The next morning, Leo Tsukino walked into school looking, to put it mildly, like he'd been through the wringer. Dark circles, like smudges of black paint, ringed his eyes, testament to a long night with barely a wink of sleep. His usually neat black hair was a touch more disheveled than normal, and his school uniform, typically crisp, bore a few wrinkles, mirroring his own tangled and weary state of mind. His three close friends, Ken Arisawa, Zeno Kazuma, and Takumi Yoshida, noticed his condition immediately. Even Riku Lancaster, the older student who was surprisingly early today, sat observing him with a curious, somewhat amused glint in his eye.
"Whoa, Leo, did you pull an all-nighter or something? You look like a panda, man," Ken greeted, lightly patting Leo's shoulder, his sharp eyes betraying concern. "You still not over that bug? Or is it still about… that girl…?"
Zeno, ever energetic, chimed in, "You sure you're okay, Leo? If you're really not up to it, you could just skip today and rest. Don't worry about school; I'll invent the 'Automated Leo School Attendance Robot V.2.1'! It can answer teachers' questions, take notes, and even make coffee! (Though the coffee flavor is still in the experimental phase, hahaha!)"
Riku Lancaster, casually chewing gum, interjected with his trademark drawl, "Hey, Leo, you look like you've seen a ghost. Or did you party too hard with some girl last night and get no sleep, huh? Haha." Though his tone was teasing, Riku's eyes held a spark of curiosity. He vaguely remembered Leo acting strangely yesterday, talking about someone he didn't know.
Takumi, leaning against the wall with his usual stoic expression, murmured, just loud enough for everyone to hear, "Consecutive days of substandard rest can impact the prefrontal cortex's ability to perceive and process information, Tsukino. Quality sleep should be considered."
Leo just shook his head, declining his friends' suggestions. Inwardly, he was still searching for any possibility, any trace of Lumine. The voice from his dream remained vivid, and the summary sheets with her fading handwriting were like an anchor for his belief. Suddenly, the group of girls in the corner, led by Himari Kanzaki and Iris Mikazuki, began to talk, their voices a little louder than usual, immediately catching Leo's attention.
"Hey, Iris-chan, I had the weirdest dream last night!" Himari began, her voice full of excitement, her round eyes sparkling. "I dreamt of this girl… she was so beautiful, you know? Her hair was this long, flowing golden-brown, like it had a soft golden glow. And when the wind blew, her hair just… billowed so beautifully, like in an anime!"
"And she seemed to be holding this really thick book, dark-covered, all the time. I don't know what it was, but she looked like she cherished it. And the strangest thing is… I kept smelling this faint scent of lavender, even though there weren't any flowers in the dream! But, well… her face wasn't very clear, like there was a thin veil of mist over it. And she looked so sad, like she was looking for someone, or was lost and all alone… But yeah, probably just a crazy dream. I've been watching too much sci-fi lately," Himari concluded with a giggle.
Leo froze. Long, flowing golden-brown hair… a thick book… the scent of lavender! It had to be Lumine Komori! No doubt about it! He almost jumped up to ask, but Iris Mikazuki spoke first, her voice its usual calm, though her well-defined eyebrows were slightly furrowed.
"I had a similar dream, Himari," Iris said, her misty gray eyes seeming to gaze at some distant point. "Not a clear person like you saw, but… it was a feeling, like I was drowning in incredibly complex equations. Quantum equations that seemed to describe the very structure of the universe. And there were images of beautiful, swirling nebulas alternating with the deep blackness of space. It felt like I was trying to solve something immensely important, but I couldn't find the answer. Just one tiny piece was missing. I felt… unsettled and frustrated, like there was something I should remember but couldn't." Though Iris spoke evenly, her eyes betrayed a hint of doubt.
Leo couldn't hold back any longer. He shot up from his seat and strode towards Iris and Himari's desks.
"What did you just say? You dreamed of a girl with golden-brown hair, Himari? And she was holding a book? And Iris, you dreamed of nebulas and quantum equations? It has to be her! Don't you see? That's Lumine! Komori Lumine! The one I was doing the project with!" Leo spoke in a rush, his voice a jumble of excitement and agitation.
"Leo-kun! Calm down!" Himari gently tugged at Leo's sleeve. "It was just a dream," but she couldn't help exchanging a questioning glance with Iris.
Iris stared at Leo coolly. "Tsukino-kun, dreams are just dreams. Don't mix things that can't be scientifically proven with reality," yet a trace of hesitation lingered in her eyes.
"But it's not just a coincidence!" Leo insisted. "I dreamed of her too! I dreamed she was asking for help! And yesterday, everyone completely forgot about her! Weren't you her close friends?!"
Riku whistled softly. "Whoa… looks like this is getting more intense. A mysterious disappearance, strange dreams… Or maybe this girl you're talking about is a ghost haunting Classroom 2-A, Leo?"
Himari pulled Leo to a corner. "Leo-kun… we really don't know anyone named Lumine. Maybe you're mistaken, or perhaps you could consult Ms. Rise at the nurse's office again? She seems very kind and understanding."
Himari's suggestion sparked an idea in Leo's mind. "Yes… Ms. Rise..."
Math class began with "Mr. Mikey," or Michael Yoshioka, a handsome young teacher popular with the female students. Leo sat staring blankly, getting called to solve a problem he couldn't focus on. Takumi tried to help, but Leo still fumbled. Mr. Mikey looked at him with understanding. "It's alright, Tsukino-kun. You don't seem very focused today. Is something troubling you? If you're not feeling well, you can come talk to me in the staff room during lunch."
