A few days later, Arashi finally returned to school. His body had healed, but his mind was still processing everything.
He walked through the gates, fully prepared, because he already knew what awaited him—his friends were going to bombard him with questions. And, just as he expected, the moment he stepped into the classroom, his friends surrounded him.
"Bro! How did you pull that off?" "Is it true? Like… actually true?" "We are not going to believe a single rumor until you give us prove."
Arashi stayed quiet for a moment before raising his hand. "One question at a time."
"Alright then," Takumi said, "tell us how you did it."
Arashi smirked. "Simple… talent."
His friends groaned in unison. "Come on, man! Tell us properly—in detail!"
Arashi sighed, took a deep breath, and finally explained.
"I sit near the door, so when the teacher sent Steve outside, I overheard their conversation about what they were planning next. I thought it through and came up with an idea. Using the excuse of borrowing a notebook, I explained my plan to my deskmate, Kuze.
I told him: when break starts, you need to take my phone from my bag, turn on the video recording, and also set up your own phone. Make sure one camera records from the front and another from the back. He agreed—and he did exactly that.
When the break started, I deliberately took out my notebook. I had to make Steve and his group believe that I didn't know about their plan. Meanwhile, I went to the teacher and explained everything—that Steve and his group were planning to beat me up. At first, sir didn't believe me. But then I pointed at them standing right outside. Once he saw for himself, he realized I wasn't lying.
So, I asked him to bring the P.E teacher with him to the class within two minutes. And that's exactly what happened.
But… unexpectedly, Steve completely lost it. He was so furious that he threw a chair at me."
Arashi pulled out his phone and showed them the video—Steve throwing the chair, the confrontation, the teacher rushing in, everything.
His friends stared in shock. "No way…""You actually pulled this off?" "Man, it's hard to believe—even though we saw it with our own eyes."
Arashi gave a smile. "Yeah… it's hard for me too. But it is what it is."
Hina asked Arashi what had happened at the hospital.
"Nothing much," he replied casually. "Just Steve and his mom came to apologize."
"And after that?" one of his friends pressed.
"That's it. Nothing else. Anyway, class is about to start."
"Uhh, man, no fair!" his friends groaned, clearly wanting more details.
Just then, the teacher entered the classroom, saving Arashi from more questions. "Arashi, how are you feeling now?" He asked with concern.
"I'm fine now, teacher," Arashi answered politely.
"That's good to hear," he smiled before beginning the lesson.
Time passed, and soon it was break. Arashi and his friends headed to the cafeteria. But the moment they entered, Arashi noticed something unsettling—everyone's eyes were on him.
He felt his stomach twist. It wasn't just the stares. It was the whispers, the curious glances, and the way people pointed at him when they thought he wouldn't notice. Arashi hated attention. It made him feel like he was standing under a spotlight with nowhere to hide. And deep down, there were other reasons too: he didn't want people treating him like he was some kind of hero, he feared new rumors starting, and worst of all, he hated the thought of his quiet school life turning into a stage for gossip.
Trying to ignore it, Arashi grabbed his tray of food and whispered to his friends, "Please… let's go somewhere else. Everyone's staring at us."
"Why?" Satoru teased. "What's the big deal? Enjoy the fame, man!"
Arashi shot him a glare. His friends chuckled, trying to mess with him, but eventually they gave in. "Alright, alright. Let's go."
They climbed the stairs that led up to the roof. Hardly anyone used them, so it was the perfect quiet place. Sitting down on the steps, they finally began eating in peace.
After a while, Satoru let out a deep sigh. "Guys… I really miss my girlfriend. It's been way too long since I last talked to her. I miss her smile, the way she scolds me, the way she—"
Takumi smirked and leaned back. "Hear what Hina said to me the other day, and you'll be jealous."
Hina's face instantly turned crimson. She slapped her hand over his mouth. "Takumi! Don't you dare! Or else you'll die."
"Mmmph—!" Takumi tried to protest, but her glare was enough to silence him.
Arashi and Satoru exchanged mischievous grins. "Ohhh, now we really want to know," Arashi teased.
