My Reflection

Life isn’t far too different from a mirror.

A mirror is known for reflecting what you’re already aware of. Whether it’s a passing glance or a perfect view of it, it’ll always show you what you're expecting to see. Without any kind of push, life will reflect the effort you’re trying to show.

It’ll show you what you’re expecting to see, not what you want to see.

Squinting against the sun's bright light overhead, my eyes had met the reflection in the water. Reflecting my exact expressions and actions, but with one glaring difference.

Why is there some girl appearing in my reflection?

⏣⏣⏣

“Anon, could you be a doll and go fetch us some more water?”

The bubbly moving girl in question was Emi, Emi Kanroji. A classmate of mine and, on this special occasion, a helper for the boys’ soccer team.

“Didn’t I just do that a couple of minutes ago?”

Then there was I, Anon Kadekaru. A rather lonesome boy, but I’m content with it. With a status such as my own, why would I be here at the boys’ soccer team? It’s not like I’m a player or even trying my hand at learning it.

“I know, but it’s such a hot day and it’s disappearing like magic.” She hovered over me with a pouty expression. “I swear, I don’t even see them touch their bottles yet they're already empty.”

The only reason I’m here is because of her, and due to the increasing heat, she wasn’t terribly confident about handling everything on her own. So, of all people, she came over to me. Asking for my assistance as one of the few guys she trusts in class and who doesn’t already play on the team.

“Tch. I’ll be back in a minute.”

I took the few bottles from her hand as I left from my spot under the tree. Making my way to the fountain near the entrance of the school.

“You’re the true MVP, Anon!”

I paused, my mind racing to find the right words or actions for the moment, but nothing came to mind. I muttered a half-hearted thank you before walking away. There wasn’t a response, but I’m sure she didn’t take it as an insult.

Trying to ignore the heat as I filled each water bottle assigned to me, I kept myself busy with random thoughts. Nothing in particular, just daydreaming about the things I’d do when I got home. School was already over, and I imagined most people were taking the chance to relax under an air conditioner or enjoying something refreshing, like ice cream.

Perhaps the constant thought of something cold helped pass time, as every bottle was filled before I knew it. Seizing the moment, I cupped some water in my hands and splashed it all over my face.

“I’m really not built for this kind of weather.” I muttered, splashing my face with water a few more times before stopping. "Who would willingly sit through this kind of heat?"

Suddenly, Emi Kanroji flashed through my mind.

“Someone as stupidly kind as her.”

I say that, as if I'm not out here helping in more ways than not.

Before I knew it, I made it back to the field where Emi was waiting for me.

“Thanks a lot, Anon. I honestly couldn’t have done this alone.”

She laughed it off as some kind of joke, but I simply handed her the bottles.

“You’re doing more than enough already. Moving around, helping each boy individually. Maybe you should consider joining the team yourself.”

She stared at me blankly for a moment before giving me a light tap on the shoulder.

“I didn't know you had it in you to crack a joke like that.”

She turned and started walking toward the players, then glanced back at me.

“We should definitely hang out sometime soon. I could even introduce you to some of my friends. I’m sure you’ll all hit it off.”

I gave her a small wave before sitting back down beneath the tree I had been resting under earlier.

I watched as the players on the field continued their practice match. I can’t say much about sports, especially when my shorter stature made it hard to truly consider them as anything besides a hobby. However, I couldn’t deny that they played impressively. The way they gave it their all, striving to make it big in the future, was admirable. Training in this heat, pushing themselves to maintain their practice…it made me long for something to dedicate myself to with that same level of passion.

A pair of hands rested on my shoulders from both sides. I turned to one side and found myself face-to-face with a couple of players. I figured they must be on a break if they were here.

“What’s up, Anon?”

There were three players in total: Nova Hibiki, Omir Laos, and Wacian Ryougoku. Each highly respected in their respective positions.

"Not much, just lending a hand when I can."

Nova sat to my right, tilting his head slightly as he spoke.

“That’s good to hear. Emi’s got a lot on her plate, yet here she is, helping us out.”

“Exactly.”

I just realized that I had cut the conversation a bit too short.

Omir sat to my left, wearing a rather dull expression as he began to speak.

“So, do you like her or something?”

“...”

I felt my body tense at his question. Not for any particular reason, but it caught me off guard hearing it directly from him. I knew it would come up eventually, just not this soon.

“I don’t dislike her.”

That’s the position I find myself in at school. Known by all, hated by none. No true friends, but not quite an outcast either. Given that, it’s only reasonable why that question came up. I’d probably come to the same conclusion if I were in someone else’s shoes, seeing myself from the outside.

