Two is one too many
What a good day for school!
Yeah, I can’t lie to myself. I’m really out here spending another day at school after graduating.
This morning was less awkward, thankfully. I even got try out authentic Japanese instant ramen, to the dismay of the mother. I even had to use memory regain as an excuse. It almost didn’t work since apparently, Akari didn’t eat instant ramen. What a boring life he led.
Wait. Is that Mary?
She’s walking right ahead of me… I’m surprised since not many people have blonde hair in this world. And as soon as I say that, she’s joined by two other blonde people. I assume they’re her friends. They do give off that vibe.
I got an excuse to not talk to her now… I really wanted to talk to her though but I’d rather not be a bother, and just like that… we’re in school. As much as I’m thankful to it for not making me look like a stalker… I’d have like more time to contemplate not talking to her.
Should I even think about this stuff at the moment? I’m pretty much borrowing a strangers body, all these people know me as Akari… even Mary… She’ll never know the true me. What even is the point? I guess my personality is still there but when you look like Akari, you’re given a lot more leeway… I think.
I will just leave her be, this is for the best anyway.
“Oh… hey.”, smiled Mary while looking back at me. Just what I feared.
“Since when have you been following me?”, she laughed. Wait... now’s my time to shine!
“For a while, you were talking with your friends.”, I gave off the most creepy smile possible. I don’t even think there’s anything creepy since we had the same path but you gotta do what you gotta do.
“Oh?” she kept on smiling as she got to her seat.
“Next time, say hi.”
“So I could just say hi?”, The words came out of my mouth without much thought. I guess I was that surprised.
She smiled again, “I don’t see why not?”
Well, she’s got a point there. I’ll just maintain more distance from next time.
I nodded. She took that as a yes. Thankfully she doesn’t read minds.
Maybe it would’ve been easier if she did…
We didn’t talk after that, sitting in our respective desks. So close yet so far…
What do I even talk to her about? I don’t know anything about her… To be fair it has only been a day, I’m getting way too infatuated. I’ll just focus on something else. Like the class!
Looks like the homeroom teacher’s here. My… parents did say that they will notify the school about my whole situation. Can’t wait to see how the teachers and students deal with another soul taking over Akari’s body…
The attendance went without a hitch, I guess they also took care about my absentee letter if this school has one.
“Akari, meet me outside the classroom.”, said the homeroom teacher.
There it is.
I ignore all the eyes that are upon me and go outside the class. The homeroom teacher was waiting for me, staring outside the window in the hallway. Is he trying to be dramatic?
“I heard about your amnesia from your parents…”
I’d assume so, since we’re having this talk.
“I assumed that it was a prank, when they were talking about amnesia that day…”
You could’ve just asked me but well, I guess I wouldn’t have either if I were in his place but then again I’m also not a teacher.
He came towards me, “Tell me anything you need. Alright?”
“Yes, sir.”
He nodded and left. People should really look at me and marvel at my ability of being social. I really don’t want to go back to class…
But I still do.
“Hey…”
I regret everything.
It’s that red haired guy.
“Hinata told me about your amnesia…”
So he didn’t believe me after all?
“I’m sorry…”, he looked at me awkwardly.
“It’s fine…”
“You probably forgot about my name. I’m Kuroki.”
He finally has a name. I could’ve found out about it during the class attendance call but I didn’t.
“Hello… I’m…”
“Akari… I know.”, he looked at me with regret. I almost introduced myself with my real name. I’m glad he stopped me. I feel like Akrai and he have some history. Not the friendly kind, the spicy kind I mean. Should I push?
“Hinata told me that we were friends?”
His eyes still show regret. So we weren’t friends anymore?
“Yes… we were…”
I don’t know if he’s sad because he essentially lost his friend or if there’s something else that I’m missing. This is Akari’s problem though. I am essentially Akari now… this is my problem? No. No it is not.
“I see…”, I put my head down instinctively. I want no part of this if I am being honest. Thankfully, the next teacher came into the class.
“I’ll… see you later.”, he muttered and waved a bye at me.
I nodded. I don’t know if he saw that or not.
“What was that about?”, asked Mary. Is she showing an interest in me… my life?
“Something related to amnesia…”
No… she isn’t.
She simply nodded. I guess she didn’t want to delve too deep into my personal life, or maybe it was a touchy subject. I would’ve told her everything though. Would’ve been funny.
Time passes away really slow when you’re in school. My memories kept returning to me. Mine, not Akari’s as I kept remembering stuff about the subjects that I learnt those years ago. This was boring, maybe if I assume that I failed high school and they’re making me repeat it… no, that’s just sad.
A random person came near me, “Hey, someone at the door is asking for you.”
What? Right, it’s break time now.