"Yeah, tell us! Tell us, tell us, tell us!"
"No way!" Hina crossed her arms, flustered. "Why would I tell you two idiots? You'll just laugh!"
"We promise we won't!" Arashi said quickly. "Come on, Hinaaa" Satoru pleaded. "We're curious!"
"Fine… Takumi, you tell them."
Takumi blinked, then chuckled. Leaning forward, he said, "She told me that she feels safest when she's with me… that even if the whole world falls apart, as long as I'm there, she'll be fine and hugged him."
Arashi and Satoru froze, their jaws dropping
"Ohhhhhhhhhhh! No way…""Bro, that's… actually so cringe."
Hina's blush deepened until even her ears turned red. She turned away, covering her face."Ughhh! I knew you'd just make fun of me!"
And then—she ran.
Takumi stood frozen, guilt sinking in. "Man… I forgot she told me not to tell anyone. And here I am, running my mouth again… I really am just like other think of a loser and good-for-nothing trash."
Hina heard him. She stopped, turned back, and ran straight to him. She knew that Takumi wasn't joking—he meant every word.
Without hesitation, she threw her arms around him. Her voice was soft, trembling just a little. "Don't say that, Takumi… You're not trash. You're the reason I feel safe. And no matter what you think of yourself… to me, you'll always matter."
Takumi blinked, caught off guard, then slowly hugged her back. His usual playful smirk softened into something warmer. "Heh… guess I really did get lucky with you."
Satoru scratched the back of his head and leaned toward Arashi. "Uh… Arashi, I feel like we're kinda out of place here. Maybe we should, y'know… give them some space?"
Arashi smirked, whispering back, "Yeah… third-wheeling level: maximum."
Satoru stood up and stretched. "Alright… we'll leave you two lovebirds alone. No need to—"
"Wait." Takumi raised a hand. "Don't go."
Hina nodded quickly. "Yeah, seriously. Sit down. Whatever just happened is over. What's the point of leaving now?"
Satoru and Arashi exchanged glances. "Uh… I mean, we don't want to bother—"
"No excuses," Hina cut in firmly, almost like a teacher scolding her students. "Sit."
The two reluctantly sat back down, though Satoru looked amused. Arashi, however, shifted uncomfortably. For some reason, he suddenly felt more left out than ever. Listening to Satoru, watching Takumi and Hina… he couldn't help wishing he had someone like that too. Someone who cared, who took his side, who made him feel like he mattered.
Takumi noticed the silence and leaned toward him with a smirk. "Oi, Arashi. What about you? Got someone? C'mon, spill it."
Satoru grinned, backing him up."Yeah, don't hide it. There's gotta be someone."
Arashi waved his hand dismissively. "No, no. I'm not into that stuff. I don't need anyone right now."
But his face betrayed him. His forced grin, the way his eyes shifted—it was obvious.
Takumi and Satoru glanced at each other, then whispered in unison. "Bro… at least learn how to lie properly. Your whole face screams the truth."
Arashi frowned. "You guys are imagining things. There's nothing like that."
Before he could defend himself further, Hina leaned in, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "Ohhh, guys he has one already, he is just waiting for right moment. Just tell us her name. Her phone number. Her blood type. Favorite color. Pet. Shoe size—"
"H-Hey! Knock it off!" Arashi's ears turned red as he waved his hands frantically. "I'm telling you, there's nobody! Geez…"
The bell rang, cutting the teasing short. Break was over. They all packed up and headed back to class.
—
Later that afternoon, school finally ended. Arashi slung his bag over his shoulder, waved goodbye to the others, and started walking home. His house wasn't far, and he actually liked walking—it cleared his head.
With his phone in hand, he lazily scrolled through videos as he walked. One clip caught his eye: two friends sitting together, talking. At one point, one of them stood up and said, "I'm going to sleep. She's waiting for me."
The video cut, and suddenly a faceless girl appeared.
Arashi stopped walking for a second, then snorted. "Huh. Lol. People make this stuff up just to feel special. If you're lonely, just get a real girlfriend. No need to act like some fantasy girl's visiting you in dreams."