“Isn’t it cause he’s stupidly kind like Emi?”

Wacian stood behind Nova, wearing a playful expression for someone who had just said something harsh.

“Watch yourself. Don’t be rude to the guy getting us water.”

Nova lightly smacked Wacian’s leg in a playful manner, but I could tell there was a hint of seriousness behind it.

Maybe he’s not such a bad guy. I never really did take the time to get to know him as a person.

“Wacian could be right about that.”

I smiled faintly. It was a funny realization, one that caught me off guard but made sense in its own way.

“Emi asked for my help, and I had nothing better to do. So, why not?”

The three of them seemed a bit starstruck, but Nova quickly fixed himself.

“Does that mean we’ll see you around?”

He extended his fist towards me, a smile spreading across his face as he did.

“Maybe not on days like this.”

I extended my fist as well, and it connected with his in a solid tap.

Emi called the three of them over to the field, bringing an end to our conversation. Nova’s words echoed in my mind as they walked away. “Does that mean we’ll see you around?” Simple words, yet they carried more weight than I expected.

“Everyone’s a lot more friendly than I assumed.”

Muttering to myself, I rested my head on my arms, letting the breeze that passed by slowly ease away any prior worries. I believe I had drifted into a short nap as I was shaken awake.

“Anon, please wake up.”

My eyes slowly opened to find Emi kneeling down, lightly shaking me awake. There wasn’t a worried expression on her face at a first glance, so I assumed there was another task that needed to be done.

“I’m awake.”

"It should only take a minute of your time; you can go back to your nap afterwards." She smiled at me, almost as if I were a puppy, before standing up and pointing towards the trees. "One of the balls ended up in the trees. Could you go collect it and bring it back, please?"

I looked in the direction she was pointing. It probably wasn’t accurate to call it a forest, but there was indeed a wooded area near the school. If memory serves me correctly, there should be a sparkling pond nearby as well.

“I’ll be right back.”

Pushing myself up, I left my shaded spot and began walking once again. Emi called out a quick "Good luck," to which I simply waved my hand dismissively in response.

It was a fair distance away from the rest, but nothing too remarkable. I scanned the area near the edge, but found nothing that resembled a soccer ball. Maybe it went further than expected. I ventured deeper in the direction Emi had pointed out until I eventually reached the sparkling pond. Sitting in the center of the water was the ball, gently resting on its surface.

Letting out a bit of a sigh, I briefly considered trying to reach for the ball without getting wet. Unfortunately, it was just a little too far for me to grab. My next idea was to find a stick. Neither the trees nor the branches seemed long enough, but I figured I just needed that extra bit of reach. After trying a couple of sticks, I finally managed to touch the ball, but then another problem arose. Every time I tried pulling it closer or pushing it, it just spun in place without budging. I even tried throwing the sticks at it, but they weren’t sturdy enough to do much.

"Is there some sort of air vacuum?!" Frustration started to build as the process made little progress. The heat wasn’t helping either, only adding to my growing irritation. "Stubborn ball, refusing to move."

I knelt before the sparkling pond, resting my head on my hand. A few more ideas crossed my mind, but all I did was brainstorm, feeling stuck. After a minute or so, I lowered my gaze to the water. My eyes met the reflection staring back at me.

I extended my other hand, watching as the reflection mirrored my movement. I turned my wrist a couple of times before bringing it closer to me. Even the expression on the reflection's face seemed to match mine.

I pushed myself up, gazing at it from a higher angle. I swayed my head from side to side before raising my hands to the sky. I didn’t continue for long; the embarrassment of my actions slowly began to sink in.

You didn’t have to be a genius to see the obvious problem. Still, I couldn’t find a way to explain the situation. I tried racking my brain for any possible solution, but alas, nothing.

I knelt back down, squinting against the bright sunlight overhead, my gaze fixed on the reflection in the water. It mirrored my every expression and movement, but with one glaring difference.

Why is there some girl appearing in my reflection?

I know I’m shorter compared to most of my male peers, but I don’t think it makes me look that feminine. On second thought, my focus shifted to another glaring difference between me and the reflection.

The sun must have been blocking the full extent of the reflection cause she’s a lot darker of a skin tone than me.

As I sat there, confused, I noticed that the reflection moved in a way that was different from mine.

It must have lasted only a second, but the reflection reached over and grabbed my wrist. My eyes were the only part of me that reacted in time before I was pulled into the pond. As we sank deeper, my eyes met hers; both of us descending deeper into the water. The pond seemed endless, growing colder with every passing moment.

It wasn’t long before my vision faded to darkness.