Footsteps From The Nightmare[1]

This feeling…there is no mistake

"I'm being followed”

CHAPTER 02: FOOTSTEPS FROM THE NIGHTMARE

If I remember correctly, it probably started two weeks ago—yes, the day after that email…

【Two weeks back–September 5th, 2025,The following day of the email】

“You'll pay for this!”

“Ah—!”

<<6:54 AM>>

“…Give me a break” I muttered, pressing a hand against my head.

As usual, I woke up from the same nightmare again. This time, it was a kid.

But after seeing it so many times, I’ve almost gotten used to it–almost.

No, that’s not right. You don’t get used to something like this.

Because… my heart won’t stop racing. As if I barely escaped death–Every time I wake up, the same hollow feeling lingers. The same unease.

So it keeps reminding me again and again.

Even if there’s no clear solution… sooner or later, I have to do something about it.

Solution…

【 “Through our innovative technology, you will have the ability to remember your dreams and control your actions within them”】

I believe I’d already forgotten about that email.

But I guess it’s impossible to completely erase it huh. Regardless, it’s better to ignore it. It’s just another advertisement—just another piece of spam.

There's no way…you can control your dreams.

Roughly twelve hours had passed since that suspicious email which threw me into a spiral. With my thoughts still unresolved, I decided to stick with my boring yet peaceful daily routine. Yes, unfortunately time doesn't wait for anyone–neither does school.

But unlike yesterday, I promised myself I wouldn’t waste time on pointless things anymore… probably. Hopefully today…

I’ll just have a normal high school day.

8:15 a.m. — it marks the start of another weekday.

As usual, after locking my door I headed out for school. Same path, same crowd, same noise. At some point, it all started to feel like a loop.

Well, fine. It’s not like I’m expecting anything to change anyway nor am I desperate for a change.

Trrrr, trrrrr. My phone started to ring.

“Huh? Who’s calling this early?”

Curiously I pulled it out to verify the caller and to my surprise, the caller was none other than my sister.

That’s rare…she never calls usually.

In response, I sighed and accepted the call.

[“Ah! Hello, onii-chan! How’ve you been?? I’m sooo sorry for not calling sooner—I’ve been kinda busy lately! Oh! But I did send messages—”]

“Calm down first,” I interrupted, rubbing my temple. “I don’t know how you have that much energy this early in the morning.”

[“Oh right, it’s morning over there, huh? On your way to school?”]

“Well, yeah. So, what's up yuzu? It’s rare for you to call me like this.”

[“About…that”]

When I asked her the reason, Yuzu's tone had shifted. It almost felt like the energy she had before was a lie. That's when I understood what it was about.

“Did mom–Sayuki-san ask you to call me?”

[“...As expected. So you knew. Technically yes”]

“Well, I had a hunch. If it’s about school, then I’m attending properly—wait, technically?”

[“Uncle contacted mom”]

My eyes widened. The sudden jolt of surprise was enough to freeze my steps mid-road. The grip on my phone tightened unconsciously.

[“Since you wouldn’t respond to him properly, and Dad’s been busy lately so he contacted Mom instead…and she asked me to call you… Uncle just wanted to know about your life at school, so…”]

“I see…” I muttered. “... it's alright, Just tell Sayuki-san that I’m managing somehow.”

[“Mm, but don't worry. I didn't call you just because she asked me. I also wanted to know–”]

“I know, Yuzu.” I forced a faint smile. “Thanks.”

My school life huh? As if you cared about it in the first place…

You wanted a report, not a conversation. Since you knew I’d lie, you made my sister call me. Isn't that right–Uncle Ryuji?

…How laughable.

[“Hey…are you upset? Don't worry, me and dad already accepted you…I'm sure mom will–”]

“Yuzu, let's drop this. I already… get it. Right?”

[“....if you say so”]

“Anyway you're coming back next month right?”

[“Uh mm, probably october 6th”]

“Fine, I'll pick you up. Let's meet the–”

Tap……!

As I tried to roll back our conversation, a sudden sound distracted me from the call. I instinctively turned back to see what it was, only to find the usual road with nothing particular to note. But…something was clearly off.

Just now…what was it?

Same road, same students — yet something sounded off…almost deliberate. If I have to specify– a discrete yet peculiar footstep.

Moreover….

I FELT LIKE SOMEONE IS WATCHING ME.

[“Onii-chan? What's wrong?”]

“School's here, I'll call you later”

[“Fine, well then let's talk later”]

Without any further elaboration, I hung up the call. From her voice, she must have wanted to talk more. But right now, I feel like I need to shift my focus.

Just now…was it my imagination…?

