Riku Lancaster's words and the project title, "Application of Chaos Theory and Fractals in Designing Future Architectural Structures to Withstand Natural Disasters," still echoed in my head like a hammer striking repeatedly. I stood frozen, feeling as if I were sucked into a vortex of confusion, unable to breathe. My body was numb from head to toe, as if the world I once knew had distorted and shattered before my very eyes.
"What Chaos Theory are you talking about, Riku!" I blurted out, louder than I intended. The pent-up frustration burst out uncontrollably. "Our project is about Quantum Theory! Parallel Worlds! Lumine... Komori Lumine came up with this topic! She was sitting right there! In front of me!" I pointed frantically at the desk that was now Riku's, hoping someone would see what I saw.
Riku raised an eyebrow, looking at me then at the other friends with a mixture of surprise and amusement, but there was a hint of concern deep down. "Hey, hey, Leo, calm down, buddy. Didn't you sleep last night? Or did you read too much of that weird theory stuff and get confused? What Lumine? I've never heard that name, man. Ever since we paired up, we've only talked about earthquake-resistant building structures and those weird geometric shapes, right? You even said my idea was cooler than Zeno's alien hunting."
Ken quickly grabbed my arm, his face clearly showing deep concern. "Leo, that's enough, man. You don't look okay. Want to take a break? You're as pale as a boiled chicken."
"I'm okay!" I forcefully pulled my arm away, causing Ken to stumble slightly. "You guys are the ones who aren't okay! Why doesn't anyone remember Lumine! Zeno! You saw her too, didn't you! When I first went to talk to her about the project! You even teased me that she was beautiful, like a physics angel!"
Zeno scratched his head, looking at me with confused and slightly fearful eyes. His round eyes were wider than usual. "Lumine...? Physics angel? Leo, I think you really need to rest, man. Or did you secretly experiment with my dimension-traveling machine last night and the side effects are making you hallucinate?" Even though he tried to joke in his usual style, Zeno's eyes clearly showed worry. He glanced at Takumi and Ken, as if seeking their opinion.
Takumi, who was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, observing the situation silently with his usual calm expression, spoke in a cool but analytical tone. "Tsukino... your current condition is more interesting than your parallel world theory. Memories conflicting with the reality perceived by the majority... Is it a phenomenon called 'False Memory Syndrome'? Or perhaps you've actually slipped into a 'universe' where Lumine Komori doesn't exist, just like the Many-Worlds Interpretation you're interested in." He shook his head slightly. "But what's more likely is that you're just overly tired, leading to mental confusion." Takumi's words, though seemingly an objective analysis, reinforced the feeling that I was becoming crazy in everyone else's eyes.
Mr. Satoru sighed softly but firmly. His eyes behind the glasses looked at me with a mixture of sympathy and concern. "Tsukino-kun, I think you really need some rest." Mr. Satoru walked closer. I could feel a certain pressure from his presence. "I'll take you to the nurse's office. We can talk about the presentation later when you're feeling better."
"But my project... our project..." I tried to object, my voice starting to tremble. Despair began to gnaw at my heart. I looked around the classroom. The eyes of my classmates looked at me with pity, curiosity, or even a slight suspicion. No one... not a single person showed any sign of knowing or remembering Lumine.
On the way to the nurse's office, I kept muttering about Lumine, trying to explain everything that had happened to Mr. Satoru. Every memory was as clear as if it had just happened yesterday. Her smile, her soft laughter when we went to the cat cafe, the Valentine's Day chocolate she gave me... But it seemed Mr. Satoru was just listening and nodding occasionally to calm me down. He didn't question or show disbelief, but he didn't show belief either. It was an attitude that made me feel even more isolated.
Whispers from other students passing by reached my ears. "Isn't that Tsukino-kun from Class A? What happened to him?" "I heard he suddenly started shouting about a girl no one knows. He must be too stressed about exams." "Poor guy. Look how pale he is." Those words made me feel like an oddity, an abnormal person.
"There must be proof..." I muttered to myself repeatedly, trying to find anything in my bag again. But it was empty, except for the notebook whose contents had turned into Riku's architectural stuff and regular textbooks. Nothing indicated Lumine's existence. I tried opening my phone again, scrolling through contacts... Her name wasn't there. I opened the gallery... No pictures of her. The memories of exchanging Line IDs or taking a group photo at the cat cafe... Was it all just my imagination?
