Welcome to My Mirror World II

I watched as she stood there, and for a brief moment, I didn't see my own reflection. Instead, I saw her, moving closer to the mirror. It was like the mirror had become one-way; I could see her, but she couldn't see me anymore.

"He's gone," she said from the other side.

I could see her lips move, but I couldn't hear her. It was strange. In this mirror world, new rules were forming. I realized that I could see and even interact with other people through their mirrors.

"Should I try next door?" I asked myself, considering what to do next.

I stepped away from Sakura's house and made my way to the next one. The mirror world still felt unsettling, but there was an odd allure to it that I couldn't ignore. My footsteps were muted against the quiet streets as I approached the door.

I hesitated for a brief moment before trying the handle. It was unlocked, just like Sakura's. I pushed the door open and stepped inside, feeling the warmth of the house contrast with the cold emptiness outside.

The silence was heavy, pressing down around me as I walked through the hallway. The house was neat, well-kept, yet it had an unnatural stillness. I found my way into the living room, my attention drawn to a large mirror on the wall. It had an intricate frame, reflecting the entire room.

But what truly caught my eye was the girl sitting on the couch, staring at the TV. She was dressed casually, her gaze fixed on the screen, completely absorbed. Her presence made the room feel even stranger, as though she didn't belong, just like me.

I froze in place, my gaze fixed on her through the mirror. It was the first time I had seen someone else in this world, aside from Sakura.

The girl didn't seem to notice me at all. I wondered if she could even see me, or if I was just a reflection in her world, like I had been in Sakura's.

I stepped closer to the mirror, my breath fogging up the surface. The girl remained still, oblivious to my presence, her attention still on the screen.

"Hello?" I called out, unsure if she could hear me.

Nothing. She didn't react at all.

"So... it's just like a one-way mirror," I murmured to myself. "I can see them, but they can't see or hear me. Huh... this could be interesting."

I leaned in closer to the mirror, carefully positioning my mouth so only that part of me would be visible on the other side, making sure not to show my full face. I took a deep breath and whispered, "Psstt, hey, you there?"

I quickly backed away, retreating from the mirror to see her reaction.

The girl on the couch jerked in surprise, her head snapping around as if searching for the source of the sound. Her eyes widened with confusion, and she looked frantically around the room, clearly unsure of what had just happened. Without another moment's hesitation, she sprang up from the couch and bolted out of the room.

I stood there, watching her leave, a strange sense of satisfaction settling in. "Oh, it works...," I muttered under my breath, amazed by the power I seemed to have over this mirrored world.

I turned around and made my way back to my house in the mirror world, the eerie silence surrounding me. As I reached my bedroom, I stepped through the mirror once more, the familiar sight of my room welcoming me back.

I quickly changed out of my clothes, slipping into something more comfortable, the weight of the strange day weighing heavily on my mind. I needed to process everything that had happened, but I couldn't shake the feeling that I was running out of time.

As I opened the door and stepped into the hallway, I almost bumped into my mother, who was standing there, looking confused. Her gaze flickered to me, and she raised an eyebrow.

"Hikaru? Where did you come from? I didn't hear the door open," she said, her voice laced with confusion.

I paused for a moment, considering my answer. "Oh, I didn't make any noise... I came in through the back," I said nonchalantly, offering her a casual smile.

She blinked at me, still unsure. "The back? I see…"

She didn't seem entirely convinced, but didn't push further. I could tell she was still processing what I'd said. After a moment, she simply nodded and turned to walk away. I watched her go, feeling a small weight lift off my shoulders.

***

The morning was quiet, save for the soft tapping of snowflakes against the windows. I sat at my desk in class, staring at the snow falling outside. Sakura was seated beside me, though I couldn't help but wonder if she would bring up the mirror world. It had been on my mind a lot lately, but I didn't want to break the silence.

Tak, tak, tak! The sound of hurried footsteps echoed through the classroom as the door swung open.

"Hikaruuuu!" A loud, familiar voice called out, making me turn my head. It was Kazufumi Araki, a classmate who had been absent for the past few days due to being sick.

I raised an eyebrow. "What is it, Araki-kun?"

He staggered toward me, still panting as he tried to catch his breath. "Hahh, hahhh... that... hahhh."

I stared at him, waiting for him to finish his sentence. "Geez, go take a breath first. You didn't even make any sense there."

"Ahem, I need you to help me," he said, finally managing to steady himself.

"Help with what?" I asked, now intrigued.

"So, I just ran all around the school to get a lot of heat, right?" He paused for a second, waiting for me to react.

I nodded. "Hmm."

"Now, I need you to convince the school nurse for me," he continued. "I don't want to study today. Today's a mess—there's that lesson I hate, math."

I raised an eyebrow. "What do I get in return for this?"

He looked at me, a bit sheepish. "Geez, I don't have anything to exchange. How about I'll treat you to something instead?"

"If it has rice, I'm in," I said, already knowing where this was going.

"Alright, alright. Just convince the nurse that I have a high temperature, okay?" Araki grinned, clearly relieved.

I sighed, already knowing I was going to regret this. "Fine, I'll help you out, but you better keep your end of the deal."

Sakura glanced over at us as Araki and I made our way toward the door. Her gaze lingered for a moment, curiosity written on her face, but she didn't say anything as we walked down the stairs toward the health room.

"You didn't come to school for three days, and now you're pretending to be sick?" I said, shaking my head at Araki, who was stumbling along beside me, dramatically swaying from side to side.

"I just don't want to learn math today," he muttered, exaggerating every step as though he could barely stand. "Nah, I need to rest... heal up."

"Heal your ass," I shot back, rolling my eyes at his ridiculous antics.

By the time we reached the health room, the only person inside was the school nurse, Michiko Eri. She looked up from her desk as we entered.

"Michiko-san," I called out, still holding Araki by the arm. He was swaying as if he were about to collapse at any second. "He's feeling dizzy."

"Oh geez, what happened?" Michiko asked, walking over to us with a concerned expression. She was already reaching for a nearby cot. "Go ahead and lay down there."

I helped Araki settle onto the bed, watching as he flopped down dramatically, clearly putting on a show for both Michiko and me. "You better actually rest today, or I'll drag you back to class," I said, part annoyed, part amused by his over-the-top performance.

Michiko raised an eyebrow but didn't comment, focusing on checking Araki's temperature. "He seems fine," she muttered, glancing up at me. "But he's a little warm."

"Yeah, I guess," I said, trying not to laugh at Araki's efforts to stay in character.

I glanced at Araki, who was keeping his eyes closed, hoping to maintain the act. Then I turned back to Michiko. "I'll be back later; I've got to head to class."

"Alright, Hikaru-kun, I'll take care of Araki-kun. Don't worry," she said, giving me a reassuring smile.

As I left, I couldn't help but wonder how long Araki would be able to keep up his little act.

To Be Continue.