The Struggle of a Stranger

"Chronia."

"Yes, mam."

"In the Consultation room. Now."

The date today is May 21, 2070. 50 years since World War 3 and 30 years since the Outbreak of the MB-1 and 2 virus. To say that the world is alright after all of these disasters would be a blatant lie.

"Your report card came in. You're among the top 10 again, you ranked 4th as always."

"…"

"Do you have nothing to say? I said that you ranked 4th as always."

"I would celebrate then if you will allow me to, Maeda-sensei…"

But this story isn't about this world.

"We are beginning to be suspicious about you and your grades, Chronia. You were taken in last year as an education immigrant and was even under supplementary language classes for the entire school year, yet you have already surpassed most of the other students when it comes to academic performance."

"…"

"…I'm not saying that you are cheating, but this consistent and quick rise towards an unbelievably steep academic ranking system is making the entire faculty and administration very suspicious."

As anyone would have guessed, a messed-up world breeds a messed-up society that will later on, give rise to messed-up individuals who will abandon any kind of responsibility or logic in order to get the quick way out into instant gratification and comfort.

This is just another case of it. I am not that naïve or stupid to not know when someone is just looking for some small and insignificant fool to pin their blames into to get away from their responsibilities.

"You can rest easy, Maeda-sensei. I know that you are not thinking the same thing as them. No need to act tough and harsh to get your point across me."

"W-what?"

"The faculty and administrators can't believe that some simple immigrant who came here a year ago would already surpass their top-ranking students. This school is hailed as one of Japan's greatest academies for the ACES curriculum, yet some random kid will probably become their representative for this year's Promotion party."

"Haah… I can't believe it… you really are too sharp for any subtleties…"

The female teacher opened her bag to take out a voice recorder along with a couple of papers with dialogues.

"I have no problems about who I will present later in the promotion party. As I said before, my classroom works on a meritocratic system. If you can't perform well, you have no right to complain if someone else is above you."

I nodded as the strict-looking teacher gave me a rare smile and handed a copy of the paper to me for a faked conversation between us about her warning me to not take the spotlight from the local students and me promising to do so.

This is the world that I am living in now. A world of conformity and systematic error.

Forget about the social equality that the past world romanticizes and fights for, as the only equality we have is found in the equal suffering of societal sacrifices.

Forget about the respect for each other's opinions and critical dialogue, as the only respected people are those who lead or follow those who lead regardless of whether they fight for the right or wrong.

Forget about living a fulfilling life… for in the year 2070, unless you are kissing the toes of the higher-ups of society or you are the higher-up itself, you are just a slave of a society that is dying every single second that passes by as it laughs at its own foolish situation.

"What exactly are you aiming for, Ephraim?"

"Nothing special, really. They said that unless I pass Japan's ACES curriculum, my country's ACES worker license will not be accepted in any Japanese workplace. So, I'll just bid my time until I get to graduate and finally get the work that I signed up for when I came to this country last year."

"What was your ACES course again? I heard that most of the teachers didn't believe your educational records when you were enrolled here."

"Advanced Career Education System: Doctorate in Medicine and Allied Health. My possible career choices encompass any work in the medical area except for a few jobs that has some kind of specialty like Pediatrician, Obstetrician or stuff like that."

"Wow. I've been your teacher for two years and this is the first time I heard about that. I didn't know that you have such a high-end course such as being a doctor."

"To be fair, the only time we get to talk openly is in this room when the higher-up teachers send you to tell me that I should hold back. After all, a foreign student is a foreign student."

It's regrettable, but this is just how the world work now.

"Haah… Don't sell yourself short like that, Ephraim. I know that Japan right now is very wary of outsiders and sometimes even outright xenophobic… but I believe that we are still humans deep inside our hearts. We always want to be nice to people who are also nice."

"Haha… I thank you for raising my spirits. But I must disagree with that, Maeda-sensei."

"Huh? Why?"

I stood up before answering, showing her that I want to leave after my reply.