Shaking his head, he pocketed his phone and continued home.
Dinner.Games.A couple episodes of anime.
And then, bedtime.
Arashi lay in bed, staring at the ceiling. No matter what he did—turning left, right, pulling the blanket up, tossing it off—sleep just wouldn't come. His mind kept replaying his friends' voices from earlier. Takumi, Hina, Satoru… all laughing, teasing each other. They had someone.
And him?
He clenched his fists .If only… someone was mine too. Someone who cared. Someone who would take my side.
With a sigh, Arashi finally closed his eyes.
But then… something strange happened.
His vision shifted. He could see himself from above—his own body lying still on the bed. What the…?
Arashi panicked. He looked around frantically, heart pounding. That's when he noticed it.
In the corner of his dark room… something sat.
Its figure was twisted, hunched, like a shadow given shape. The longer he stared, the more wrong it looked—limbs too thin, head tilted unnaturally, and two faint, glowing eyes locked straight on him.
The thing didn't blink. It didn't move. It just watched.
Then—It started walking toward him. Not like a normal person. Each step was jerky, broken, like a puppet being dragged by invisible strings.
Arashi tried to scream. Tried to move. But his body didn't respond. He was frozen, completely helpless, as the shadow-creature came closer… and closer…
And then—darkness.
When he opened his eyes again, he wasn't in his bed anymore.
Instead, he stood in a vast field. The sky glowed softly blue, filled with drifting light. Flowers stretched endlessly in every direction, swaying gently with the wind.
And at the center of it all…
A girl sat alone.
Her black hair flowed like silk in the breeze. But her face was hidden behind a glowing white light, masking every single feature.
Arashi froze. His throat tightened, but he forced himself to speak.
"Um… excuse me?" he said quietly. "Where am I? Why am i here? What just happened? And… what am I doing here?"
Silence.
Then, in a calm voice, the girl said: "One question at a time."
Arashi blinked. His eyes widened. That was… exactly what he had told his friends earlier. Instant karma.
He immediately lowered his head. "S-Sorry. I didn't mean to sound disrespectful."
The girl paused, then replied gently: "You're in a field. Can't you see?"
Arashi scratched the back of his head, embarrassed. "What… am I doing here?"
"I called you."
"Called me?" Arashi repeated, confused. "But… who are you?"
The girl tilted her head slightly. The glowing light still masked her face.
"I am the one you didn't believe in."
Arashi's eyes widened. Wait… I've seen her before. In a dream. But I ignored her… and forgot.
Now he remembered.
"O-Okay… fine. I believe you now," Arashi muttered. "But since I know this is a dream, I can control it, right? Let's have some fun."
He focused hard. Tried to fly. Nothing.
He jumped again. Still nothing.
"What…? Why can't I control anything?"
"Because this isn't a dream you control," she whispered softly. "This dream is controlled by me. Not you."
Arashi narrowed his eyes. "Then I'll just force myself to up."
"Try."
He shut his eyes tight, forcing himself to wake up. Nothing happened.
He started to panic. "What do you want from me?"
The girl tilted her head again. "Just to talk. I'm going to meet you again. In one month."
"One month?" Arashi laughed nervously. "That's nonsense. You're not real."
The girl leaned forward, her glowing face closer than before. Her voice softened to a whisper: "You don't know anything about me."
She leaned forward, her voice whisper. "I like you."
Arashi blinked. His cheeks flushed with color. She giggled softly, tilting her head. "Your heart just skipped a beat, didn't it? Hehe… you're so easy to read."
Arashi was blushing so hard his whole face turned red.
She's just in my dream. None of this matters… right?
"I appreciate that," he muttered. "But… you're not real. It's just a dream."
The girl gave a small smile. "You'll see. I wanted to tell you something important. Arashi, I want to tell you that —"
BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!
His alarm exploded in his ears.
Arashi's eyes shot open. He sat up in bed, breathing hard.
The dream was gone. But the words still echoed. "You don't know anything about me…"
He rubbed his face, dazed. Something about it… felt too real. Too alive. Too… unfinished.
Q