Guess, I'm still half asleep. Anyway, I don't have time for this. With that in mind I pushed through the school gate and just when I heard a familiar voice–

“Ah! Ryot–Araki-kun, good morning”

Isn't that voice…

Moments later, I bumped into Aoki. Normally, our arrivals don’t coincide, so this is rather rare.

“What a coincidence…wait, what’s wrong? Is something there behind you?”

“I wonder…More importantly, Late again?”

“Mm. Some stuff at home took some time. Normally, I’d be here five minutes earlier. Anyway, let’s meet in the library. See you then.”

Just like that she went off, I still don't get how she naturally thinks that I'll show up in the library. Well…I do, because it's peaceful.

That said, today is supposed to be a normal day. Unlike yesterday, it's going to be different today—or so I told myself. But somewhere, it’s already heading in the opposite direction. At that moment, I still hadn’t fully realized it…until lunch arrived.

【12:47PM—Lunch】

I spend my lunch hour on the rooftop, since eating in the library is a no-go. It’s quiet up here, and honestly, I prefer eating alone. Not like I’ve got anyone to share it with anyway.

Incidentally, Aoki eats with her friends. Well she did invite me once but I had to refuse for various reasons.

“...if only life was always this peaceful,” I murmured, gazing at the sky between bites of my lunch.

I still have a lot of time left, maybe I’ll search for a new boo–

Bzzz, my phone vibrated.

When I pulled it out, a Lyne message popped up on the screen. Surprisingly the sender was Aoki.

A message from Aoki?

>Araki-kun, Come to the library immediately. I have something to talk about.

One look and it was evident that Aoki is in a hurry, the tone of the message cleared her urgency. Just what's gotten into her?

Aoki wouldn't message in school hours unless it's something important. Thanks to it, I had to complete my lunch a little early to meet up with her.

Moments later…

【Library】

Shortly after I reached the library, Aoki was already there, sitting at one of the tables, waiting for me. She looked… uneasy. I walked up to her and took my seat.

“So? What did you want to talk about? Thanks to you, I had to sacrifice ten percent of my lunch.”

“Oh—Araki-kun! Sorry for calling you so suddenly. I’ll make it up to you later. But I felt like I had to tell you this right away.”

“You can skip the small stuff. Just tell me what happened.”

Aoki nodded slightly, her expression turning serious.
“The thing is… it’s about your problem.”

“My problem? Wait, don’t tell me– you found something?!”

“Well, something like that.” She hesitated, glancing away for a moment. “Actually, today I had to submit my class’s assignment books, so I went to the staff room. On the way there, when I passed by the infirmary, I just… happened to overhear something.”

“The infirmary?” I raised an eyebrow.

“I don't know if this helps you or not, but near the infirmary…I saw Kuromiya Sensei. He was talking with a female student”, Aoki paused mid-sentence, then slowly lifted her eyes to meet mine.

“Apparently,” she said in a low voice, “She’s also been suffering from Recurring dreams”

……Huh?

It might’ve been the first time the ticking of the clock is louder than usual or It never came to my notice before. The silence which followed after Aoki's words was impenetrable. The room wasn’t even hot, yet I could feel a drop of sweat trail down my cheek.

I wouldn't wonder, Because basically– what she's saying is… there’s another one like me?

Huh…..?

“Are… you sure?” I asked, my voice slipping out before I could think.

“Mm…there's no mistake. She was asking about that. ”

Wait….wait wait wait.

Another student having the same problem as me? And she's this nearby? Isn't this…huge??.

“Aoki, do you know which class she’s from?”

“Actually, I don’t know. At least, she’s not from my class. I couldn't see her face since I was eavesdropping. But I caught a glimpse… she was wearing her P.E. uniform. 2nd years have midterms right now, and 3rd years are busy with entrance exams preparations, which means…”

“She's ...a first year too?”

“Most Probably, if so I’m guessing Class 1, 2, or 4?”

“In that case, she’s not from my class either. We don’t have P.E. today, so that narrows it down to the other two classes.”

Us, first years have 4 classes in total. Aoki is from class 3 and I'm from class 2. If a student ended up in the infirmary, something must’ve happened.

And considering she was in her P.E. uniform… that means her class had P.E scheduled today. Neither mine nor Aoki’s did.

That narrows it down to just two classes.

But again, finding her class is not enough. Which means…there's only one thing I can do.

“Aoki, how long has it been since that happened?”

“You mean since that incident? Hmm… probably twenty minu—wait, where are you going!?”

Before she could finish, I rose from my seat, the chair scraping faintly against the floor as I hurried toward the door.

“Isn’t it obvious? The infirmary. There’s a chance she’s still there.”

