"A girl… What's so important about this girl? It… feels… like…"
The vision began to fade, along with it the feeling.
"Wait!"
Drip.
My arm shot out, my fingers stretching out as I reached for the image. Even though I didn't understand why, I felt I could not lose the source of this feeling.
Splash.
My eyes widened, realizing I had somehow made it to the surface. I climbed up, gripping the water like a hiker against a cliffside. With a single glance backwards, I found that the waters had parted, forming some kind of abyss of nothingness.
I looked back up at the sky, wondering if a rip had been created in the world I was in, but the moon was still perfectly intact, minus the fact half of it was gone.
Drip.
Water streamed off my body. It felt as if I was constantly sweating rivers. It wasn't a pleasant feeling of any accord.
"Yu-ru-i-chi!"
The voice echoed around me. It was distinctly different from the one before.
"I know that voice…"
I stood to my feet, wobbling to the side as my weight swayed around my center of gravity. Taking in a deep breath, I inhaled and ran forwards. Like a bullet, I rocketed towards the ongoing battle between the copies of light and darkness.
In an instant, I grabbed one of the dark ones by the throat. Why? I was not sure. But all I wanted was to get out of this dream.
However, as soon as I grabbed it, thousands of voices began to echo in my head. Voices that sounded ironically familiar. Memories…?
Screaming internally, I let out a shout.
"SHUT UP!"
And I crushed the clone's throat. It immediately disintegrated into tiny shards. These particle-like pieces refracted the moon's light, enveloping my pupils in pure white. Shutting my eyes, I shielded myself with my arm.
…
I opened my eyes again, only to find myself in a bed as a pure white sheet flapped in front of my face. It had just been yanked off of me.
Pale curtains surrounded me,
"The nurse's office?"
"Yep. This is the nurse's office."
Two girls stood at my bedside. One wore a face of anger, the other a face of joy.
"Mori…? And… the girl from the library."
"Huehuehue. Seems despite your strength, your stamina leaves much to be desired, mister transfer."
The library girl chuckled, the tips of her fingers covering her mouth as if to 'hide' the big smirk on her face.
"This is the president of the Tea Time Book Club, Mashiro Kiwusawa."
"Tea Time Book Club?"
I looked at them skeptically. The idea of such a club didn't match the usual clubs that my mental records told of.
"Mhm. We got permission to use the library as a club room after school hours. In return, we continue to take library duty during lunch." Kiwusawa replied, swinging her arms behind her back and leaning forward, twirling about without a care in the world. "Huehuehue. Perhaps, mister transfer would like to join our club?"
"Sure."
"Eh?" Kiwusawa nearly tripped over her own feet, having been caught off guard by my immediate response. "R-Really?"
"Yeah. If It'll get Miss Mori here off my back about joining a club. Then I don't see why not."
"So you were paying attention to me earlier!" Mori pouted, bonking my head lightly with her fist.
Ignoring her feeble attack, I continued to talk to Kiwusawa.
"So who else is in this club?"
"Well…"
…
Ding dong.
The bell signaled the end of the final class of the day.
I, stretching my arms back, let out a sigh as I leaned back in my seat. My fluffy white hair draped down behind me as the spring breeze brought the smell of flower blossoms through the window.
I gazed out the window, enjoying the vibrant scenery of the city. The reflective, towering walls of the skyscrapers seemed to refract light in such a way that the wondrous blue above was multiplied across many angles.
Then, there was…
Looking to the school yard, many students made their casual exits out the front gate.
The calmness was nothing to speak lightly of, nor anything to complain about. However, there was something else— Yes, that.
The small perfectly square slip of paper I held in my head read '4:00' whilst the clock on the wall read '3:56'.
"I still have time. Guess I'll take care of this and check out the club after."
Standing up, I stood by the window, reading over the note once again.
"This just says 'near the baseball field'."
~The memories and intel I have now never mention a baseball field of any kind…
"The baseball field is to the right side of the school."
Mori approached me from behind, answering my untold question.
"That makes things much easier. Thanks, Mori."
"No problem. Why do you need to- HEY! WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?"
Mori quickly stops her question as she watches me hop onto the edge of the window, immediately changing it as her voice wells up in panic.
