Realization 1

I have no idea what’s going on… No. If pressed, I can clearly say that the date I’m in should’ve been in the past. I understand that I was just days away from Summer Break and I am now at a point when Golden Week just finished. But that… Isn’t that way too strange?

If it were a problem with the date, if it just so happens that devices all over the world got it wrong… Well, technology can fail. I’d be a sucker for not watching the news or charging my phone to see people complaining about it. I’d understand if it created inside jokes from my classmates and stuff.

But school isn’t like that, teachers wouldn’t follow trends or revise material already covered just for a joke. It’s not like I remember exactly what we were taught or anything, but even the strictest teacher seems to be doing exactly that.

When one of the girls asked how the teacher’s vacation was, the guy complained that he didn’t actually get to rest. No joking tone or a scold to quit messing around.

People really just spend their last school-free day, and they really just came back to school.

I had to check during lunchbreak, but Urara-chan was hanging out with her friends when I checked. And while asking, no one seemed to remember meeting Akamine at the mall.

“Do you really think I’d forget something so convenient?” Was Kazama’s reaction while rolling his eyes.

“Yeah, yeah!” Said another dude.

“If we found Akamine out there, at least one of us would have chance. Right~?”

I don’t really have to hear everyone agreeing with Kazama to understand: His words are enough to stir something in me. Given how pissed off he was about it, even if I didn’t mention Kamishiro, he’d obviously get moody once again if I brought it up.

Normally that would be the case. I know Kazama enough to understand.

I am aware of the kinds of people I hang out with.

And the rest of the day… It didn’t do anything but confirm what I had already deduced but didn’t want to admit. I didn’t remember the lessons but a piece of them stuck with me here and there. I knew a math topic I hadn’t been able to wrap my head around; I recognized a teacher’s style before he cut his hair later on.

By the end of the day, I had no choice but to admit that I’ve been thrown back. I am now back at the starting line. With no summer break in sight.

The thought is a little funny, but it doesn’t completely hide the fact that this is happening. That last time I checked there were some weird things going on, and that as far as I’m aware I had done nothing out of the ordinary.

Kamishiro came to mind, and Akamine with him. Concretely, meeting them on the mall. When the sense of déjà vu had been at its strongest. I couldn’t help thinking about the small details of the following days that I could predict.

Perhaps that’s why I can’t deny it as easily. I could’ve thought that something weird was slipped into my drink. Maybe an even greater prank could be at work. But… No.

I can’t do anything but to accept that this is happening. And I have nothing else to blame but those two people that were around throughout those weird days.

And yet… I have no idea what any of this means. Perhaps it’s clumsy of me to belatedly realize now, but I don’t think I’ve paid enough attention to Kamishiro to really tell if something’s fishy about him. Kazama hates… Hated his guts. And I sort of ended up understanding why. But it feels like Kazama had paid more attention to the guy.

Unfortunately, I can’t really ask about it now, can I?

And Akamine, well, it’s not like I know any more about her than the common folk. Pristine, coming from a prestigious family. She’s the role model of basically everyone. The teachers’ favorite, the target of both jealousy and admiration. It has been like this since she enrolled, and continued to be like this until the end.

I didn’t even know she met Kamishiro on his first day of school… I really have paid no mind to this.

Or have I?

Sure, I don’t have an encyclopedic knowledge of the future. But I was still able to remember some things as they happened. Maybe if I take a closer look I can remember more.

Maybe I can puzzle things out. Maybe there’s more to it than ‘vague memories’ and ‘suddenly back on April’. Maybe it’s all related! But… I can’t be sure. And I’m getting ahead of myself.

“Okay, put that way… Isn’t it oddly exciting?” This might be far from normal, but at least it feels different from the vague dread and uneasiness from before. It fills me with hope and no small amount of relief. Since now I don’t have to deal with the ugly stuff!

The future can be bright if we pay a little attention!

And on that note…

One of the things I have to do… It might be a little too early, but it leaves a bitter taste in my mouth if I don’t do this.

“Urara-chan!”

“Ah, monkey-senpai? Do you need something?” This cheeky girl… Even though I went out of my way to catch up to you before you leave! Have some sympathy, will you?

“Nah. Just to tell you to be careful on your way out!” I give her a thumbs up and a wink.

“Eh? Ah… Sure.” The trendy girl doesn’t really know what to say. But that’s fine, this is enough for now.

“Well then! Gotta go. One of the local troubles might get mad at me if I don’t.”

“Ah… It’s that sort of thing. Do your best, monkey-senpai.” Urara-chan laughs it off. It seems like she thinks that this is about Kazama… Well, it’s not like we’ve really talked one on one before.

“You too, and the rest of you girls!” With her friends by her side, I feel some closure. Kamishiro being the one that informed me about her disappearance left a really bitter taste in my mouth. I really needed this.

Well then! Nothing can be done about the mall, it’s a little too far off. But maybe I should check on Kazama all the same? Considering how much I apparently missed; it might be for the best to see how much Kazama has actually interacted with Kamishiro.

“Senpai, a bit of your time please?” That voice…! I am stopped by a pretty voice while I make my way to where I think Kazama and co are.

“Hah?”

The Akamine from April is as dazzling as always. But her tone is girly and not filled with any resentment at all. She might be wary, but that’s normal.

How can I say this…? It feels like she’s a different person.

“You’re the Senpai that was with Kamishiro-san at the entrance, right?” Now, what is this about?

“Yeah? What about it?”

“Kamishiro-san is new and he told me that Senpai could be a troublesome person. I’d like to request that Senpai does not tarnish the school’s reputation with a new student of all people.” Right, Akamine’s a model student after all. And she’s involved with the student council or whatever.

Fine. I don’t want to get involved directly, but this much is ‘normal’.

“Right, my bad. It was nothing serious, okay?”

“Given Senpai’s choice of companionship…” Oh? She’s referring to Kazama, isn’t she? So she is aware of him. Or was, I guess.

Not surprising at all but still. Nothing happened after the mall incident… How curious.

“Oh, that’s not very nice.” I chuckle it off but keep my hands in the air. “But I get it. I shouldn’t have been there anyway; it’s too early for me.”

“Uh huh.” It seems like she doesn’t get it. As expected of a model student, I guess.

“It won’t happen again. I’ll narrowly come to school on time from now on.”

“Please take your studies a little more seriously…” Yeah, yeah. Whatever!

“Is that all?” I want to know what she and Kamishiro will get up to… But not this close. “I won’t bother the newbie again. You won’t have to deal with me ever again.”

“…As long as Senpai understands.” Indeed. Even though Akamine doesn’t quite like how things turned out, she’s not as scary as I remember.

But if that’s so… Then what changed?