The bell rang, and the classroom began to stir with life.
Chairs scraped against the floor, students stretched, yawned, and pulled out their bento boxes or lunch money. A familiar buzz of chatter filled the air.
Ren stood up slowly, still half-dazed, still catching his breath from what his life had suddenly become. Somehow… this was all real.
And Airi was right there beside him. Still smiling. Still teasing.
Airi: (grinning as she packed her bag) "You look like you just came back from another dimension."
Ren: (scratching his neck) "Feels like I did…"
Airi: (tilting her head) "You sure you're okay?"
Ren: "I think so. Maybe. Probably not."
Airi: (snickering) "You're hopeless."
She nudged him with her elbow, and they walked out of the classroom together. The hallway buzzed with groups heading toward the cafeteria, and Ren let the familiarity of it all wash over him. The way the sunlight hit the lockers. The voices. The echo of shoes on the polished floor.
For a moment, it all felt like a warm, vivid memory… except he was living it again.
They passed by a group of girls in the hall who were playfully arguing over who forgot the lunch coupons again. One girl pouted and crossed her arms, another flicked her on the forehead and called her a "dum dum," while the rest giggled behind their hands.
Ren paused, watching them laugh and stumble around.
Ren: (smiling to himself) "Man… girls really act like kids sometimes. Kinda cute though."
Airi: (snaps her head toward him) "…Did you seriously just say that?"
Ren: (blinks) "Huh? What?"
Airi: (grinning, arms crossed) "Calling girls 'cute' while staring at them in the hallway? You're braver than I thought."
Ren: (face turning red) "I didn't mean it like—"
Airi: "Pervert."
Ren: "I said they were acting cute, not that I was—"
Too late.
The group of girls who had been playfully arguing just a moment ago had heard everything.
One girl froze with her lunch tray halfway to her chest. Another turned slowly, eyes wide, lips parted. One covered her mouth and looked at Ren like he just proposed to all of them at once.
Their entire table at the cafeteria fell quiet for a split second… and then—
Group girl 1: (whispering) "D-Did he say we were cute?"
Group girl 2: (blushing furiously) "Wait… was he watching us this whole time…?!"
Group girl 3: "He's kind of handsome though…"
They all burst into tiny flustered giggles, covering their red faces while sneaking glances at Ren as he passed by.
Airi: (elbowing him again) "See what you did? Now the entire lunch table thinks you're into them."
Ren: (groaning) "This is so embarrassing…"
Airi: (laughing) "That's what you get for saying weird stuff out loud, perv."
They made their way to their usual spot—near the windows in the cafeteria, the sun pouring in gently, a little quiet compared to the louder middle tables.
Airi: (opening her bento) "So, you gonna flirt with more girls today or just quietly die of shame?"
Ren: (sighs) "Just eat your food already."
She smiled and dug into her lunch, her chopsticks clicking softly.
Ren leaned back slightly, eyes half-closed.
For a moment… it really did feel like a normal school day.
But deep in his heart, a question still lingered.
What happened to her? Why was she crying back then? Why did I find her like that?
He glanced at Airi as she munched on a piece of tamagoyaki, cheeks full, completely unaware of the pain that would come in her future.
She looked up and caught him staring.
Airi: (mouth still full) "Wha'?"
Ren: (softly) "Nothing. Just… glad you're still you."
Airi: (tilting her head) "Still me? Who else would I be?"
She smiled again.
He looked away quickly, hiding his face behind his lunch.
Yeah. She was still her.
But not for long… unless he figured out what went wrong.
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> End of Chapter 4