Chapter II: And Apparently, This Time Won’t Be Any Different (2/2)

10:14 AM

I haven't made much progress regarding my memories. Everything remains excessively nebulous, but I've been able to formulate some hypotheses about these sensations I'm experiencing.

Among all the possible explanations, I filtered and chose the one that seems to make the most sense: I was able to see the future.

I believe these flashes I vaguely remember are from some point in the future, when the president, the exchange student, and I will meet in the student council room to discuss some matter. Everything indicates that I will approach the president and meet that girl in the coming days. Perhaps we'll need to establish a partnership to get out of this dimension.

That's the only explanation for why I can visualize someone I currently don't know.

Since we moved into a restricted space, I imagine there was some displacement in a dimension beyond the three spatial ones. Theoretically, the fourth dimension is nothing more than time, meaning the past, present, and future may have suffered some distortion. This might have influenced me to the point that some information got retained in my brain as a form of premonition.

"Ah, man, I'm so tired! I wouldn't mind sleeping until lunchtime, especially in this cold. Damn it, why did Tanaka drag us out of the dormitory? We have nothing to do," Shou stretches.

"Indeed, it feels like the more we sleep, the more tired we are the next day. I can barely absorb the story," Manabu says, yawning as he drops the manga he was reading.

"Come on, guys. Look at what a beautiful day it is! Despite the cold, there's not a cloud in the sky. The sun is shining bright. It'd be a waste to sleep in," Miyu says.

This is also something that's bothering me a little. They're talking usually. All of us are at risk of losing our lives here, and yet they don't seem to care much.

If it were just the three of them, I might overlook it. However, everywhere I look, I see groups of students chatting as if nothing had happened. The disappearance of a student, a teacher, and the other staff members no longer disturbs them?

It's true that only the players could see what really happened and are directly related to the game. However, the panic they felt over the disappearance couldn't have vanished just like that. It's almost as if they've gotten used to the idea. Do they think this is some kind of camp?

12:20 PM

Lunchtime arrives, and everything continues to occur "normally." Aside from the student council being responsible for lunch, nothing differs from a typical school day. The same chatter among cliques, the same laughter, everything is the same. It's all so similar to the usual routine that it's disturbing.

Unfortunately, not even a supernatural life-or-death game can save me from this hell of social interaction. As usual, I find myself stuck in the worst of both worlds.

After enduring the infernal line, I finish serving myself and sit at the same secluded table as always. Predictably, the three follow me while spouting nonsense as we have lunch together.

Seeing that no information came to me naturally, I spent the entire morning trying to look for the exchange student Shou mentioned yesterday, but I couldn't spot her anywhere. I can't rule out the possibility that it's just a rumor since Shou isn't exactly the most reliable source. Maybe I should give in and ask them directly about the matter.

"Hey, Miyu. Did you see the exchange student Shou mentioned in the girls' dormitory?"

"Now that you mention it, I haven't seen any sign of her. But why do you ask? I've never seen you interested in something like this. Don't tell me…" she responds, surprised.

I hesitated to ask precisely because of this. I can already foresee a misinterpretation followed by irritating euphoria.

"THAT'S IT, JOHANN! Welcome to the club! I knew you'd join me in this fight for the feminine heart," Shou laughs. "But seriously, where could she be? My sources never lie," he says thoughtfully.

No, I'm not with you on anything.

"Don't try to assume my intentions. You've misunderstood everything. And please don't shout such nonsense. I don't want my image tarnished more than it already is from being around you."

"Jocchi," Manabu calls my attention through tears. "You can't have abandoned the journey for 2D girls. Please, tell me it's not true."

Just when I think one of them has an over-the-top reaction, the other surprises me even more. Where have I gotten myself into… it's like I'm in a madhouse.

"I was never on any journey! Now stop crying before people start looking at us strangely."

"Swallow that! Johann's on my team now!" Shou declares, laughing.

Please, Shou, just shut your mouth. I'm not on anyone's team.

Looking around, I notice it's already too late. Even sitting far from the crowd, their hysteria was enough to draw the attention of nearby tables.

"Are you going to let me explain or not?" I ask, irritated.

They exchange glances and finally give me the space to speak.

"Fine. The matter I want to discuss with this girl has nothing to do with what you've suggested. This series of events coincided with her arrival, so I believe she might at least know some detail."

The three pause momentarily to process the information, and then Manabu shows a look of understanding.

"That's quite a suspicious point. Do you think she's involved in orchestrating this 'game'?" he asks, his tone shifting.

I think I've finally managed to steer the conversation back on track. It seems they'll take it more seriously from now on.

"I don't know. I think it's too early to say anything. But as you pointed out, it's at least suspicious. So I'll ask again: does anyone know her whereabouts?" I respond.

The three exchange glances and shake their heads in denial.

There's no other way. I'll have to search for her whereabouts myself, though I don't even know where to start.

If she hasn't been in the girls' dormitory, she must be hiding somewhere in the school. The rooftop, perhaps? That's usually where people go to skip classes after the break. I think it's worth a try.

Suddenly, another sensation I couldn't have foreseen overwhelms my mind. A stabbing pain in my head makes me writhe in agony and completely lose my balance.

I lean forward and rest on the table.

"Johann-kun, are you okay? What are you feeling?" Miyu tries to help me.

"Yes, it's nothing serious. Just a headache," I reject her help and try to compose myself.

Along with this pain, more future flashes systematically invade my mind. As the scenes appear to be out of order, I can't make much sense of them. However, I notice several images related to the mysterious girl I dreamed of.

Among these scenes are fragments of conversations. Still, it's nearly impossible to retain any information—they're all disconnected except for one particular sequence of words:

"Ailiss von Feuerstein."

I envision the scene of her speaking this name. I feel a heavy weight on this pronunciation as if I'm familiar with it. It gives me the sense that I'm being driven to do something—something only I can accomplish.

Ailiss? It's not a very common name, even in the West.

Could it be her name? Yes. A strong emotion accompanied by a tightening in my chest tells me it is.

Who is this girl? And why am I so out of sorts? Honestly, I don't know how to interpret what kind of relationship I'll have with her based on these abstract premonitions.

However, just her name is enough for now. I now have a direction, a place to aim for. And with this newly acquired information, my visions finally cease. Unlike last time, now I have a much more concrete mission in mind.

Ailiss, I need to find you soon.