I opened my eyes and stared at white tiles.
The kind you see in hospital bathrooms. Or those depressing government ones. The exact same kind we had in my academy.
I blinked and looked around.
This… looks like my senior academy bathroom.
That didn't make any sense.
Why the hell would I be in my senior academy bathroom? I graduated years ago. And why was I inside a stall… sitting on the toilet?
I frowned and shifted slightly.
I never take a dump anywhere except my own house.
Yeah. I must be dreaming.
Still… Why would I dream about my academy of all places?
Then I remembered what I'd been thinking about last night. About how smart I used to be back then. Back when teachers actually expected something from me.
And how, somewhere along the way, my life turned into an absolute mess.
Remembering that made me feel a little depressed.
I shook my head. No point getting upset even in a dream.
With a sigh, I pushed the stall door open and stepped out. If this was a dream, I might as well wash my hands.
Yeah, even in dreams I cared about hygiene.
I walked to the sink and turned on the tap. Cold water ran over my hands while I rubbed them together. The tiles were still the same depressing white.
After a moment I looked up at the mirror.
And froze.
The face staring back at me wasn't the one I expected.
It was… me.
Or at least a younger version of me.
Short black hair parted to the side. A squarish young face. Cheeks that still carried the marks of puberty but not a single beard hair. Brown eyes. Wide forehead. Small nose.
I leaned closer to the mirror.
"Huh."
You're not supposed to see reflections in dreams.
"Damn… what a lucid dream."
I looked down at myself.
White shirt. Grey pants. A grey-and-white striped tie.
I nodded slightly.
"Hmm. I look pretty smart."
Then I noticed the card hanging around my neck.
Right.
Our academy used to make us wear these.
I picked it up and read it.
Name: Joe Marzi
Age: 18
Class: 12-B
I blinked.
Wait… you're not supposed to be able to read in dreams either.
Frowning, I turned and started walking toward the bathroom exit.
And immediately slipped.
My foot slid on something wet and I crashed hard onto the depressing white tiles.
"Fuck—!"
Pain shot through my side.
"Ahh… that hurt."
I looked down at the floor.
Did I just slip on someone's pee?
Seriously? Why the hell would someone pee here instead of the urinal?
Fucking teenagers.
I pushed myself up, still wincing.
"Damn… that actually hurt."
I paused.
Wait.
You're not supposed to feel pain in dreams either.
A strange feeling crept into my chest.
I slowly turned back toward the mirror.
Standing in front of it again, I stared at my reflection more carefully.
"...What the hell?"
I could see every detail. Individual strands of hair. Every tiny mark on my face.
My heart started beating faster.
To test it, I raised my hand and slapped myself across the cheek.
Smack.
My cheek burned.
When I looked back at the mirror, a red mark was already forming.
But I didn't wake up.
Fuck i regressed why ?how? Fuck me.
Huh… why am I freaking out?
My life sucked before. Or… in the future, I guess.
But now?
Now I've been given a second chance.
A slow grin spread across my face.
"This is great," I muttered to myself. "Seriously… this is great."
Still smiling, I pushed open the bathroom door and stepped into the hallway.
The familiar smell hit me immediately.
Old floor cleaner mixed with sweat, cheap deodorant, and that weird scent that only exists in crowded academies.
"The smell of teen spirit," I chuckled under my breath.
Alright. Focus.
If I remembered correctly, my class during senior year was in room 304.
I started walking down the hallway, trying to remember the layout of the building.
As I passed classrooms, I peeked inside a few.
Some were loud, students talking over each other while the teacher tried to regain control. Others were quiet, everyone focused on the lesson.
The uniforms were the same as mine. Guys in white shirts and grey pants. Girls in grey skirts with the same striped tie.
Seeing it all again felt… strange.
This used to be my normal life.
Or technically… It was my life again.
"Hmm," I murmured.
This time in my life hadn't been amazing, but it wasn't terrible either.
I've had some good times here.
Turning the corner, I froze.
A guy and a girl were pressed against the wall, completely wrapped up in each other, making out like the hallway belonged to them.
"Damn," I muttered under my breath.
In the hallway? Seriously?
These two were either incredibly brave or incredibly stupid. Anyone could walk by at any moment.
I shook my head.
"Someone's definitely getting caught today."
Just as the thought crossed my mind, I heard footsteps echoing down the corridor.
Slow. Sharp. Familiar.
I leaned slightly to look down the hallway.
And immediately recognized who it was.
Miss Steven.
"...Oh, they're screwed."
Most teachers left some kind of impression on you. Some were nice. Some were forgettable.
Miss Steven?
Her impression was simple.
Strict and sadistic.
Painfully strict.
And if there was one thing she absolutely hated, it was students 'fornicating' around in the hallways during class time.
I glanced back at the couple.
They still hadn't noticed her.
Yeah.
They were about to have a very bad day.
Miss Steven stopped a few steps behind them.
Neither of the students noticed. They were too busy with each other, pressed against the wall and completely lost in the moment.
I slowed down and leaned casually against the wall farther down the hallway, pretending I wasn't watching.
Damn. They are really going at it.
A small, amused grin crept onto my face.
Man… tomorrow's gossip is going to be incredible.
I shook my head to myself.
I didn't realize how much I'd missed this part of being young.
Miss Steven stood there for a second, clearly waiting for them to notice her.
They didn't.
Finally, she cleared her throat.
"Ahem."
The girl's eyes snapped open.
For a moment she just stared, confused.
Then she saw the teacher standing right in front of them.
She pushed the boy away and stepped back so fast she almost lost her balance.
The guy blinked at her, completely confused.
"What—?"
Then he turned his head.
Miss Steven stood there with her arms crossed, watching them with a cold, unimpressed expression.