"I know a thing or two about the fate of those who aren't willing to agree with the opinion of the masses… Today is his death anniversary, by the way."

"Oh… Miyazaki, huh?"

"Yes."

To be happy for someone. To live to make that someone happy. To die is to fail in it." These words that long ago, was held as the epitome of human intimacy and existential worth, has become a bane of all of this world's current desire of instantaneous happiness.

Nowadays, it's all about you. Your first and foremost priority is your safety and happiness, and you are entitled to leave everyone else behind. That is just how cruel and useless human society has become. It's even amusing to call it a society now.

"Can I visit with the four of you?"

"You may. Let's meet at Shibuya station later this afternoon, Sensei."

"Sure. Will you let me eat dinner at your house again?"

"Again? Hehe… sure, I owe you for covering up all of my disobedience against the administrators' orders after all."

"Hehe! Nothing really beats having your student owe you one or two."

It seems too late after all that we talked about, but out of mutual respect, I will present the female teacher who speaks to me more like a friend than a teacher.

Her name is Maeda Katsumi. Though I was never brave enough to ask it, school records say that she is a 25-year-old teacher with 4 years of experience working in this school called Miyazono Old Tokyo Academy.

She is very friendly to her students that made her a dependable onee-san in terms of academic and personal issues. But her strict attitude is also feared as it is widely known that she once berated a group of delinquents who wanted to drop out of school to just fool around and ended up beating up some who had the nerve to charge at her, not knowing that she was a Judo champion back in her middle school and high school time.

"I'll take this recording to the administrators after classes for today has ended. Expect some of the teachers to neglect you for a while as well as the school council watching your every move."

"Yeah. I know the drill. Don't visit the library and computer room for the next two weeks. Pass my assignments just before the deadline and intentionally make some errors in the quizzes leading up to the midterm exams."

"Hehe… You brat. The more I talk with you, the more I realize that you really sound and act like an old man in a young guy's body."

"Living in my home country will do that to you. You either become mature quick or you'll end up having no life skills before some random gang war happens or another factory suspiciously gets burned or bombed so the owners can get their insurance and your parents will end up unemployed again."

"Speaking of which… Are you earning enough to support those three and your mother and sister back in your country?"

"I work at a restaurant as a chef every weekday night and weekends. The owner and manager are relatives of one of my former professors, so my hiring was quick, and my salary and commission is good."

I walked to the door and looked back at my teacher.

"Maeda-sensei."

"Yes?"

"Thank you again for everything."

"You're welcome. It's my pleasure to be of help to those in need."

I closed the door behind me and sighed deeply.

"…Here we go. Another round of "pretend to be incompetent for the convenience of the incompetent ones." I already know that this will not end up well."

Miyazono Old Tokyo Academy is owned by the business empire of the Miyazono Corporation. Of the seven thousand and seven hundred or so schools in Japan, 80% of those are owned by the company under a government agreement where public school are to be run by the company since the government cannot fund them anymore.

It would be good if things were the same as before. Students come to learn, teachers give lessons and exams, and we graduate to join the workforce. But as this is a business, of course, there's some skimming off the top for those who run it along with some pesky out of place ideologies.

"We promise to provide Japan the skilled and productive workers it needs to no longer depend on colonial workers and contractual immigrants for labor."

I read an old poster in the bulletin board as I was returning to my classroom. It was the words spoken by the current president of the subsidiary company of schools decades ago during the sudden drop of the national population due to the war, worldwide pandemics and dropping marriage and birthrates in the country of Japan.

"I am starting to feel like they don't even want to treat us like humans."

I cannot undermine how dangerous and depressing it is to be a foreigner in any country right now. Given that during the last world war, almost all alliances and coalitions was broken in an effort to get the best spoils of the war after they knew that their countries' economies will collapse once the war ended, everyone had a bone to pick on one race over another.

"Is that him?"

"Tch! Damn foreigner…"

"…"

A messed-up society in a messed-up world… How amusing that this will probably how humanity will look like before it goes extinct.

