mine, a warm smile blooming in her lips.

“So help when you can. Don’t when you can’t. The desire to help… is already a kindness.”

She hugs me tighter, holding me as though she can protect me from the world’s ugliness just by loving me enough.

After a moment, she stands and heads toward the bathroom to check on the twins.

The room grows quiet.

And I’m left standing there, wondering…

'What makes someone bad? Is it what they do… or what they want to do?' I ponder. 'Or something else entirely?'

The thought lingers long after the warmth of Mom’s hug fades, but with her words, I don't feel rushed to discover the answer.

********

A/N: Hello Everyone! How are you all?

So, my internet issues will finally be behind me. And I couldn't write MHA or Danmachi because I had to look some things up, especially the manga, but couldn't because of internet. So I decided to just do this one, since I could and it'd be a better use of time than wherever else if be doing.

So, yeah... This is the first chapter of the JJK fic I've been mentioning for so long. So, the MC's name is Makoto, and he has an alive mom. A big moment for me, since those normally don't hold true. He has only a little trauma so far. Which is just how he sees the world.

A note on that. He sees things in inverses, and I just hammered it in a lot this chapter, but going forward, I won't be mentioning much that everything is the inverse and so on. Hopefully it doesn't get too confusing. So, he sees the inverse of what actually exists. So, the energy he sees, that's Reverse Cursed Energy. That's what he sees, but what actually exists is normal CE. And, it's overlapping, not replacing, so he sees normal, and the inverted vision.

He can't actually see CE in the air yet, but his inverse sees everything, so that's why it's like that. Also, he himself doesn't know about all these things yet, so please be understanding of his ignorance. He'll be learning stuff we already know, so... Yeah. No future knowledge this time either.

His appearance has been left out, cause it'll be shown through someone else's POV. And... Anyone who's seen JJK should be sweating now. You've probably realised where he is, and what's going to happen, and are hoping, so... Good luck to you.

But that's all from me. I'll be uploading this when I have time, rather than making it fixed in my schedule (unless... You guys like it a lot?), and plan to finish MHA before making this one full-time.

So, I hope you all enjoy the rest of your day/night 🌃 😁