Reality and Dream

There are three kinds of people in the world. The first kind are those who can wake up in the morning without a problem, beaming and smiling their way through the day without a hitch. Then, there are those who drink coffee to get by, wearing themselves out before having a refill next morning. Finally, there’s me—sprawled over my desk, resting my head on my folded arms, wanting to get this day over with already.

“Is it time to go home yet?” I ask myself.

I look at my phone: 7:50 a.m. Damn. It’s only been five minutes since I got here. My first day of high school is going to be long and agonizing, isn’t it? Yeah, I know it’s my fault I’m so tired. I just have a bit of trouble sleeping when I’m supposed to—been that way for about two years now. Or maybe it’s just as simple as I’m pretty nervous starting at a new school without knowing anyone here. Yeah, that’s probably it. At least I have the back corner to myself since nobody’s sitting in the desk behind me.

Class introductions get underway as each student walks up to the front of the class, say their name and a hobby of theirs, then quickly shuffle back to their desk. Simple enough. Even I can do that, right? My name gets called, and I walk up to the front. I stare at the class of people I’m going to be with for this year. I’m one of them now. There are a group of girls whispering to each other in the back, a couple of boys passing notes back and forth, and several other students that couldn’t care less about introductions. Well, at least nobody is going to be listening too closely, so might as well get it done.

“My name is Yuma Kentarou. My hobbies include staying up for no reason, trying to sleep when I can, and finding out why I’m still here,” I say to the class.

Nobody even looks at my direction. Oh well, not like I said anything interesting in the first place.

“Alright, return to your seat, Yuma,” says the teacher.

I bet not even he cares about what I said. Probably heard hundreds or even thousands of students repeat this process time and time again. That’s right—I’m just another student that he has to grade before moving to next year’s class. I’m just here to get a passing grade for a college where I get a degree and work at a job that doesn’t really have any significance to the world. I’m just here to exist.

                                                                 ***

The final school bell rings, much to my relief. I’m exhausted. I look around as everyone else in the class grabs their backpacks and start leaving. One of the students walks out with his eyes glued to his phone, either because of a game or a text message. Should I even bother? My parents don’t even get home until around eight anyways. It’s barely three o’clock now. I guess I can take a nap for a bit. Kind of hard to keep my eyes open at this point. Nobody is going to mind, right? I lean over on my desk, rest my head on my arms, and close my eyes.

Before I know it, the soft light from the setting sun seeps into the classroom, painting the walls with a warm orange glow. That was fast. I guess it’s time to go home now. I stretch my arms up and leave the classroom. The hallways are pretty empty. I would’ve expected a couple of students to stay behind for clubs or after school activities. Then again, it is only the first day—they probably only had short first meetings or something like that. Not like I’m that interested in being in a club anyways. I start walking down the small flight of stairs to the front entrance. Oh yeah, what time is it? I reach into my pocket for my phone and grab it. My right foot goes too far forward and misses the next step.

“Oh—” I mutter before being cut short due to tumbling forward, my face smashing into the steps below, rolling over myself, before feeling my neck crash against the last step on the floor.

My entire body is in complete pain. It hurts to breathe as my neck crumples like an accordion. I can’t lift my arms or legs. With my body completely upside down and having no power to move at all, I stare at the front doors, hoping someone would come. Please. Anybody. Silence. All I have is the fading glow of the setting sun as it dips below the horizon. It’s getting harder and harder to breathe. I can barely push out and suck in any air. What even happened? I tripped? Why? Of all of the things to happen, why this? Why me? Someone please help me. Help me. Help. It’s getting cold. My vision is blurring, and I can’t breathe anymore. This is it? Already? Maybe it’s like fifty to sixty years short, but I’m dying? I’m going to die? How pathetic. Yuma, you’re so stupid. Does it even matter though? I’m just going to be another person with an unfortunate accident just like many more before and after me. How lame. Even my brother…no. I guess my life really did lead up to nothing. It’s tiring to keep thinking now. I can’t move anymore. My eyes don’t even have the power to stay open. The world becomes dark. Reality becomes dark. My mind becomes dark. Darkness. Nothing.

“You really gotta watch your step, you know?” says a girl, her soft voice echoing through the vast void.

I’m not dead. I’m still here. I hear her. I hear you. Huh? How?

The voice continues saying, “There, there. You should be good now. Open your eyes.”

My eyes open, with the world still blurry and my head in pain. I want to throw up and cry, but I manage to swallow both urges. I’m not dead. I’m not even in pain anymore. My vision clears up, and the first thing I see is the soft light from the moon, glowing from outside the window—the most beautiful thing I could have hoped to see after what just happened to me.

“The moon sure is beautiful tonight, huh? It's almost a full moon too,” says the voice.

I turn slightly to the right for the source of the voice, and a girl, with short white hair that reaches her shoulders and golden eyes, stares down at me, smiling when our eyes meet.

She tilts her head and says, “Hi.”

“H…Hello?” I say, still feeling that awkward squeezing on my throat from before.

“Oh good. You had me really worried there, you know? Jeez, don’t you look where you’re walking at least? How stupid are you? I can’t believe I have to…” Her words trail off as she looks me over. “Anyways, can you move? You’ve been on my lap for a quite a bit now. Took a while to get you to wake up.” She pouts.

“Ah, sorry.”