"K-Kuronya-san."

"It's Chronia. If that's hard to speak, just call me Rai like everyone does."

"A-Ah! Yes… R-Rai-san. Here is your copy of your report card. Congratulations for ranking 4th in this quarter!"

"Mm. You're welcome, Amakano-san."

This is Amakano Sayaka, the representative of our class 2-A. She's the cheery type who can easily make friends with everyone and thankfully, unlike the others here who is indifferent to me or just outright hates me, she's the type of person who'd greet you and treat you like a friend even though the two of you are not.

"What are you up to today, Rai-san? I heard that you do carry one sometimes, but I never got an opportunity to ask why you are still using a typewriter."

"This? This is a gift from a close friend. I've been using it to write letters to my mother and sibling back at my home country."

"Letters? Wouldn't an email be more convenient?"

"I can't afford the proper internet fee. As you know, the companies that still have working communications satellites ask for ludicrous fees for their service."

"Ludicrous? Why do you say that? The one we use at home isn't even over 10,000 yen monthly."

"…"

I looked at Sayaka's eyes to wordlessly get my point across. After some confused expression because of my lack of an audible reply, she finally got what I wanted to say as she gasped lightly.

"Oh… I'm sorry, Rai-san."

"Don't be. It's not like you are the one at fault. It is what it is… No need to feel too sorry for me."

Sayaka's friendly personality is rooted from her soft-heartedness and empathy. After learning that the internet fee for locals and the fee for foreigners are different, she bowed as if she wanted to apologize in their behalf.

"I-If you want… I can send one in your behalf. I want to help out so-"

"No need, Amakano-san… No need."

"H-huh?"

"I don't want to impose on you. After all, I already wrote most of it, so I'll just continue this."

Seeming to not want to back down yet, she looked at me and asked.

"O-Our classmates are going to a nearby karaoke bar later this afternoon to celebrate the end of the past quarter… If you want, you can join us and have some fun with the others…"

Some of our nearby classmates heard her offer and had their faces turn into grimaces or hostile expressions. This is one of the times when you know just how ingrained that hate of theirs is to you.

"…"

She really is kind. She is even willing to break the joyful atmosphere of the celebration for my sake.

"I'm sorry, Amakano-san."

"H-huh?"

For that kindness, I want to reply with my own kindness.

"I'll have to decline. I have someone to visit later, and I have a shift in my work."

I pulled a smile and comfortable expression and upon hearing my words and seeing my face, the girl sighed disappointingly before bowing with her reply.

"Is that so? Well, good luck on your work later, Rai-san."

"Mm. You're welcome."

After she went to the other students that is yet to receive their report cards, the others shot a dirty look towards me that I ignored without a moment of doubt.

"That's right… Hate me just because you were taught to do so."

I whispered these words under my breath and returned with typing my letter addressed to my family.

"Alright everyone, class dismissed! I know you have a celebration before you go home, but don't go home too late, alright?"

"Got it, Maeda-sensei!"

The end of today's classes quickly came, and it was time to go home… Home to where my other family is waiting for me.

[Next Station: Sunogahara Station… The door is closing… the door is closing…]

The third world war and the two pandemics after it has left many countries around the world on the brink of collapse.

As the primary battlefield in the Sino-Russo-American theater, it was said that the major cities of these superpowers have been razed into a wasteland that is too toxic and ruined to be habitable again. And as it used to be about 140 years before, Europe is in ruins yet again, probably never to climb back up to its former glory.

Japan would've been one of these ruined nations… but as their luck would've had it, the old cities of theirs are the only image of the destruction from 50 years ago. One of this is the city that I am living at, Old Tokyo.

"Almost uninhabited, unkempt, lacking in amenities and the so-called "homes of the penniless" …It's amusing to see one of the most densely populated and prosperous cities in the world becoming an empty shell of its former self."

