2022-02-22 13:01:18The school will end at 5 PM. The bell rings and the same crowd swarms outside the classroom. The same girl stands up again and walks away with the guards.
I was right. Her name was Tsuki Kugiyama. She became the topic of my conversation with Majiro earlier in the park.
"Before the break, there's some kind of apocalypse going on. It keeps bugging me. Do you know what's going on? It feels weird not knowing any of your norms."
"It isn't the norm, if you can call it that. It has been like that since uhm… two weeks? No, it's been a year already."
"A year!?"
"Don't you know her, Ritake?"
I shook my head. "I barely know anyone who's stepped on Yruiburg's ground."
Majiro puts his hand in his chest and slowly smiles while looking at the sky. "Being Ritake's first friend in Yruiburg is such… ughh."
I knocked on his head. "Stop moaning! By the way, who the heck is she?"
He winks at me and does an idol-like pose. "Tsuki Kugiyama, the lead dancer of the pop group ChENA. She's pretty as heck! I can't believe we have an idol classmate."
The name just gave me goosebumps. "What does ChENA mean?"
Sadly, Majiro's body froze inside an ice cave, his mouth and eyes wide open. He's smiling but his eyebrows are drawn.
"You don't know?"
"I… I'm not interested in aesthetic movements, you know? I don't hate them as much as physical tests. The girls are just pretty. How about you?"
"Not an inch." Sure, they are pretty, but I'm not interested in romantic relationships.
Majiro approaches me with glittering eyes and holds my hand. "Can you teach me your gigachad method!?"
My freaked-out face prompted me to move my hand quickly. "Get your hand off me!"
"I'm just being a considerate friend," he whined while making a face.
"It's an insult to the macho community to just ask for a cheat."
"Right, right. I'm just joking."
He leaned his back again at the bench and looks up, but this time, with a satisfied smile.
"Those idols, I like them because they have such an adorable appearance. But overall, they're just appearances. Love is far more superior."
"What made you suddenly mature? Are you in love?"
"I think you're right, but I'm just hoping for an impossible dream."
"No. There's nothing impossible about love."
He looks at me with a tense expression on his face. "If there's nothing wrong with it, why would I need to become the world's enemy? Why would I be thrown into solitude?"
I know that same feeling. Because I followed to my heart's content, I broke the law. I've done something I shouldn't have. But I never regretted my choice.
I tap his shoulder as I prepare my gentle voice.
"You're overreacting. If you need a friend's help, just let me know. If you become the enemy of the world, I am by your side."
He smiles with warmth. "So you encourage me to be your friend, huh?"
"Don't you want it?"
"Can you add the prefix 'best' to it?"
"Okay fine. Best friend. Are you happy now?" As long as we're friends, no matter what our call sign is, it's alright.
His lips stretched from ear to ear, raising his prominent cheekbones. Then he hugged me quickly. "Really, Ritake, you're the coolest!"
"Yeah, yeah. Now, get off!" I pushed him away from me. The air became calmer after.
"Hey, Ritake, since you're my best friend, would you like to know who I fell for?"
"That's a spoiler, but I would like to."
"She's the only girl that caught my eye. Whatever she does, it's cute to me. She's the only one with a darting gaze that caught my attention.
"She's…"
Oh no! I snapped out of reality! Almost half of the class is gone, including Nazuno… Wait. Didn't Nazuno wait for me?
I wandered around the room but she's nowhere to be found. I only found Majiro with his bag on as he prepared to depart.
"Hey, Ritake, wanna hang out together?"
"No. I need to go to Miss Hirari's office. Where are you heading?"
He looks up as he pinches his chin. "To get snacks or terrorize the palace. I'll decide on my way home."
"Good luck on your way home. By the way, did you see Nazuno?"
"She already stepped out earlier, just when you started wandering the cosmos."
Did he just stay here to watch me drool? "How long have I been daydreaming?"
He shows me his open palm with a knowing grin. "Five minutes!"
I stalled for seconds of silence with my zippered mouth and widened eyes. I'm trying to figure out why I was wondering in the first place, but…
"Shit!"
Quickly, I grabbed my bag and hung it on my shoulder. I ran as fast as I could, leaving Majiro behind. There are many students gathering in the hallway. I tried my best to dodge them.
I headed straight to the building that looked like the adventurer's guild. I saw Nazuno walking slowly in the hallway leading to our destination.
I screamed her name to stop her. I bent my knees and drew in as much air as I could as I caught up with her.
"Whew, if you were any faster, I would have lost. We have the same destination, right? You should have asked me before you left."
"You should have come late." She turns around and continues walking.
What's her problem? Does she have any sympathy for other people? It's like she's telling me it's my fault. It's really my fault.
By following her, I learned the direction towards the sophomore faculty room. Instructors and faculty advisers stay in this large room. They have their own cubicles.