Upon reaching the nurse's office, the quiet atmosphere and the faint smell of medicine made me relax a little, but the confusion in my heart remained. Mr. Satoru briefly explained my condition to a beautiful young nurse. She was "Ms. Rise." Her long, purple hair was loosely tied, with some strands caressing her fair cheeks. Her sharp eyes behind red-framed glasses observed me thoughtfully. She looked efficient and professional, but there was something in her gaze that made me feel like she saw right through me, not just my physical state, but my mental state as well.
"It seems like accumulated stress and lack of rest," Ms. Rise said, picking up a thermometer. Her voice was gentle but firm. "There might be some mental confusion too. Let's take your temperature, Tsukino-kun. Sometimes, rest can make everything better." She didn't judge or look at me strangely like others, which made me feel a bit more at ease.
After Mr. Satoru entrusted me to Ms. Rise and returned to oversee the presentations, Ms. Rise had me lie down on a bed partitioned by a white curtain. She said I had a slight fever and really needed to rest.
I closed my eyes, trying to calm the turmoil in my head, but images of Lumine kept swirling. I lay staring at the blank white ceiling, my mind still filled with countless questions. Why did Ken act like Lumine didn't exist, even though he had teased me about her? Why couldn't Iris and Himari remember their close friend? Or were they playing a prank on me? No... that didn't make sense. Everything was so distorted that I started to doubt what was real and what was a dream.
Confusion and exhaustion overwhelmed me until I drifted off to sleep. In that dark and hazy dream, I saw Lumine standing alone in an empty world. She looked desolate and lonely. Her face was pale. I tried to shout her name, tried to run to her, but my body felt heavy, as if chained down. Then I heard her faint voice, a voice full of despair... "Help me... anyone..."
I woke up with a start, feeling a cold hand on my forehead. Ken, Zeno, and Takumi were standing there, looking at me with worried expressions. They must have visited during their lunch break.
"How are you, Leo? Ms. Rise said you have a fever," Ken asked first, his voice still tinged with concern.
"I... I dreamed of Lumine," I said, my voice hoarse. My mind was still dazed from the dream and the fever.
The three friends exchanged meaningful glances. Zeno looked like he was about to say something outlandishly Zeno-like, but Takumi shot him a sharp look to silence him.
Ms. Rise walked in just then, with a glass of water and medicine. "Oh, you're awake. Feeling better? Your fever is still a bit high. How about taking some medicine and resting a bit more?" She smiled at me gently. "Your friends are here to visit. See? You're still loved by your friends." Her words seemed like an indirect attempt to comfort me.
"Leo, are you still talking about... uh... that person?" Zeno couldn't help but ask, though he lowered his voice when he saw Ms. Rise's gaze.
"I'm not just talking about her... I really dreamed of her," I insisted.
Takumi sighed softly. "Tsukino, dreams are just dreams. They're creations of our subconscious, possibly stemming from stress, desires, or jumbled memories."
"But my dream... it..." I wanted to say it felt too real, but I knew no one would believe me.
Ms. Rise looked at us, then said, "Sometimes... a weakened body can lead to confused memories, Tsukino-kun. Right now, the most important thing is to get enough rest. When your body is stronger, your mind will be clearer, and your thoughts will be more lucid." She looked at me with an unreadable expression. "Well, if you really don't feel up to it and want to go home and rest, I can call your parents."
I nodded weakly, feeling like my brain was about to explode. No matter how I tried to explain, no one understood or believed what I was saying. I felt more alone than I ever had before.
Soon, my mom rushed into the nurse's office, her face frantic. Ms. Rise must have called her. Seeing me lying weak on the bed, Mom's face turned even paler. Her eyes widened with shock and extreme worry. "Leo! What happened to you! Why do you look so terrible! You were fine this morning, weren't you!" Mom gently touched my forehead, her voice trembling with anxiety.
I had no strength to answer. I just let Mom support me home. On the way back, I sat listlessly in the car, like a disembodied spirit. Mom tried to talk to me, asking about my symptoms in detail, but I answered vaguely. The words were stuck in my throat. How could I explain about Lumine to Mom when even my close friends who saw her every day couldn't remember her?
Once home, I collapsed onto my bed, like someone who had lost all will to live. My body was heavy, my mind numb. I couldn't sleep, no matter how heavy my eyelids felt. Thoughts of Lumine kept swirling in my head. I tried to recall everything, over and over. Something had to be wrong. I wasn't the type to imagine such elaborate stories.