With the country's population deflating faster than a leaking balloon, homes and businesses were left unmaintained and uninhabited. Now that New Tokyo, a city built atop reclaimed sea land in Sagami bay, was built as the new Capital of the country, the low-mortgages and daily expenses of living in the old city has become the norm for those who cannot afford the extravagant yet comfortable life in New Tokyo.

"I'm home. Are you guys there?"

"Rai-nii!"

"Rai-san. Welcome home."

At one of those budget houses, I live with these three girls that I consider as my children. Yes, at the age of 17, I am already a father of three children.

"Have you guys eaten already?"

"Mm. Masami-nee has cooked us dinner and picked our clothes."

"I see. That blouse looks good on you, Mio-chan."

"Ehehe…"

The eldest of them is Miyazaki Mio, 10 years old. Even though she is young, she is strangely mature and very dependable when it comes to her studies and household chores.

"Ne, ne! How about my dress, Rai-nii?"

"Wow! You look super cute, Yukari!"

"Super cute?"

"Yeah, yeah. Super cute."

"Super-duper cute?"

"Yes, super-duper cute."

"Super-duper-mega cute?!"

"Okay, that's enough pestering from you."

"Ahaha!"

This childish girl is Miyazaki Yukari. 8 years old. She is your typical cheery brat and unlike her sister, she is someone that you have to constantly watch over or else, she won't do what is asked from her.

"How about Rea-chan? Did Masami-san also pack up some of her milk and diapers?"

"Mm! I have it here, Rai-san."

Mio spoke as she handed me a girl sleeping calmly in her arms and showed a baby bag on her back.

"Hehe… Little Rea must be having a good dream. Just look at how she's pouting her lips."

"Eh? Is she hungry?"

"No. But I guess she wants something to suck on. Can you give me her pacifier?"

"Ah. Here."

I placed the item on the baby's lips, and she gently bit it while still sleeping calmly.

"Okay. I'll just go and change my clothes and let's go and visit them."

I passed Rea to Mio for a moment and hurried inside to change into casual clothes and get my wallet. After that, I opened the circuit breaker to turn off the electricity. Given that we live in a house that was sold cheaply, I doubt that the bank even changed the wires and tubes here to make it safely livable.

As they say, it's better safe than sorry.

"Alright. Let's stop by Shibuya since Maeda-sensei is also coming."

"Shibuya? Ah! Rai-nii! Rai-nii!"

"Yes, Yukari?"

"I want some Taiyaki!"

Haha… this kid, really…

"Yukari. I thought you already ate your dinner."

"I-I did but…"

"But?"

"Can I… ask for extra snacks?"

While we were walking, I looked slightly exasperated at the kid who wanted to stuff her mouth again, but since I saw no reason not to fulfill her request, I pinched her cheek lightly and replied.

"Okay, but you better brush your teeth properly later. Since you keep on eating those sweets, I don't want to hear you complain about cavities and toothaches."

"R-Really?! Yay! Taiyaki!"

The child cheered and after a while of walking, we rode the train that brought us to Shibuya station where the other visitor is waiting.

"Hey there. The last time I saw you, you were also stuffing your mouth with Taiyaki!"

"Argh! Auntie! Stop pinching my cheeks!"

There, we saw a more stylish looking Maeda Katsumi standing by the station entrance. Upon seeing us, she approached calmly and began to lightly pinch the cheeks of Yukari who is eating her snack.

"I didn't expect you to come earlier than planned, Sensei."

"Well, after I gave them that recording, they agreed to send me home early rather than write my essay for the promotion party. The only problem is I can't eat dinner with you four later since my meeting is at night."

"A meeting?"

"Yup. The board of directors are piling more work at me and Furuta-kun lately. Given that the two of us are one of the most experienced in the current faculty staff, our responsibilities are also greater."

"I see. Is Renjiro-sensei your assistant this promotion party or is he the lead?"

"I'm the assistant this time around. I still get shaky knees when presenting to the executive officers, so I owe Furuta-kun a round of beer after it."

"Haha… I feel bad for him now."

"Hey. Don't make it sound like I did something bad."