"I need to save some time."
"You'll kill yourself doing that, get down from there!"
I stared at her with that same old blank face. I, at first, had no idea what she was talking about.
~I'm a god. A fall from this height is nowhere near enough to kill me.
Those were my first thoughts at her reaction. Then I remembered…
~Ah right. Humans could die from this height. Could though. If built well enough one could survive a three story drop with a bit of luck.
That was my second thought and likely should have been my conclusion. However, I wanted to meet these club members and going the long way around would take too much time. Even if I were to use magic to enhance my speed, I'd draw too much attention.
So the new conclusion I formulated considered doing it this way would be faster and would draw less attention. My calculations were flawless, except for one factor: Mori.
There were, however, no other factors as the rest of our class had already left. I could see some of them walking out the front gate outside at that very moment.
"Sorry, Mori." I gave her a sly smile and leapt off the window, disappearing into the bushes below.
Having created some distance from us, I turned around the corner of the school and glanced back at her. She stared down at the bushes for some time before rushing away in a hurry.
"She'll get over it… I think. Guess it doesn't matter either way, though."
Muttering to myself, I ran off towards the baseball field, just beyond a few trees.
…
~This place is huge. How did I miss it before?
Looking around the baseball field, I had arrived at my destination.
~Now… where are they? Also… come to think of it… How does a first year become captain of anything in junior high, anyways? Was he held back a grade?
"Hey! You actually showed!"
I spun around, looking at the boys before me. Among them, the blondie from before and two flunkies.
"Uh, yeah? So…?"
"Good!"
The blondie immediately formed a fist and threw a punch at me. Swerving to the side, I dodged his sudden attack with ease. To me, it appeared he was moving slowly.
~Humans are this slow? Sad.
Reaching out my arm to grab his, I found myself having a moment of hesitation. I knew I needed to hold back this time so I quickly changed my approach and strategically placed my foot in his path.
The boy tripped over it and fell face first into the pavement. I thrust out my arm during the midst of his fall, grabbing his shirt at the center of his back. Enhancing only the strength of my fingers, I gripped the shirt tightly, holding the boy up just before his fall was complete.
"You done?" I asked him.
There was no response. All I received were blank stares from the two that he brought along with him. Their eyes showed nothing but fear, their bodies completely frozen with disbelief.
I let out a small sigh. The sheer incompetence of these students, these humans was something new to behold. Much unlike the bright cityscape, it was not a pretty sight.
Crouching slightly, I gently set the boy down, letting go of his shirt and headed back into the school. With a raise of my hand and a sway of my palm, I spoke to them with a bit of a groan.
"I have somewhere to be."
…
Ssht.
I opened the library door, silently.
"You're late, mister transfer!"
Kiwusawa shouted with enthusiasm.
"Sorry, I had a prior agreement to take care of."
"Prior agreement, eh? Huehuehue. What could have held you up, I wonder?"
"We have a new member? Welcome to the club, dude!"
Looking amongst the members sitting and lounging around the small tables of the library, I counted three members. In front of me, the president of the club: Mashiro Kiwusawa. Leaning against the bookshelf, a dark haired boy in glasses with a calm, gentle smile. The third, at the table, a girl sipping tea in a most elegant manner; with one hand holding the handle with two fingers and a thumb, her pinky out and her other hand holding back a few strands of black hair. It greatly contrasted the long black sporty ponytail at the back of her head, coiling like a spring from a machine.
It was the boy who spoke to me in such a casual manner, however that was not what caught my attention. The wind blew gently into the room, bringing that now familiar scent of spring air. I found myself drawn to it, and out I looked.
"Ah."
~'Ah'?
My eyes dropped to the grass beneath me to find a girl whose appearance was breathtaking. And it was not her beauty or sheer cuteness that took my breath but rather her resemblance to the vision I had experienced earlier.
Blonde hair so pale it could be mistakenly white, eyes so deep and blue that it reminded me of a dark watery abyss, and a face so innocent and pure that I felt it would fall apart if I touched it.
It was her… It was definitely her. But what did this girl mean to me?
Our gazes locked as the breeze continued to blow against us.
The girl, chewing on a small piece of bread, muttered a single sound.
"Hh?"