Chapter 3

I never imagined I would be back in high school. Today marks one month since I woke up in someone else’s body and seems I’ve been sent seventeen years back. The body I woke up in once belonged to someone called Aki, who, looking back at diaries and photos, is a seventeen-year-old prepping for college exams and is fairly normal guy. So why have I woken up in his place?

Here I am, sat in the front of the classroom, classmates greeting me with caution as they passed me to their own seats. I could feel my heart pounding, hearing the voices behind me gossiping. “Yo,” I looked up, seeing a black-haired boy with a toothy grin looking down at me. “Been a while man, good to see your back.” I stared blankly at him. I can only assume he’s a close friend based off his carefree nature towards Aki but his name is drawing a blank. I don’t remember seeing his name in any diary entry. He sighed, scratching the back of his neck. “Awkward, you don’t remember me huh?”

“S-sorry,” I stuttered.

He kept his grin as he pulled into the desk next to me. “It’s all good,” he held his hand out to me. “We can be friends all over again. I’m Kei, nice to meet you.”

I looked at his hand and then back to him. Smiling I took of his hand in a firm shake. “To-Aki,” I laughed nervously. That could have spelt disaster.

“Don’t worry Aki, we’ll get you up to speed in no time,” Kei smirked, as the bell rang.

Everyone rushed to their seats and the door slid open, revealing a handsome man in his early thirties, a suitcase in one hand and, “Aww teacher,” one of the girls behind be cooed, seeing the small child in the teacher's hand. “Is that your daughter?”

The girl had her face hidden in the teacher's chest. “Ah yes,” he laughed nervous, putting his suitcase down to cradle the child with both hands. “Her school had to close today and I have no one to take her.” Why does this guy look so familiar to me? My eyes squinted, trying to focus on him. I know him, but where from? Is it Aki’s memories melding with my own or something? The teacher looked to me, looking pleased to see me. “Aki, so good to see you back.”

“Thank you, sir,” I sat up straight, fixing my eyes as not to squint anymore.

“You might need to reintroduce yourself sir,” Kei laughed. “And introduce you daughter, before the girls explode with excitement.”

“Yes, the office did mention something,” he said, continuing to cradle his child. “I am Mr. Hashimoto, the little one hiding is my daughter Akemi.”

I felt my heart skip a beat. The noise in the room muffle as the class aid took hold of Akemi, taking her to the back of the class with her to sit at the vacant desk. I look behind, she was just like my Akemi, only younger. Before we got married, Akemi’s name was Hashimoto. This can’t be a mere coincidence, can it? A sharp pain stabbed me though my head, I groaned, grasping at it. Mr Hashimoto kneeling in front on me, putting a hand on my back. “Aki, are you okay?” he asked. I shook my head as the pain got worse. I’m currently sat in the same room as my wife, who is now a child. How am I meant to cope with this situation. “Kei, he has medication in the office. Can you escort him there and make sure he takes it?”

Kei helped me out of my seat, being careful with me as he escorted me out of the room and down the hallway to get my medication. Thinking back, I do remember a conversation between Akemi and I about our parents.

We were sat in the college library, in the corner on the lumpiest bean bags and with bag coffee chatting away. We hadn’t known each other long and I couldn’t really afford to take her on fancy dates but we were happy. The conversations of our parents came up naturally. “My dad was a high school teacher,” Akemi had a soft smile on her face. “He was a good dad, before he died.”

“Sorry to hear that,” I said leaning over to put a hand on her knee, giving it a light squeeze.

“He loved his work,” she continued to talk. “The once my school had to close, my mom wasn’t able to take me and dad have anyone else who could look after me, so my first day of high school happened when I was just a little kid.”

“Not many people can say that,” I laughed.

“I sat in the back, with colouring pencils with the class rep while dad just worked,” she explained. “Seeing my dad up there, was kind of inspiring you know. I loved that day.” She reached into her pocket, putting out her train pass. She handed it to me and my first thought was to flip it over, seeing a class photo, Akemi being held up by her dad with the students around them.

I stopped in the middle of the hallway, falling to my knees Kei calling out to me. I already had seen Mr. Hashimoto’s face before. I had seen the face of everyone in that class, all but Aki. I started to bawl my eyes out, my wife is in front of me again. My heart is filling up with happiness. Some twist of fate has brought me into the body to spent more time with Akemi. I can get to know the things she didn’t always share. “I didn’t think I'd see her again,” I cried, Kei kneeling beside me.

“Who Aki?” he questioned. “Dude, you're worrying me. See who again.”

“My wife,” I exclaimed looking up at Kei. I leant forward grabbing onto his uniform. “You have to listen to me and this is going to be hard.” I gulped, seeing the fearful look in Kei’s eyes. He must really have cared for Aki. “I’m not Aki, my name is Toshio and I’m a twenty-two-year-old business intern who’s been reborn into this body.”

“Aki, stop jo-”

“I’m not joking,” I cut him off. “This isn’t amnesia, I really am someone else!” I leant my head into his chest, continuing to cry, begging for him to believe me. “Please, please believe me. I’m scared.”

I gasped, feeling Kei wrap his arms around me. I just need a friend, please Kei, be the friend I need right now.