We walked for a while in the partially uninhabited city where the foot traffic is low, and the open stores are far and few in between. It's almost unimaginable that only 60 or so years ago, Shibuya and Tokyo in general is one of the most populated areas in this country.

"Here we are. Batou Cemetery."

"I still remember the day I attended the last rites… I wanted to take in the three, but since his will made you their legal guardian, I just wished the best for all of you."

"That wish did pay off. Thank you."

We reached a simple tombstone at the corner of the cemetery which I cleaned using a bucket of water from the cemetery's entrance and where I hoisted candles and incense sticks on while the other three were either holding Rea or placing the flowers we brought on a vase.

While cleaning it, I made sure not to scratch a part which was covered in cement… I don't want to damage the grave after all.

"Alright then… Come and talk with your parents and brother."

After I said those words, the usual cheery or calm expressions on the faces of Yukari and Mio changed as tears flowed down and they began to wail.

"Mama… Papa… Are you fine there?"

"Yukari… Yukari is learning to eat her veggies… Hik-! Yukari is staying healthy!"

Both me and Maeda-sensei looked at them with pity and care… The feeling of losing their parents at such a young age… the feeling of having no one to depend on…

"Hiro-nii… Why… why did you leave us that night?"

Miyazaki Hiro… That is the name of their brother and my friend who left them to me after he died.

"Why… why did you didn't tell us anything, Hiro-nii…?"

"You… You promised that you will come home safely… why… why…?"

While the two are crying, Maeda-sensei spoke to my ear softly.

"Ephraim…"

"Yes, Sensei?"

"Do you… do you still carry the anger you had back then?"

"…I do."

I was sure of it… Hiro died a horrendously slow death. As his friend, I felt guilty for not being there when he needed my help. But the fact that the cause of his death is indirectly the fault of others' selfishness and sadism is something that makes my blood boil and seethe in anger even until now.

"Miyazaki didn't kill himself… he's-"

"Stop that, Maeda-sensei."

"…"

"He's dead and that's that… Even if I am angry, my anger wouldn't solve anything. I know that however difficult his situation is, Hiro wouldn't go down that path on his own volition. I am aware that there's the possibility of foul play when he is found hanging on a tree at Mt. Fuji, but whether he was killed and set up like that or he did it by himself, what is the purpose of finding out now?"

"Ephraim…"

"Let the dead be dead. Preserve their peace for only in death, we are free."

"That's strangely perceptive of you."

"That's just how I resolved it by myself. I'm tired of carrying hatred in my heart. I can't do anything for Hiro anymore, but I can at least do something for those that he left behind."

I handed Rea to Maeda-sensei and knelt down to Mio and Yukari's heights to comfort them.

"Let it all go… Don't be afraid of saying what you want to say to them."

After a while, the candles had all melted and the incense sticks has been burned out. With that, we gave the family grave one last bow before leaving.

"I'm going back to the school, so I'll be taking the other train. Thanks a lot again for inviting me over for the visit."

"You're welcome, Sensei. How about you two? Come on, thank Maeda-sensei too."

""T-thank you, Auntie Katsumi.""

"Oi, you two. I'm not that old yet to be called Auntie. Maeda-san or something would've been better."

After her joking reply, she smiled at us and gave me one last word before we left.

"Ephraim. Those three was left to you by your friend. I know that things are harder for you since you're a stranger in a foreign land. But I wish the best for you so you can properly take care of them."

"Thank you, sensei."

"Mm. Bye-bye now."

We rode the train home and while on the partially empty cab, the three dozed off as I was thinking about something.

"…If only things are that easy."

I do am a stranger in a foreign land. A land that almost always hates us. I am not that sensitive or proactive to demand immediate changes, after all, the ones who did so in the past were responsible for most of the mistakes that led to this state of the world.

"I guess I should send some money to Hannah and mom… her operation is drawing close after all."

Whatever… I'll just do what I can do. If I did a good job in the restaurant, I'd probably get a good cut of the sales and that would help me with the three and the other two back home.