Nazuno and I proceeded to the cubicle near the window, where a red-haired woman was stationed. I saw again the face of our adviser, whom Majiro fell in love with.
As I scan her table, there's nothing suspicious I have seen. I have the ability to scan hidden spaces, including inside her cabinet, however it will cause a magic disruption around us.
"It's a pleasure seeing you two together. You didn't bother me at all. I hope you won't make any more trouble, especially you, new kid," Miss Hirari said.
She's being sarcastic. Did she just read my mind?
"I… I'm not planning to do anything, ma'am!"
"Liar," Nazuno whispered.
I'm literally surrounded by strange freaks, psychics!
"Regarding the incident earlier today, can you tell me more in detail?"
Because I didn't expect Nazuno to speak, I led the narration and made it as simple as possible. I feel quite confident that my story is credible to her.
She looked at Nazuno with a darting gaze. "Why didn't you use your abilities?"
"I believe this matter is confidential and should be passed on to the security department."
"What are you pointing at?"
"Me not being able to cast magic at that specific time is no coincidence. I'm the target of someone's plot. I don't know who. I don't know anyone who holds a grudge against me."
I didn't know she could talk for more than a sentence. My screen time is done. I'm only there to observe the conversation.
But Nazuno's explanation is quite reasonable. If she could use her magic, she could easily wipe out those guys. So her weakness is primarily physical?
Miss Hirari adds, "Such pride you have. You're the type who easily attracts enemies by doing nothing."
"I am not. I ask for your help in investigating the case."
"Until when did your magic sense disappear?"
"After we entered the guard tower."
Then we were separated from the culprits. By that time, I also noticed something strange in the air. When I used my spatial sense earlier, I sensed the chaotic flow of matter.
I raised my hand. "I think it has something to do with the tools used by the culprits. I smell some strange kind of incense from their bodies."
"And you, strong boy, didn't defeat them with magic, am I right?"
"Yes, ma'am."
Miss Hirari wears her sunglasses and starts taking notes.
"What a pain. I'll try to speak with the higher-ups about this. But for now, Chiho asks you two to meet her at the same time."
Nazuno looks away and clacks her mouth. She seems to be disappointed in what Miss Hirari said but I can't find where.
"You disruptive brat should be lucky you have a loving mother," Miss Hirari added. "You bring Ritake with you. He's an important guest."
After parting with her, we headed to the library on the second floor. The library is an entire building connected to the administrative building. It has a full collection of books from top to bottom.
It's a maze of cabinets and ladders, but Nazuno knows the path already. She walks the path towards Chiho Haimika's office without hesitation.
But midway, she stopped. She turns around and walks in front of me. We are near She is pouting and has her fists clenched. I lean back because she is too close to me.
"You… Forget what you saw earlier…"
"W… What?" Is that when I saw her cry?
She turns back and faces forward. "You shouldn't tell anyone either."
Like hell I would tell anyone. It's not because I want her to fall down, but because I've been exposing her weakness to the public.
We arrived at Miss Chiho's office after walking for a minute. Immediately before opening the door, I could see her taking a deep swallow.
And as we got in, I saw a woman flying towards Nazuno. She had the same hair as hers and she looked young with an adult's body. She has a sweet face.
She smiles broadly and hugs Nazuno as tightly as she can. Nazuno can't move due to suffocation. It seems like the woman is immature... perhaps out of excitement?
"Nazuno, my darling! Did you miss mom!?"
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The crack reached the bottom and causes the amethyst to break. A flow of liquid aura circulated around it and formed a figure of a monster. Its head and claws depict a wolf and its body is a well-built titan. It has nothing below its waste as it floats. The pressure in the air became heavy. Its body absorbed most of the cave rocks until it materializes. Then, it made a roar that resonated throughout the cave. It screamed the same way he did in my head. "SHOW YOURSELF, ARGOS! I KNOW YOU'RE IN THERE! I SMELL YOUR PRESENCE YOU PEST!" "Argos? What a lame ancient name for an easily forgettable character," I murmured. "I don't mind such jokes," Nazuno replies. "Moreover, it is speculating how it got activated." "Do you know anything about forbidden gems?" "Usually, they contain swarms of monsters detained for periods of time. Most of the monsters contained in it are evil ones that became refugees." "Un," I nodded.