My body aches as I sit up. We’re both sitting on the bottom steps of the stairs I wrecked myself on earlier. Wait, was that earlier? I guess it is since it’s night now. Hold on, how much time has passed? Did anybody even come for me? Well, she did I guess, but nobody before that? Wait wait wait. Who is she? I look at her. Other than her hair and eyes, she is slender, wearing nothing but a white nightgown dress.

“Who…are you?” I ask.

“I’m…not sure. I never had a name. The last person I met didn’t want to give me one.”

Huh? Give her a name?

“You weren’t born with a name?”

That’s weird. She’s a student, right? Seems to be about my age. Weird though. She’s not wearing the school uniform. She’s not even wearing any shoes or socks.

“Nope. Never had a name.”

“Well, anything you can tell me at all?”

As a way of answering my question, she simply points at the moon outside the window.

“I’m from there. At least, I think so. I remember falling off a long, long ways from that place. Met a guy a while back. And now I’m here.”

How bizarre. This girl is joking with me, right? Yet, with how strange she is, there’s something even stranger I have to ask first.

“Did…I die?”

I definitely feel like I just went through death. I remember my mind fading away and the world turning cold. I can still recall the pain and the fall, but I’m perfectly fine from what it seems like. So there’s no way that’s possible.

“Yes,” she says in a happy tone. That’s kind of creepy. “But I brought you back, so you’re okay now.” How can this girl say something like that so casually?

“Thanks. I guess?”

“Anyways Yuma, now that I had to pop out and save your life, I think it’s time we make our contract. Although, I kind of already did that with the whole putting you back to together again.” She sighs. “I had to give myself up someday I guess…” she murmurs to herself.

“Wait, contract?”

This girl is crazy. Why is she suddenly suggesting a contract? How did she even save my life? Why did she? What did she mean she fell from the moon? I have so many questions, and this girl doesn’t know any of the answers.

“Yep, contract. Now that I saved your life, you gotta help me with my problem of getting back up there.” I am not building a rocket for her if that’s what she’s suggesting.

“Wait, how do you even know my name?”

I never even said my name aloud nor have I ever met this girl in my life. White hair, yellow eyes. Yep, definitely would’ve remembered her if I did.

“I…heard it from someone else. Yeah, that. Hehe.” She looks away from me with a small chuckle to herself. “Anyways! All you have to do is give me a name and help out three people with their problems. That’s all. Simple, right?”

“What?”

None of this makes sense. Ah, I see. I’m still asleep. This is a dream. That would explain why I’m alive even after dying. This is what people call lucid dreaming, I think.

“Oh okay, simple enough.” None of this is simple, but I’ll play along. Too many questions, but I have no reason to care if I’m still snoring away in a classroom.

“Alright! Okay, so what’s my name then?”

“Yume.”

“So fast! Why that name though?”

“Because this is nothing more than a dream, and I’m going to wake up anyways.” She stares at me with wide open eyes. “So there’s no point in thinking about it.”

“Wait, Yuma, this isn’t a dream. You’re actually—”

“Yeah, yeah. I named you. Now, I just have to wait until I wake up in my classroom.” She sighs, then she approaches me and places her forehead against mines. She closes her eyes “Wha—”

“Yume, huh? It sounds pretty. From now on, I, The Guiding Moonlight Yume, will be with you,” she whispers. Just from her forehead, she’s warm. “Yuma, please help me guide people from their troubles so that I may return to the moon.”

What is she even saying? She’s so formal all of a sudden. Suddenly, she becomes very warm, and comfortable. I'm getting so...sleepy.

My eyes open to the classroom. It’s now dark from the night sky, with only the shine of the moon illuminating a few desks, including mines. I knew it. It was all a dream. I yawn and check my phone. It’s already past seven. I should probably get out of here before I get into trouble. I gather my stuff and walk out of the classroom. I get to the stairs in my dream, and I hold onto the handrail this time while walking down. Let’s not make that part of the dream come to life. I proceed out of the school and make my way home. I look up at the full moon as it hangs in the sky.

“Yume…”

I have to admit, she was cute. Maybe it’s a sign that I should try and get a girlfriend while in high school. Still, that warmth on my forehead still remains with me as I approach my house.

                                                                 ***

I yawn as I hunch over my desk before school starts. I’m tired. I couldn’t sleep at all since all I kept thinking about was that dream. Yume. Yume. Yume…I can’t stop thinking about her. She’s just a girl from a random dream. Why should I care?

The teacher walks to the front of the class and announces, “Attention, class! We have a transfer student coming in today. She couldn’t make it on time yesterday for the first day, but today’s close enough. Please introduce yourself." A petite girl with short white hair that reaches her shoulder walks into the classroom. Her yellow amber eyes scan across the classroom until she sees me. Wait. Hold on. No. This can’t be real.

The girl bows, then she says, “Hello, everyone! My name is Yume…Tetsuro! And for my hobbies? Hmm…let’s just say I like helping people out! I’m looking forward to being in your care!” says Yume. The class erupts in chatter.

“Whoa, she’s cute, isn’t she?” says one of the boys.
“That white hair. Definitely a foreigner,” gossips one of the girls.
She walks to the desk behind me and sits down. “Yuma, I hope to be in your care as well,” she whispers. Looks like I need to update what I said yesterday.

There are now four kinds of people in the world.