"Fuwaahh… I should've bought some coffee earlier. I can't miss the station now just because I dozed off…"

While I was rubbing my eyes to sober myself up, I was looking outside of the cab window where the rarely lighted buildings of the crumbling city still stand.

"Huh? What is that?"

Suddenly, I saw something gleam on the top of an old office building and it disappeared in an instant. I would've just dismissed it as nothing except that…

"Huh? WHAT?!"

A huge chunk of the building was cut off and it flew to our direction like a pebble thrown away somewhere.

"Mio! Yukari!"

My instincts kicked in and I stood up to shield them with my back, but except for the surprised expressions of the few other passengers and the confused faces of the two kids that I wanted to protect, nothing else happened as I looked back at the building that was never moved.

"…What…?"

"Hey kid, are you alright? Are you carsick or something?"

"A-Ah… No. Sorry for bothering you."

"Hm? That's nothing. I was just concerned since you looked like you saw a ghost."

An old man spoke up to check up on me and after a short exchange, things went back to normal… for them, that is.

"Rai-san? What happened?"

"Yeah. Why did you look so scared earlier?"

The two asked me as I took deep breaths to calm myself before replying.

"Nothing… my eyes must be playing tricks on me. Don't worry about me, you two."

I gave them an embrace which calmed them as we waited for our arrival at the next station.

"Sweet dreams, Mio, Yukari, Rea."

"Good night, Rai-san."

"Mm! Good night too, Rai-nii!"

At home, they took a short bath, changed to their pajamas and went to bed as I tucked them in and wished them a good night's rest.

"Okay. Lights out now. Mio, wake me up if Yukari pees on her bed again, alright?"

"Mm. Will do."

"Eh! Rai-nii! Stop teasing me like that!"

"Ahahaha!"

I laughed and turned off the lights to let them sleep comfortably.

"Haah… just what did I see earlier at the train?"

At the living room's couch which I treat as my bed, I drank some tea while catching up to the anime shows I missed during this busy week while also thinking of what happened earlier.

"It looked so real and… tangible. Is it really just an illusion?"

I paused my show and thought about it a bit deeply.

"This might just be the stress huddling up my mind. I should just forget it."

I turned off the TV and went to sleep, wishing that tomorrow, I'll just forget about what I think I saw earlier.

My eyelids became heavy, and my body sank into the couch. I sighed comfortably and sleep took over my mind.

But not long after I became unconscious, I heard a gentle voice that echoed in my ears.

["You…"]

"…"

["Will you be someone who can challenge my children's faith in me?"]

"…"

["A hero and a villain. A savior and a captor. A god and a demon. All stories have sides that must entertain its audience."]

"Who are you?"

I opened my eyes and saw nothing but an endless void around me as that voice continued to speak even though I spoke out myself.

["If he chooses you."]

A bright light shimmered for an instant and I saw a woman clothed in a white robe and cradling a golden potted tree.

["I will not let both of you to win against me."]

"Who are you?"

The woman opened her eyes, but instead of a divine looking gaze, her eyes that shot a stare at me made my skin crawl in terror.

["As I have always done, I will make you suffer until I break you into pieces, mortal."]

The words she spoke gave it away for me… She is not someone that I cannot openly talk with or treat as some friend.

["I will not let you destroy the world I so lovingly made. After thousands of years… I finally won against him and his world that he wanted to protect."]

I have no idea what she is talking about, but whether this is a dream or not, I didn't give too much care about it.

["I dare you, Law. Will you be able to fight against this world that you cherished for so long?"]

The dream was cut short after everything turned into darkness and I opened my eyes to see the first rays of sunlight seeping through the curtains.

"…Saturday morning… gotta cook some breakfast and prepare to go to work."

Everything went back to normal for me… But soon, I learned that the things I saw in that "dream" is not something that I should've treated as nothing.

Soon, I will learn that all the things that I endured in my entire life wasn't just bad luck or fate… someone had brought me to this state and that someone can be chased to pay for their crimes.