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I painted a sin in my blood. Its flow drives like a calm wave in the ocean. My obstruction-less breathing makes me feel refreshed.The astral world absorbed me. I'm standing in a white space and the first rule is silence. It's strange yet I feel comfortable in it.Images form through an abstract spiral. It plays a video after being completed. I've set foot in the imaginary slums where I once lived.This place has gained quite old. People from my past kicked me into this bed of trash to wake me up. The broken post light remained unfixed.My eyes wandered with infinite rounds until I saw someone. The first person who passed was an adult malicious person with torn cloth and reeks of alcohol.That person… was me.This is the present I'm going to end up to if the real me didn't wake up in cowardice and truth. This was me if Risano didn't die.Suddenly, another person followed the other me into that alleyway. Her hair shines brightly contrasting the clothing that she had. She already steps
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And as I opened my eyes, the roof of the stadium collapsed. People are screaming, and Nazuno is missing.I can see a glowing person in front of the seat area we were in. No. It was Nazuno! As she casts air magic against the falling debris, she is fully focused.The crowd is in chaos, causing a stampede and jamming the exits. Nazuno was the only one who was trying to stop the crisis, but it looks like it’s too much for her to handle.“Risano, follow the crowd! Evacuate to the exit!”“But… where are you going!? It’s dangerous already! Are you an idiot!?” Risano exclaimed with worried wrinkled brows.I responded as I looked at Nazuno, “I’m doing what my Sensei told me to do.”“But…” Risano muttered with tearful eyes and a squirming body. “Promise me… You’ll go back… Onii-chan…”“What!? I can’t hear you! It’s too loud in the crowd!”"Idiot!" she exclaimed with furrowed eyebrows. “You go there and don’t come back ever again! You’re going to cook for a month if you do!”Then she runs her wa
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”The Heart Will Never Betray You.”“Did you know that?” Nazuno asked.I shook my head. I just muttered the title. I don’t even know who they are. “Do you know it, Risano?”“It must be their newly composed song,” she replied with her eyes glued to the stage. Even Risano didn’t know.The lights gradually dim and later Tsuki gets the spotlight. The stadium remained quiet for minutes to fully grasp the emotions of the performance.As soon as I heard Tsuki's voice, my skull opened into a world of universality and horizons of illusion. It is as if she makes us wander through her memories, even if we are sitting here.A lone girl's love story caught my attention. It’s a very complicated life. Their choreography contributes to why everyone feels this type of hallucination.But this isn’t necessarily a negative thing. I’m constantly getting chills thinking about how they portray a girl in the story.It’s a tale of a girl named Selene. She’s a kind princess from a noble family who later ran int
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The huge stadium made my neck twist upward as I stepped off the carriage. It’s a huge circular stadium, but even the outside is flooded with people.We lined up at the entrance to the stadium and prepared our tickets. Then I remember…“Nazuno,” I said and looked at her. She already had her ticket out though. “Wait… Didn’t you tear it? Did you have the power to turn back time?”“Mom gave me this," she replied."You are braver than a superhero," Risano told her. “Not even a rich person can create confetti through a ticket.”“You can, though. I’m not even rich.”“You’re the most awful influencer!”But it’s better than Miss Chiho having a backup plan. Tsuki directly asked Miss Chiho for her cooperation. Nazuno can’t decline an invitation from her mother.The demon realm had discovered forms of entertainment by the time ‘boredom’ was defined. Boredom causes a person's mind to be caged in their limitations.Entertainment transcends not only limitations but expectations as well. Forms of art
22. Into the Performance
It’s currently Monday. As I walk down the hallway, I'm still surrounded by eyes.Our meeting last Saturday didn’t last. Tsuki was fetched by her co-worker who is also an idol. I thought she would have a pleasant free time with us but…Our report is incomplete. We can only give them their respective sections. Tsuki knows hers, but I didn’t inform Nazuno about it yet.The presentation could be embarrassing for our group, but I have another thing to do today. Tsuki gave me this chance, so I must not let it pass me by.It is imperative that I procure Nazuno by all means in order to complete our presentation and our group.It is also to protect her from an unwanted future.At the end of today’s class, Tsuki gave a folded paper to Nazuno. “I’m looking forward to being in a group with you,” she said with a smile.Everyone squints their eyes as she leaves the room together with the guards. Nazuno presses her lips as she reads the content of the paper.I wonder what Tsuki wrote on that paper.
21. Greater Pain in the Ass
Today is Saturday, and…"You are a liar, a cheater, a piece of shit!" I shouted. "Your rotten cobra tongue should have been cut since birth!""Really, huh?" Majiro replied with a smug smile. "You're just a financial sucker, a bankrupting tool, who thinks you can get away with everything you do! WELCOME TO THE REAL WORLD, SON!""I don't hear a word you have said, Majiro! I don't care about you, but I will take Rimi with me!"Rimi's face was flushed as she stuttered, "Ritake-kun...".Tsuki, on the other hand, picked up the Monopoly board. "We should stop playing now, don't you think?""Y... Yeah... yeah... we should... st..." Rimi stuttered much more than before."Rimi-san, are you fine? Did you catch some disease?" Tsuki asked as she put her hand on Rimi's forehead."I… I… I'm f… fine… really…"I said, "Maybe we should let her rest a little bit. She seems tired from all the work she did.""I'm… really fine… don't worry…"Tsuki inserts, "I still can't believe she's working as a cleaner