Aoki blinked, startled. “And if she isn't… what then?”

“Then…” I paused for a moment, tightening my grip on the doorknob. “I'll just ask Kuromiya-sensei myself”

“Wait…He’s gone”

Before Aoki could finish, I was already moving. I dashed toward the infirmary, leaving her voice behind in the quiet library. It only took a few seconds before the infirmary came into view.

There's no way I would let this chance slip-by.

With anticipation running through my veins, I slid the door open—only to realize how foolish I’d been for getting all worked up. Afterall,

…She isn't here.

Guess I was late. Well, there’s nothing I can do about that now. If I’d met her, maybe I could’ve understood more about my problem. After all, only someone who’s been through it can truly understand.

But it’s fine. Because,

“If you came for her, she already went home.”, A calm voice came from behind the curtain.

Even if the source is gone, the traces will remain.

“Uhh… If I recall correctly– you’re Araki from Class 1-2, right?”

Kuromiya Shinya…

I was meaning to talk with him for a while, that's why this is just perfect.

He was gazing out the window as the silent breeze drifted into the room.

“So, is there something you want?” he asked, finally turning back.

“By ‘her,’ do you mean the female student from about twenty minutes ago? The one in the P.E. uniform, am I right?”

“Yes. Are you a friend of hers?”

“It’s nothing like that. I was just hoping you could tell me who she is. Can you?”

My objective is to know her identity, that alone is more than enough. For now, I’ll refrain from sharing my problem with him. If possible I want to avoid long conversations with faculty.

Everything else, I'll talk directly with her.

“Ah, I see, I see. So you want to know who she is.” He gave a faint smile.

“While I’d love to help, I’m afraid it wouldn’t be appropriate for me to reveal a girl’s name to someone without their permission… and not to mention—a boy. Right?”

I see where he's coming from. Objectively speaking, he has a fair point. Even I can't push him any further. Guess this is as far as I can go.

“You're right, that was insensitive of me. In that case, I'll take my leave–”

“Well, hold on. I can tell you’re not here with bad intentions. But since you came all the way here, it must be something important. Instead of her name, how about I lend you an ear?”

In other words, he wants me to share my problems huh.

“Something important…well you could say that” I took a deep breath before I turned, “In which case, I want you to answer my question. In your opinion, what exactly are dreams?”

“Oh~Dreams huh. Are you interested too?”

Too?

“Is that a no?”

“Not quite. Actually, I am grateful that you asked. Very well. Let's see…” Kuromiya brought his hands together before continuing, “To me, dreams are the truest form of an ideal world”

“Ideal?”

“Yes. I believe our world suppresses our emotions and free will by about eighty percent. But dreams are different. Dreams are born from your emotions and desires. No matter where you are, you’ll always find yourself returning to them. Not because you have no choice… but because you belong there.

That’s why it’s your ideal world—your dreamscape.”

Dreamscape…

“Don't you think it's beautiful?”

At that moment, I thought, "why didn't I think of it this way?”. Kuromiya-sensei’s take was honestly interesting. But…

“...is what I think.” He continued, slightly leaning back. “Scientifically, dreams are just neural activity in your brain while you’re asleep. But still, isn’t it fascinating to think there’s more to it than meets the eye? After all, we still don’t fully understand what dreams truly are.”

But it's still not quite convincing.

Does that mean…that nightmare is somehow my ideal world? Is that what I truly desire? Is that why I keep dreaming about the same thing? Just the thought of it…terrifies me.

If that's the case…I wouldn't really call it ideal.

“Sensei…do you think it's possible to desire–” I paused.

“Hmm? What is it?”

…No, this is enough for today.

For some reason, I don’t want to hear the answer. I feel like I might hear something…very uncomfortable.

“No, nevermind. Then I'll take my leave–”

“Perhaps it’s just a hunch,” Kuromiya interrupted, “… Are you also suffering from recurring dreams?”

My eyes widened, “Why…do you think so?”

“Because? The girl from earlier asked the exact same question before she confessed her issue. So I thought maybe?”

“...”

“Oh, look at the time. I just dropped by because I heard a student had an accident during PE. Didn’t expect to stay this long, though. Anyway, if you’re facing any problems, feel free to consult me. I’m always willing to lend an ear.”

Looking back, technically that might have been the first time I talked with him. After that, we went our separate ways, but his words still left me thinking.

His theory didn't fully satisfy me, but at some point…it made sense. And then it hit me. Maybe…I had already found my answer before I even realized it. Yes, that's why I can’t help but question—

Am I reliving that Nightmare because I want to?

Is that my wish? If so..then that'd mean…just maybe–

I AM THE REASON FOR MY PROBLEM.