With what little strength I had, I decided to grab my old notebook, the one I often used to jot down random ideas. I had to record this before it faded from my own memory, or before the world erased her even more. I flipped to a blank page, trying to gather my scattered thoughts, forcing my trembling hand to put pen to paper.
I started writing down everything I remembered about Lumine Komori in detail. Her name, her unique mannerisms, her dark brown eyes that often hid a myriad of emotions but also held a sparkle of curiosity and a touch of sorrow. Her golden-brown hair, long enough to reach her upper back, that would sway gently when she moved. The faint scent of lavender shampoo I would often catch when she sat in front of me in class.
I wrote about the first day we were paired for the science project. The initial awkwardness where we both remained silent, but then the conversation about quantum theory and parallel worlds slowly melted the ice between us. The way her eyes sparkled like never before when she talked about subjects she was passionate about. Her rare smile, more precious than an astronomical phenomenon, but when it appeared, it would instantly brighten my entire world.
I wrote about Valentine's Day, and the homemade planet-shaped chocolates she had meticulously made for me. The rich yet subtly sweet taste that I could still recall. The warmth that spread through my heart then. I wrote about the day she confided in me at the coffee shop, about her father's expectations and the memory of her mother. Her tears that day were still a vivid image in my mind, and my clumsy attempts to comfort her.
And the last day we met at the public library. Her words that still echoed in my heart...
"...all these past months... working with you... it meant a lot to me..."
"...you made me feel that... maybe I'm not always alone in this world. Thank you... thank you for being patient with me, and for being by my side all this time."
Every word, every action, it was too clear to be just imagination. I definitely wasn't going crazy. The feelings I had for her... they weren't something I could fabricate.
"Komori Lumine..." I wrote her name in large letters on the page of my notebook, as if to engrave it into my memory as deeply as possible, before exhaustion and the fever pulled my consciousness into the depths of sleep once more. I hugged the notebook tightly to my chest, as if it were the only thing connecting me to her.
And in that dream... I heard her voice again, clearer than before... It wasn't the faint, desperate voice from before, but a call directed specifically at me...
"Leo... help me..."
I jolted awake in the middle of the night, drenched in sweat, my heart pounding like a drum. That voice still echoed in my ears. "Leo... help me." She called my name... Lumine called my name! It wasn't just a vague cry anymore!
The memories from yesterday, which had almost faded due to confusion and illness, started to become clear again, rapidly. I quickly grabbed the notebook from beside my pillow and opened it frantically, flipping to the page where I had written about Lumine... The name "Komori Lumine" that I had written in large letters... the ink looked fainter than before! It wasn't just my imagination; it was as if someone had lightly erased it, though traces still remained. It was really fading!
"No..." I mumbled, fear gripping my heart. If I didn't do something, Lumine would truly disappear from my memory, and perhaps... from this world too.
I sprang out of bed, momentarily shaking off the fatigue. A surge of determination coursed through me. I had to find other, more tangible "evidence." Evidence that would confirm her existence in the real world, not just in my memories or dreams. I started searching my room frantically, ransacking every nook and cranny. Wardrobe, desk drawers, bookshelves...
Then my eyes fell on a pile of documents on my bookshelf. The summarized project notes Lumine had given me when I was sick with the flu weeks ago! I remembered clearly bringing them home to review and then placing them with other papers!
I rushed to grab them with trembling hands. Yes! Her familiar, neat handwriting. The small, illustrative diagrams drawn with care, much clearer than in any textbook... They were still here! Though the paper looked a bit older than I remembered, and her handwriting also seemed... slightly fainter, like the ink in my notebook. But it was still her handwriting! I remembered every stroke, every curve, every detail!
"Found it..." I sank to the floor, clutching the stack of notes to my chest as if it were the most precious treasure in the world. Tears started to flow uncontrollably. They weren't tears of sorrow or despair, but tears of relief and hope. "Lumine... you're still here... I'm not crazy after all."
Her calling my name in the dream... Her fading name in my diary... And this stack of project notes...
This was all the evidence I had right now. But it was more than enough to confirm that Lumine Komori was real, and she genuinely needed my help.
I didn't know what had happened to her, or why everyone had forgotten her. But I would never forget her. And I had to find a way to help her... no matter what it took. A feeling stronger than fear or confusion was building up inside me. It was a bond... and a responsibility.
I took a deep breath, trying to gather my wits. I needed a plan. What could I do in this situation? Where would I start? Her disappearance and everyone forgetting her, it wasn't normal. There had to be more to it.