That someone, however, had black hair. So, she was probably an extra. I probably shouldn’t think this way…
I make my way towards her.
She smiled, “Akari? Please. Please. Please meet me on the rooftop in five minutes.”
Right. Akari is either being confessed to or murdered. Can’t wait to find out which.
I am actually curious. I doubt she’s going to harm me… but I’ll still be safe. I’ve always wondered what it’s like get confessed by someone… even if it’s not me, it’s still kind of me, right?
So I make my way to the top. They really love keeping the doors open, and no one except her is there. I have no idea why…
“Akari…”
Here it comes.
“Do you know you’re inside a manga right now?”
Huh?
Did I hear that correctly?
Now, that’s a confession alright. Just not the one I wanted to hear… Alright, maybe I did want a confirmation but… how does she know?
I look at her as seriously as possible. She, however, keeps smiling as she puts her hands behind her back and goes towards the edge of the roof. There’s a caged wall there, because obviously there is.
“I know that this might come as a surprise…”
Might? If I were the real Akari, there would’ve been nothing right about this. I doubt he’d have believed her to begin with, he could’ve bolted away by now.
“You’re one of the main leads in a manga I loved reading.”, she turned back and started to walk towards me.
So, my guess was right.
“You don’t seem that… surprised?”
I mean… I’m not, but there’s no need to give that away.
“Oh no… it’s just too much of a shock for me to process…”
I wasn’t known for my acting skills.
“Right…”, she smiled. Was my jig up?
“You were always like this… Others would doubt, but not you. You always believed in others.”
Is she mocking me?
“Which is also why…”, she sat down on one of the benches. I guess people do come here often enough for there to be benches here.
“…you’re my favourite character.”, she smiled right towards me.
I have to count my lucky stars. She knows about the story and she apparently likes Akari. So I could probably get some information out of her.
I sit on another bench right next to the bench she’s sitting on. She gets up and sits on my bench. Alright, I don’t feel comfortable but…
“So… How does this story go…?”
I had to ask her that; she’s my only clue.
She smiled, “I’m Nari.”
Ahh, I never asked her name.
“Your real name…?”
“Yes.”, she nodded.
“And what is… this body of yours called?”
That felt weird to say.
“Nari.”
“Nari? Really?”
She laughed, “Yes, Nari. I was surprised as well.”
Talk about a coincidence. Now, about that story…
“Right… Well, it’s a simple love triangle…”, she looked at me again, “Love triangle is..”
“I know, I read enough manga…”
“Oh…”
Wait, would Akari read manga? I shouldn’t have said that.
“As I was saying… Hinata, Kuroki, and you were the main characters of the manga.”
“There were other important side characters too but the manga mostly followed you three through the point of view of Hinata.”
That does make sense.
“Are you one of those important side characters?”
She nodded and sighed, “No… I would’ve loved to be Hinata but…”, she sighed again. She’s sighing too much.
“I’ve never heard of Nari, nor has she appeared in the manga… yet.”
“Yet? It’s not finished?”
I could almost see the sweat forming in her face, almost dropping down. Straight out of a manga. Which, well, it was.
“No… It went into hiatus…”
“That’s never a good sign…”
She nodded, “It does look that way since it’s been three years…”
Three years? I don’t think it’s coming back. Well, maybe it is, there have been some cases, but why would I, I mean, we reincarnate into an unfinished story… Do they want us to finish this story?
“Hmm, what was the last arc?”
“The confession arc”
“Wait… are you sure it went into hiatus and didn’t just end like all the romances out there?”
“No, the main leads do not confess, they should’ve but…”
“Hiatus?”
“Hiatus.”
So, the manga just stops coming out in the middle of a confession arc, that’s weird… not as weird as me being transferred into this world, but still weird.
“The last chapter was you confessing to… Hinata…”
I can see where this is going.
“Why did you stop?”
“No I mean…”
“It’s fine.”, I tried my best to smile. I don’t really care.
“You got rejected…”
“Hinata probably went on ahead to say sorry and how much she loves Kuroki, right?”
“Yes… How did you know?”
I laughed, “That’s a classic troupe at this point.”
“That… it is…”, she seemed shocked, way too shocked. I’m pretty sure she realises that I’m not Akari anymore.
“The story has already changed too much…”, she mumbled to herself. I don’t think she realises that I can still hear her.
“The Akari… who cried… I don’t know how much the future… events…”, well, I could barely hear her.
“Calm down, Nari.”
“Oh… I’m sorry.”, she didn’t seem to have calmed down. It’s much easier to say it than actually calm down. I might as well tell her, not like it’s gonna matter much and besides, I’m bored.
“As you might have already realised, I’m not actually Akari…”
Her eyes were wide open. I guess she hadn’t realised.
“I’m just like you.”, I smiled a lot. As much as I could. That was fun.
