Mission: Debrief

(This chapter includes implied domestic violence and emotionally distressing themes.) 

The soft rattle of the door was the signal. The entry into another world. Or rather, into another time. The teachers’ lounge was, as always, detached from the present. As Takeshi passed the coffee machine and made his way to his desk chair, the sunbeams on his black pants looked like an old film reel. The printer was working at light speed again, Mr. Watanabe had hidden a manga in his biology book, and Mr. Igurashi was checking the length of his pencils for the third time. Just another regular school day.

He sat down at his desk and, at the push of a button, the faint hum of the computer started up. He took a moment to glance outside. The wind rushed through the trees, brushing against blades of grass.

From the corner of his eye, he saw someone approaching him directly. Naturally, he knew who it was. Few people actively interacted with him here. One of those was Shizuka Maki.

I haven’t even been here five minutes…

“Good morning! Here, as compensation for… well, you know…”

Shizuka Maki stood in front of him and placed a coffee tin on his desk.

Takeshi raised an eyebrow and looked at her puzzled.

She leaned in and whispered behind her hand.

“Um… well, about last night… I mean… you came by so late… and… you left so quickly after that. I didn’t really get to thank you properly.”

Do you know that’s going to be misunderstood…?

Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a certain colleague’s ears perking up. Watanabe’s ear was practically scraping against Takeshi’s screen, eavesdropping on them.

He’s getting the wrong idea… I better clear this up immediately.

“Watanabe-sensei, if you have something to say, go ahead.”

He laughed loudly to mask the awkwardness of being caught.

“I-I wasn’t… Ha ha… not sure what you mean.”

His laugh was so loud that even Mr. Igurashi turned away from his pencils, though not for long. He had to check them a fourth time.

“Don’t get the wrong idea. I returned her wallet, which she had left behind. That’s all.”

“Hahaha… Of course! What else would you do at her place during nighttime. If that ever happens again, I’ll be sure to take care of it myself.”

He brushed his hair back like a prince on a white horse. Shizuka eyed him as if he were an alien. Her expression said it all.

“… Then I’d rather lose it…” she whispered barely audibly, not noticing Takeshi’s face twitch into what might have been a smile… if you looked very closely.

Ouch, that hurts. Not bad.

She paid no further attention to Watanabe, turned back to Takeshi, and scratched her head.

“Well… I better get to work.”

“Mhm.”

She turned her back to him and returned to her desk. Before Takeshi could say anything, Watanabe was already spellbound by his manga.

The clouds wandered slowly but steadily surrounded by the light blue sky. No matter what there may come, they keep traveling. A constant in life u always rely on. But for Takeshi, his recent life became everything but a constant. And like the clouds, his thoughts wandered too. 

One month already…

Time passes faster here than usual. The routine. Every day the same, yet always something new. It’s kind of… strange. Not in a bad way, but it feels familiar and yet so foreign.

There are still orders, comrades, and superiors. When I think about it, school isn’t so different from the outside world.
Like a microcosm.
But of course, that also means danger is never far away. There will be battles… but also times of peace.
And as for tomorrow… no one here can say.

***

“That’s total crap! He just got here and he’s already lecturing you? He doesn’t even know you. What an idiot!” Kameko fumed, seeking validation in her friends’ eyes.

“Seriously! Making a fuss over that dumb form… What’s Katou-sensei thinking?!” Mari nodded vigorously.

“Naomi-chan, you should report him to the principal. Just say he scared you!”

Naomi said nothing. She stood in the hallway, leaning out the window. The sky was slightly overcast, and the sound of the cool wind drowned out the voices around her. Only the crunching sound of her lollipop echoed in her head.

“… it’s proof. Whether you’re honest with yourself. Or not.”

His face appeared before her mind’s eye. Not just that, but also the same sense of pressure she had felt yesterday. That unpleasant feeling that reached to the tips of her hair. As if she had been caught.

Honest with myself? Hah, what do you know. Of course I’m honest with myself. He acts like he knows everything. Like he’s got it all figured out.
“It’s about what you want.”
As if the question were that easy. As if I haven’t thought about it.

Naomi bit into her lollipop, and with a loud crack, it shattered into pieces.

What does a teacher know? They don’t really care about us. He probably got forced into those interviews.
But why can’t I stop thinking about it? He didn’t show any sympathy or anything. He just asked. Didn’t even suggest anything. What is this shit!?

As if he understands me…
Stupid tie-wearer.

“Naomi-chan?”

“What?”

Suddenly, the voices around her reached her ears again. Kameko looked at her in surprise.

“Hey! Were you even listening to us?” she asked, hands on her hips.

“Uh… sure.”

“So? What are you going to do?” Mari asked pointedly, “About Katou-sensei, I mean!”

“Oh, well… nothing. He’s just a jerk. What else can I do?”

“If you say so…”

Could you be a little bit more interested?

Kameko’s attention turned back to Mari.

“Ah, Mari, did you hear? The first episode of that new show dropped yesterday. It was insane. Want some spoilers?”

Once again, the conversation became mere background noise.

Whatever…

But why can’t I stop thinking about it.

Why is he the only one who’s ever asked?

***

The sun was at its lowest. The orange light cast longer shadows than usual. She heard the gentle rushing of the river beside her and the birds gliding their wings softly over the water. For a brief moment, she paused and watched them fly into distance.

Is this freedom? They can go wherever they want, no borders, no obstacles… must be nice.

She held her large book tighter. Between her arms, the supernova on the cover was visible. She continued on her way. Step by step.

Almost there… but…

In the distance, Ayaka could already see her house. An old, almost dilapidated building. It was quite small, but the eerie aura around it was all the greater. It stood set back behind a tree, so barely any light reached the entrance. The roof sagged and the facade crumbled. Weeds grew at every corner of the fence and the withered grass was a failed of a once-healthy life.

Would birds even dare to enter? The neighbors don’t even look at it.

The gate, with a crooked sign reading “Ikehara” on the side, creaked as it opened. Cautiously, as if it could break at any moment, Ayaka opened it and squeezed through the small gap. The stones on the ground were uneven and uncomfortable to walk on. She pulled the key from her pocket, a tiny planet dangled from it.

Some might mistake her for a burglar, but Ayaka just didn’t want to make any noise. Invisible, as if she had never been there. Inside, it was dark, dusty, and smelled of dampness. In slow motion, she closed the door behind her and moved into place with a nearly silent click.

Her whole body was on edge. Muscles tensed, goosebumps covering her skin.

It was quiet.

So quiet that the ticking of the clock sounded like thunderclaps. She hid her shoes in a corner, so no one would notice them. Slowly, she took one step after another. Her gaze fixed to the floor at all times. She avoided the floorboards she knew would creak.

Every creak sounded like a scream.

Every breath felt wrong.

No light, no television, nothing.

Like a haunted house. She climbed the stairs to her room. She wanted to get there quickly, but one wrong step could have consequences.

Just three more steps… just three… maybe… I can make it today.

Suddenly, she heard stomping. Heavy, fast footsteps coming straight for her.

She took the last steps in a leap and darted toward her room, her hand almost at the door handle.

Then, the stomping stopped.

Right behind her, she heard heavy breathing. She didn’t turn around. She didn’t need to. She already knew what was coming.

“Hello, Ayaka…”

Her body flinched. Muscles tensed to the breaking point. Tears welled up in her eyes.

…No…Not today…
…please…