The moment the bell rang, Leo headed straight for the nurse's office. He wanted to rest and, more importantly, talk to Ms. Rise. Riku clapped him on the shoulder. "Hey, buddy, still out of it? If it were me, if something bothered me that much, I'd go out and prove it!" Riku's thoughtless words unexpectedly struck a chord. "Prove it…"
At the nurse's office, Ms. Rise, the beautiful nurse with long purple hair, greeted him with her usual gentle smile.
"Oh, Tsukino-kun, you're back again. You don't look too well today."
"Uh… well, I'm not feeling very well, Ms. Rise. I feel like I might have a fever again, and… I haven't been sleeping well," Leo feigned illness.
After taking his temperature, Ms. Rise confirmed it wasn't high, but he did seem sleep-deprived. "How about taking a nap here?"
As Leo was about to lie down, he mustered his courage. "Ms. Rise… um… could I ask for your advice on something? It might sound a bit strange."
Ms. Rise looked at him with an unreadable expression but nodded. "Go ahead."
"Well… do you believe in… feelings that are so strong they can connect people? Like… even if they're not together, or even if… one person has disappeared, but that feeling still remains?"
Ms. Rise paused, then smiled mysteriously. "Human feelings are more complex than we think, Tsukino-kun. Especially 'connection' or 'love.' Some believe they're just chemical reactions, but others believe they are a form of energy, invisible to the eye, but felt by the heart."
Leo listened intently. "Do you think… if one person has very strong feelings for another, and suddenly the other person disappears from everyone's perception except the first person's… is it possible that those feelings could be… a key, or some kind of lingering trace?"
Ms. Rise brought him a glass of cold water. "It's like when we lose something important, isn't it? Even if others say it's gone, if it means a lot to us, we still feel its presence and try to find it, because the memories and feelings are still clear in our hearts, right?"
"And… what about dreams? If multiple people dream of similar things, about the person who disappeared…"
"Dreams…" Ms. Rise repeated. "They are a mysterious realm. Sometimes they reflect our subconscious desires or fears. But sometimes… they might be more. Maybe they are windows to other dimensions, or channels through which connected spirits try to communicate." She smiled faintly. "If you strongly believe in your feelings and memories, and if there are clues, why not try to find them, Tsukino-kun? Proving it to yourself might be better than being consumed by confusion. Maybe… the answer is waiting for you where you least expect."
Ms. Rise's words were like a light in Leo's darkened heart. "Thank you, Ms. Rise…" He felt an indescribable surge of encouragement. He knew what to do next.
Feeling a little stronger, Leo excused himself and went to find Zeno in the Science Club room. He found Zeno engrossed in his latest invention, a "Brainwave-to-Haiku Poetry Converter" involving an old bicycle helmet and tangled wires.
"Zeno! I have something important to discuss!" Leo burst out.
Zeno looked up. "Oh, Leo! Just thinking about you! Come try this! It's a 'Low-Frequency Synthetic Laughter Generator V.3'! Guaranteed to make the principal crack up during a parent-teacher conference! Hahaha!"
"Zeno! Not now!" Leo cut him off, then recounted his dream, Himari's and Iris's dreams, and Ms. Rise's advice. Zeno listened intently, eyes sparkling.
"Hmm… very interesting, my friend!" Zeno nodded vigorously. "Multiple people dreaming similar things, connected to the same person who vanished… It might not be just a coincidence! Ms. Rise was spot on! Feelings are energy!"
Zeno put down his soldering iron. "In quantum physics, buddy, there's 'Quantum Entanglement,' where two particles are deeply connected, even across universes! And the 'Many-Worlds Interpretation,' where every decision creates infinite parallel universes! Maybe… Lumine didn't disappear, but 'slipped' into another universe, or memories of her in our universe were 'erased' or 'overwritten,' except for those with strong enough bonds!"
Leo listened, engrossed.
"And the dreams?" Leo asked.
"Dreams!" Zeno snapped his fingers. "Windows to the subconscious! Or 'channels' for signals from other dimensions! Or 'radio waves' from Lumine's intense feelings! Think about it! What if a strong emotional bond, or love, can create 'frequency waves' powerful enough to cross dimensions? Love is the greatest energy in the universe, buddy! It can conquer time, traverse dimensions, create miracles! If your feelings for Lumine are strong and genuine, maybe they're the 'key'!"
"Feelings… love…" Leo repeated, picturing Lumine's face, her rare smile, her words on their last day… "Working with you… it meant a lot to me…"
Suddenly, a memory flashed vividly! The cat cafe… the place they met most often outside school… something they had joked about… the summary sheets at home… and her important notebook…
"The library!" Leo exclaimed. "That black notebook! The one with the nebula sticker! At the public library! Where she wrote everything about the project and… maybe her personal feelings! Where she talked about dreams being windows to parallel universes! She always sat in that same corner!" It was where they spent the most time on the project, where she'd opened up to him. And most importantly… he remembered she'd once left that notebook, and he'd kept it for her!
"Thanks so much, Zeno! You're truly amazing!" Leo said quickly, his heart pounding. "I have to go there!"
He bolted out of the Science Club room, leaving Zeno stunned. Zeno shrugged and returned to his "Banana Molecule Separator for Portable Nuclear Fusion Energy Generation V.0.5 (Alpha)," muttering, "Well… he's gone. Didn't even get to finish explaining alpha, beta, gamma waves… Guess I'll have to build a tracking device for Leo, just in case!"
Leo ran through the school corridors. The pieces were connecting: the dreams… Zeno's words… Ms. Rise's advice… Lumine's notes… his own notebook where her name was fading… and Lumine's final words.
He had to go to the public library… immediately! There had to be some evidence… her last trace… or perhaps… a "door" to all the answers!
Lumine's words echoed, "Maybe… our dreams are windows through which we get a glimpse into the lives of ourselves in parallel universes." The voice calling his name in his dream… perhaps it was from the other side of that window!
His heart was screaming… he was getting closer to her!