Chapter- 22 remembrances [2]

In front of the grand door to Edward's chambers stood a solitary attendant, tasked by her master with guarding the entrance and denying entry to all. However…. That task was given over 30 minutes ago, and the banquet was in 20 minutes! Her anxiousness was paramounting her instructions, this was due to her merely being a newly appointed servant, having only begun her duties just two days prior. 

Ruby stood there, her thumbs nervously twisting and her feet tapping restlessly, her rosy lips caught in a gentle nibble as she fought back tears.

Then, she heard a voice.

"Is Edward in that room?" Cyan inquired.

"Y-yes, young master. He instructed me not to let anyone enter his chambers while he's inside…" 

Cyan stared at the attendant for a moment, his brow furrowed before he asked, "What's your name?"

"It's Ruby," she replied.

"Are you a newly appointed servant, by any chance?"

"I started just two days ago…"

"Alright, Ruby, let me give you a heads-up since you're new. When Edward asks you to guard his room, there are generally two reasons. Either he's changing or he's sleeping. So tell me, Ruby, how long has he been in there?"

"...Um, it's been about 30 minutes...,"

"And you didn't think it was odd he was taking so long?" Cyan's voice was sharp, his expression growing tense.

"I-I did, but I couldn't disrespect Master Edwards' boundaries," the attendant replied uneasily.

"I don't care about your reasons. Just remember what I told you and move aside."

"But maste-"

"Are you trying to challenge me?" Cyan's scowl deepened.

"No, please, I just want to follow his orders," the attendant implored.

"I'll say it again, step aside."

Realizing arguing with the young master would prove to be utterly pointless, she reluctantly moved from the doorway, allowing Cyan to pass.

****

Stepping off the bus, I waved goodbye to the driver, but it felt a little pointless.

As I made my way to the school's entrance with Van, I asked, "What's your first period?" Aj glanced at his packed schedule filled with eight blocks for the day.

"Wow, that's a lot of classes," I remarked.

"I have Ancient History. What about you?" Van replied.

"I've got Algebra II."

Realizing we were headed to different first classes, we parted ways.

As I walked into the classroom, I was greeted by a stuffy room full of juniors, while I was just a freshman. The gloomy atmosphere hung heavy, with most students sharing the same downcast expressions, except for a rowdy group nearby who were loudly cracking strange jokes.

"Gentlemen, Kompton is god. Take this unholy blood, my god,"

Ignoring the chaos, I made my way to the front of the classroom and settled into a desk marked with scratches from the years of past students. I gazed at the desk, nodding slightly before setting my backpack down next to me.

As I sat there reading my book, the classroom door swung open, and in walked a jovial man wearing khaki shorts and a Hawaiian shirt, complete with a white beard. I couldn't help but chuckle at the sight, and the class instantly quieted.

"Wow, that was a long drive... Anyway, welcome to your first class of the year! I know it's not anything spectacular, but welcome to my dojo," he said cheerfully.

Most students responded with wry smiles, while others seemed to zone out completely, frightening attention.

Realizing class was about to commence, I tucked my novel, "Magician," back into my backpack and pulled out a fresh notebook and newly sharpened pencil.

"All right, everyone! Phones away, headphones out of your ears! Pay attention, please. I promise the math we're about to dive into will be way more entertaining than any YouTube video," the teacher said with a grin as he settled into his desk.

**Lunch-**

As I headed out for lunch, I met up with Van.

"How were your first four classes?" he asked, stifling a yawn.

"Interesting, to say the least. The math teacher is a bit eccentric—kind of looked like Santa if he took a vacation in Hawaii," I replied.

Van laughed at that. "For me, the teachers felt like bland carbon copies of each other."

"We've got 20 minutes until class, where to?" I asked.

They strolled out of campus and onto a street lined with restaurants.

"I hit up that Japanese curry place on 6th. Have you tried it?" Van asked.

"Nah, I haven't. Is it good?" 

"It's decent, but way better than the slop they serve at school."

"Fair point! That stuff is so unappetizing it makes trash seem gourmet."

After a while, with no way out in sight, the two of them plopped down onto a bench. 

"..." 

"..." 

Scratching my head, I broke the silence. 

"It's only the first day of school, can they really hold us responsible for this?" 

"Eh, who cares? We've got, what, five hours left of school? We could just hang out here for four hours and then head back to catch the bus," Van replied, glancing at his watch. 

Considering Van's suggestion for a moment, I proposed, "Hey, do you want to finish that anime I showed you on the bus?" 

He shot me a begrudging look but eventually agreed. 

Hours slipped by as we watched dubbed anime

 ("Die, die, die, you fiends!)

During the 4 hours of lounging Passerbysers would once in a while would send looks of confusion before continuing on their ways. 

"I think I've developed a sixth sense from watching this anime," Van remarked as we wrapped up the first season.

"And what exactly would that be?" I inquired, curious.

"How to figure out who's going to join a main character's harem in an isekai anime," he replied with a knowing smile.

I clicked my tongue in response, "True, a guy can only handle so much ecchi in one fight scene."

Noticing the clock nearing 3 PM, I stashed my laptop and threw my backpack over my shoulder. 

"Ready to head back to school?" I asked.

"Of course! Just give me a second," Van replied, nodding as he stood up and fished his phone out to check Google Maps.

As we made our way back to campus, we observed the multitude of people on the sidewalk, each lost in their own world. Those dining in nearby restaurants wore superficial smiles, merely playing their roles.

Oblivious to the scene, I posed a question to my friend, "You know, why do isekai protagonists always seem to act like pushovers?"

"It's not really my place to say, but I think it's because the creators want to give viewers a sense of satisfaction when the main character undergoing edgeification," he theorized.

I nodded in agreement, gazing into the distance and spotting the silhouette of the campus.

After a few more minutes of walking, something caught my eye, leaving me breathless and frozen in place.

"MOM!!"

"JULIET! Get out of the way!"

 A mother's scream pierced the air as she watched her daughter step into the busy street. In the distance, a truck barreled toward them, its speed alarming. The mother wrapped her arms around her child, instinctively trying to protect her.

I froze, unable to move or even breathe. My friend, noticing my stillness, turned to follow my gaze. We both watched in horrified silence as the truck drew closer to the pair. Yet, there I stood, paralyzed, ignoring their plight. Deep down, I longed to rush in and help. But the thought of my own family—two sisters, a mother, and a father waiting for me—held me back. They cared for me, and I cared for them.

"Let's just keep walking, we're not heroes. It's not worth risking our lives for them," I said quietly.

Van considered my words but ultimately nodded in agreement, understanding the pull of his own family waiting for him.

As we distanced ourselves from the chaotic scene, the last sound I heard was the bone-chilling screech of tires, a desperate attempt by the driver to avoid the impending disaster. But it was too late, the truck lost control and veered in my direction.

Screech!

Whack!

"Thud

The impact threw my body several feet into the street, right in front of an oncoming car, which miraculously stopped just in time to avoid crushing my head.

"Someone call 911!"

"You call them; I'm recording this!" 

"No, I am, I need this clout"

"Viewers are so seeing this this kid just got hit by that truck!, don't forget to like and subscribe and comment "RIP""

"This will get me so many views on TikTok, hehe!"

As their voices faded into obscurity, darkness enveloped me, and I slipped into unconsciousness.

I found myself in the ER, surrounded by frantic doctors working to save me, but their efforts were futile. And the inevitable came. 

"This was my first death… and the beginning of my curse"