Chapter 4 – Lemme Take Nap
Ding-dong, ding-dong…
The school bell rang, echoing throughout the building like the tolling of some cursed clock tower that signaled the start of another painful day in my high school life.
I opened one eye.
Ugh… It's class time already?
I groaned and lazily stretched my arms on the desk. I had managed to sneak in a tiny nap before class started—probably ten minutes of blessed darkness—but my body still felt like I'd just crawled out of a grave.
"Hey, Isagi. You awake yet?" a familiar, annoying voice buzzed beside me.
Kouta.
Of course.
He was already at full power, yapping away as usual.
"You know, I started this new manhwa last night... super awesome stuff, man! The main character's totally busted! Like one slap and—BOOM—the enemy flies into the sun!"
I sighed.
"Manhwa… manga… what's even the difference?" I muttered, rubbing my sleepy eyes.
Kouta gasped like I'd insulted his religion.
"Bro. Bro. There's a huge difference! Manhwa is Korean, manga is Japanese! Totally different cultures, different vibes, different reading direction! Manhwa scrolls down on your phone! Manga reads right to left! C'mon, man, this is basic stuff!"
I stared at him.
"So... basically, it's comics but in another language?"
"Don't reduce it to that!!" he wailed dramatically, like I'd kicked a puppy.
I rested my cheek on my desk again, closing my eyes. Kouta's voice continued rambling on and on about some ridiculously overpowered main character from his new obsession. Something about the MC being so strong that they could wipe out an entire army with just a sneeze or something equally absurd.
Meanwhile... I was waiting for the teacher to arrive.
But the classroom door remained empty.
Where's the teacher? Late? Absent?
Maybe they died. Wouldn't that be great? Extra nap time unlocked.
I peeked one eye open.
Still no teacher.
The class was starting to get noisy—everyone talking, giggling, doing their own thing since the boss wasn't here yet.
Hmm.
Maybe... maybe this is my chance to finally rest properly.
"Oi, Kouta," I mumbled without lifting my head, "I'm gonna sleep for a bit. Don't bother me."
"Huh? You're already going back to sleep? You just woke up, man. You're like a grandpa."
"Shut up. Didn't sleep at all last night," I grumbled.
"...Aww, man. What, playing games secretly without telling me? Or were you watching adult anime stuff, huh?"
"...I'll kill you."
He laughed and waved his hand like it was no big deal, pulling out his phone from his bag and plugging in his earphones.
"Whatever, man. I'm gonna catch up on some Magical Knight Disaster episodes then. The swimsuit episode just dropped, bro. Peak content."
I gave up.
Whatever. Let him rot his brain with anime girls in bikinis.
All I wanted was to sleep.
Just close my eyes for a moment... let the darkness take me...
...I couldn't sleep last night because of her.
Airi.
That damn little demon disguised as a ten-year-old girl.
Clinging to me like I was her personal stuffed toy. Mumbling "future husband~" in her sleep with the purest smile on her face. Curling up against me like a kitten.
Why the hell was that so cute?!
Stop. Stop thinking about her, idiot.
You'll get arrested by the thought police.
"...Tch..." I clicked my tongue softly and buried my face deeper into my arms.
Sleep. I need sleep. No lolis. No trouble. Just peaceful, dreamless void.
I took a deep breath.
The classroom noise faded. Kouta's whispered giggles at his phone anime disappeared. The world slipped away.
...
...
…Until I felt something soft bump my side.
...Eh?
No way.
I slowly opened my eyes.
"Haruhiii~"
...That voice.
I turned my head slightly.
Standing beside my desk, looking down at me with big, sparkling eyes... was Airi.
In her little elementary school uniform.
In my high school classroom.
"...What. The. Hell." I whispered.
"Found you~! My darling husband!" she beamed happily.
I could already feel Kouta's stare boring into my skull.
Oh God.
Oh no.
Why is she here?!
Why is this happening to me?!
I wasn't dreaming.
My suffering was real.
My peaceful nap... destroyed.
This life... truly cursed.