The Lessons of Ms. Sato

Another day of studying was about to conclude with complete normality, at least for everyone else. For Sora, it was total torment. He couldn't get all the events that had happened during the day out of his head.

He had to fix things before everything spiraled out of control.

Sora packed his things automatically. His movements were those of a robot programmed to repeat the same routine, but his mind was operating at 100% capacity. The strawberry bandage on his cheek, which had previously felt like a recovery item, now weighed on him like a mark of betrayal.

"I have to find them and apologize... explain that I wasn't ignoring them for no reason," Sora thought, though the voice of guilt reminded him of Tomoki's conversation at every turn. But what hurt his heart the most was the memory of Ren talking to both girls with a smile.

Sora ran through all the hallways looking for both girls. When he saw they weren't anywhere, he decided to check the home economics classroom. Empty.

He could only smell the Nikujaga, and an instinctive thought told him to go to the computer lab. Nothing.

The place was completely empty, with no trace of the girls' signal.

"They probably went home without me," Sora murmured, trying to comfort himself.

Without much spirit, Sora began walking toward the institute's main exit, but when he reached the gate, he stopped dead in his tracks. His eyes widened as if he had witnessed a glitch in reality.

In front of the entrance was a black limousine, shiny and ridiculously long, parked. It wasn't a vehicle you saw every day around here, much less at a high school entrance. He saw Ren, as impeccable as ever, holding the back door with an elegance that made Sora's uniform look like cheap second-hand clothes.

Then he saw them.

Shiori and Mochi.

They weren't sad, they weren't looking for him. They simply got into the vehicle with an expression Sora couldn't decipher from a distance. The door closed so abruptly that Sora could compare it to the shutdown of his favorite video game's server. The limousine pulled away, disappearing down the street and leaving behind only dust and silence.

Sora stood there, his hand outstretched toward nothing. He felt like his account had just been erased from the world database.

"So... this is the current level of Player 2 that I'd heard so much about?" Sora whispered, letting his shoulders drop. "Smart, handsome, and he even has a limousine... I guess a Guardian as weak as me has no place in a private game."

He let himself fall to his knees near the school wall, hiding his face in his hands. He was ready for Game Over.

"So you're just going to stay there doing nothing, Yamamoto?"

Sora looked up. In front of him, with her arms crossed and despite her dark glasses, he felt a penetrating gaze that reminded him of a final boss. It was Ms. Sato. Her face showed not a hint of pity; her mere presence was enough to make Sora's hair stand on end.

"M-Ms. Sato," Sora murmured, trying to get back on his feet.

"Young Yamamoto, a student of this institution should not display such pitiful composure in public, regardless of the situation they find themselves in," Ms. Sato declared.

"I-I'm sorry, teacher, it's just that..." Sora pointed timidly toward the street where the vehicle had departed. "I just realized my stats are nothing compared to someone like him."

Ms. Sato adjusted her glasses upon hearing those excuses. "Stats? If you measure your personal worth based on a vehicle or money, then you are more worthless than a simple NPC."

Sato stepped forward. Sora felt the ground vibrate, or perhaps it was just his own nerves.

"Listen carefully, Yamamoto. I'm sure you are a great leader, a good Guardian. If those two young ladies got into that vehicle, it's because you as a leader allowed it. So now go and fix the problem you have."

Sora lifted his head, surprised by the teacher's words.

"Don't just stand there," Sato continued, crossing her arms. "Go and fix things. You have to be united for what's coming."

"For what's coming?" Sora asked with a worried face. "What do you mea—" Sora didn't finish the sentence because the teacher left the place heading back toward the institution, leaving Sora intrigued by what she meant.

"Return home and think carefully about your next move, Yamamoto. I've made myself clear, haven't I?" Ms. Sato shouted as she walked away.

"Yes, teacher. Thank you very much for your support," Sora shouted, saying goodbye to the teacher.

"Think about my next move… huh?" Sora repeated in his mind, looking toward the road the girls had taken. "I guess I have a lot to think about."