Adrift in a Dream Pt. 3

Two down, two to go. If I had my way, I'd ditch the hour-long lunch break and power through the rest of my classes in one go. But unfortunately, that wasn't an option when I signed up for my schedule.

Just as I was ready to go, someone slid into the seat next to me. It was a guy, followed closely by a small group of his friends. They seem friendly, almost too much so.

"Hey," he greeted me with a welcoming smile. "I'm Kirishima Saito. You've been sitting here since the start of the semester, but I never had the guts to introduce myself. Figured it was about time. Better late than never, right?"

"…Sure," I answered, wary of where this was going.

"No need to be so tense, man. Nice to finally meet you."

Lately, I've been noticing it more and more. People who once acted like I didn't exist have suddenly taken an interest in me. Some even reintroduced themselves as if we'd never met before. And I knew exactly why.

It was because of them.

"How'd you do on that quiz last week?" Kirishima asked.

"Not bad. I think, anyway."

"Good to hear. Hey, listen. Me and the guys have seen you hanging around the new exchange students a lot. Mind introducing us?"

And the truth comes out. It didn't take a full minute.

"Why don't you introduce yourselves?" I sighed.

Kirishima let out a dry scoff. "Oh, we've tried. But they completely ignored us. Everyone's been trying to get in with them, but from what I can tell, those girls haven't spoken to anyone but you. No need to keep them all to yourself, right? Help us out a little."

As I slid my laptop into my bag, his words hung in the air.

This guy… he's dead serious, isn't he?

I stood up, facing him. "First, let me ask you something. Have we met before?"

"Huh? Of course, we have. We've talked before, remember?"

"Hmm… In that case, what's my name?"

He laughed awkwardly. "Come on, man. Is that really necessary? It’s… uh…"

I sighed. That pretty much confirmed it.

I say 'reintroduce' because that's exactly what happens. There was a time when people did know my name, but it never lasted more than a day. Kirishima was one of them. One day, he knew me. The next, he didn't.

I could chalk it up to being fateless, but I'd be lying if I said it didn't irritate me—just a little. Especially when it was so clear that he wasn't here to talk to me, but to use me for something else.

Turning away, I exhaled sharply. "Regarding the girls… Sounds like they already gave you their answer. Don't you think that if they actually wanted to talk to you, they wouldn't have ignored you?"

"Aw, come on, man. Don't be like that. Okay, so I didn't remember your name. So what? You can just tell me again." His grin turned smug. "And it's not like they ignored us on purpose. They probably think you're enough, which—spoiler alert—you're not."

There it is. That's the face I'm waiting for. Even his friends standing behind him mirrored the same expectant look as if they assumed I'd just roll over and play along.

Maybe in another life, I would've. But my life isn't normal. In fact, it's quite literally otherworldly.

Who the girls choose to talk to, what they do with their time—that has nothing to do with me. If they wanna let this guy into their lives, they can. But for me to shove him into their faces?

Yeah right. Back then, I wouldn't have even done that for myself, let alone someone like him.

"You're right," I said, turning back to him. "I'm definitely not 'enough' for them. But it's not like I ever claimed to be. I'm just a guy who happens to know them. That's all."

Kirishima scoffed. "Hah, quit acting so chivalrous. Makes you look like a stuck-up asshole. Don't think you're all that just because they talk only to you. The second we get in, you'll be forgotten in an instant."

I gave him a dry chuckle. "Projecting insecurity already? That's a classic."

"The hell did you—?!"

I cut him off before he could get going. "Look. If you're so confident, why not introduce yourself instead of relying on an 'asshole' like me? But here's a tip—keep up that attitude, and they'll never look your way."

I'm not usually like this. Confrontational, sharp-tongued—it's just not me. But this? This is different. The way he talked about the girls, as if they were some kind of prize to be won...

For some reason, that genuinely pissed me off.

Kirishima smirked. "Guy thinks he's tough, huh? Gets the attention of the hottest girls and suddenly he's the top dog. Let me let you in on a little secret—you're nothing. That's why I can't even remember your name. Hell, they probably don't either, so quit your—"

"Aikami!"

I turned just in time to see Lana rushing toward me, her usual bright grin in place. For once, I was actually glad she had a habit of appearing out of nowhere.

"Hey, Lana," I smiled. "I thought you guys already left."

"Eh? Why would we?"

"I don't know… Don't you have to finish watching The Ring Lords or something?"

"Nah, we're saving that for later—after our last class. At your place."

"…Why my place?"

"Didn't we tell you? We got temporarily evicted. Where else are we supposed to watch it?"

Oh, right. I'd completely forgotten they were crashing at my place. How long was it again? Actually, I don't think they ever mentioned that. It could be months, for all I know.

Before I could say anything, Kirishima slid in front of me, all smiles. "Hey, Lana! You remember me, right?"

"Not really," she replied flatly. I had to fight back a laugh.

"I-Is that so?" He let out an awkward chuckle before quickly recovering. "Well, I'm Kirishima Saito. I overheard you talking about The Ring Lords. Great movie!"

"Oh? You've seen it?"

"Yeah, of course! Who hasn't, right?"

"Interesting." Lana tilted her head. "Then let me ask you this. What event kickstarted the entire series?"

"Huh?"

"You said you liked the movie, didn't you? So you should know what happens."

Kirishima stiffened, clearly caught off guard. Just when I thought he was making progress, he fumbled—hard. Did he really lie about liking the movie just to get her attention? That's insane.

"Well, uh… it's been a while since I last watched it," he muttered. "My memory's a little foggy, but I just remember enjoying it."

"Hmm… Alright," she said simply, turning back to me.

Desperate, Kirishima tried one last time. "B-but I'd be down to rewatch it. Maybe we could, y'know, see it together?"

"No thanks." Lana shrugged before facing me again. "Anyway, Aikami, you coming? Or are you gonna stick around with your friends here?"

"Nah, I'm coming." I slung my bag over my shoulder and walked past Kirishima, not sparing him a glance. "And these guys… aren't my friends."

I could practically feel his embarrassment leaking out like a broken gas pipe. At least he tried. That's all I had to say about that.

Just as I noticed Lana wasn't following, she suddenly turned back to Kirishima, her usual smile twisting into something more… menacing.

"Oh, and one more thing…" She leaned in slightly. "You should do a better job hiding your perverted intentions. It wasn't that hard to figure out what you really wanted from me."

His face paled. "W-Wha…"

"In bed? With me? Hah... Sorry, but you're nowhere near my level—let alone my sisters'. Not even close."

"W-Wait! Lana! I-I didn't mean it like that! That wasn't my intention!"

"Doesn't matter to me." She flicked her hair back with a taunting smirk. "But you know what does matter? You called Aikami 'nothing,' didn't you?"

Kirishima stayed silent.

Lana sighed dramatically and grabbed my hand. "I'd call you by your name, but I already forgot what it was. So go ahead. Keep undressing me with your eyes. That's as far as you'll ever get."

With that, we left the lecture hall, walking hand in hand down the hallway. It didn't take long for people to start whispering.

"You remember, don't you, Aikami?" Lana asked suddenly.

"Remember what?"

"The start of the movie."

I rolled my eyes. "Hah. Is that even a question? The ring was inherited, which forced the main characters to run from the dangers it attracted."

"Hehe~" she bumped into me with her hips. "And that's exactly why I'd rather stick with you than him. You wouldn't make up a stupid lie just to get on my good side."

"Who knows? Maybe one of these—"

Before I could finish, she tugged on my cheek.

"Don't even think about it."

"Agh—s-sorry…"