I woke up.
Involuntarily.
My phone's ringtone yanked me straight out of the grave of sleep.
The sound?
Like a mix between a nuclear alarm and the wail of a soul that hates me.
(Damn it… this cursed phone. What time is it even set to?)
I lifted it, one eye half-closed.7:00 a.m.
(Oh… school.)
"Why now, of all days?!"I muttered, face buried in the pillow, like life was trying to strangle me—gently.
My condition?
Hilarious.
Half-awake, half-dead, and a third half that even I couldn't identify.
"Alright… pull yourself together, Hakim."
I got up.
Washed my face.
Changed clothes.
Used the bathroom.
Got out.
Everything… was fine.
I checked my phone again, just in case.
The result?
…7:25.
(Haaaah?!)
My silence was scarier than a scream.
My face looked like it was saying:
"You're joking… right?"
That time is perfectly fine for middle school kids with a school two blocks away.But me?
My school is 5.37 km away.
Half of that is by electric train.
The other half?
Mandatory walking.
(Because obviously, I don't have a car, or a bike, or even a dog to drag me.)
I ran out of the house in a rush.
No breakfast.
As usual.
I'm the kind of guy who only recognizes two meals:
Lunch… and dinner.
Breakfast?
A myth.
A tale imagined by the ancients.
(But don't underestimate me.)I studied three years in high school,
and was late so often that I became…a master of shortcut navigation.
Immediately:
I took the back alley.
Jumped over a ditch.
Climbed a rusty fence.
Passed a gang of cats guarding the neighborhood like a mafia.
I checked the time: 7:28.
(Good. The last train I can catch is at 7:45.If I miss it, bye-bye first day.)
I picked up the pace.
Walking like I was in a fitness show—but without the fitness.
My area?
Looks like a set from an action movie.
Hills, houses clinging to mountainsides, weird staircases, roads that vanish halfway.
And me?
I descended the last hill onto the main street.
(Almost there…)
Haah… I reached the station.
Lifted my head to check the time.
7:40.
(Survived.)
The screen read:— Next train arriving in 2 minutes.— The one after? In 7 minutes.
(Perfect. Time to enter hell.)
I stood at the station.
Staring at the tracks.
People were in front of me—probably other students too.
But I didn't see them.
My gaze was locked on the void.
Even if my best friend stood in front of me, I wouldn't notice.
I was in "Ignore the World" mode.
A silent version of myself—But still awake.
And suddenly—The sound of wind…Rusty whispers…Doors opening in front of me.
Oh, there it is.
The train.
Let's ride.
"Oh crap."I muttered—half angry, half shocked, fully overwhelmed mentally before physically.
Why?
Because, simply put...the train was vomiting people.
It was like someone had crammed an entire city into a single sardine can.
(This thing's supposed to carry 250 people.
So why does it feel like it's hauling half of Algeria?!)
I stared at the crowd.
Took a breath.
(I have to get in. This is the last ride. Missing it isn't an option.)
I pushed.
A little.
Then some more.
And finally—by some divine miracle...I made it in.
Yes, I was wedged into the exit door.
But hey, it's just one stop.
And there's no way a controller is checking tickets in this chaos.
Who can even move in here?
■ Doors closed.■ Train moved.
Next station: Zouaghi Slimane.
Oh, here we go—
I got off.(*The train literally dragged me out while I tried to resist.
I didn't walk—I got sucked out.)
I looked up.7:47 a.m.
(Good. Still got a bit of time.)
The weird part?
I didn't see anyone I knew.
No familiar high school faces.
Even though classes start at exactly 8:00.
(Ah right… our school's far even after the train.)
Immediately, I picked up the pace.
Fast steps.
Not a full sprint, but a "professional speed walker" kind of jog.
I passed busy roads.
Jumped over a cracked sidewalk.
Cut through a university dorm (great shortcut).Crossed a car lane in a very illegal way.
And finally—
"Oh… there it is. My school."
I stopped for a second.
Gazing at the distant building.
That cold, concrete monster.
(Damn you…I thought I was done with you.
But here I am again.
Starting my first year all over.
What a cursed world.)
I reached the gate.7:58 a.m.
(Made it. Barely.)
I entered.
The security guard said nothing.
(First day—doesn't matter what you're wearing, they'll let you in.
But later? Not a chance.)
The official dress code is strict:– Blue apron for boys.– White for girls.(You can mix it up, but without one? You're not getting in.)
But even that…wasn't what shocked me.
It was what I saw after.
"What the—?!"
New faces.
Totally different.
Clothes straight out of a cosplay catalog.
Aesthetics that don't belong to this earth.
That guy had red hair… and red eyes?!And that girl… pure white hair, and eyes so blue they glowed?
And me?
Looking around. Speaking.
Stunned.
Nothing felt familiar.
(These people aren't from our country.
Or rather… not even human?)
They looked like they'd stepped straight out of an anime, or manga, or…the wild imagination of someone who'd completely lost his grip on reality.
(Wait.
Did our school just… merge with people from another country?
Or another reality?)
I stood there, caught in the whirlpool of confusion—until a familiar voice called out to me.
■ A voice I knew.■ A group I recognized.
My friends.
From before.
I rushed over and sat with them in the courtyard.(At least… these guys I know.)
The conversations started.
Raouf — the clearest among them.
– Beard, mustache, glasses,– Short-ish… maybe 176 cm.
He looked at me with a half-serious, half-sarcastic smile, and said:
...
Raouf rubbed his hands together, his eyes sparkling like he'd just discovered a buried treasure.—"Did you see that cute girl?!Oh man, this year's batch is full of beauties!"
The rest of the group jumped in immediately, like seasoned analysts discussing the "schoolgirl stock market."They were going on about how our school apparently dropped the strict dress code…And how, for the first time, high school felt like an actual anime.
As for me?
Physically, I was with them.
But spiritually? I was still in shock—processing the ridiculous number of colors, eye shades, and unreal hair swirling around.
Still, under all that noise…I felt happy.
Because:
I made it on time.
I wasn't alone.
I saw my friends again—after what felt like forever.
…A "forever" that only I truly understood.
■ Suddenly, all the chatter stopped.
The noise disappeared.
It's now time to assign individuals to their respective divisions.
As usual, they called out names one by one.
I stood there.
Waiting.(Will my class be different now…?I mean, my past has been drastically altered… who knows?)
But then—
My name was called.—"Hakim."
I stepped forward.
Same class: 1-Sci-4.Same feeling:
Eyes to the ground… then forward…Half-shut eyes.
Names kept coming.
Names I recognized.
Names I used to hear three years ago… and now?
They were all repeating again.
(This is happening again…That name…And that one… and that…)
I listened, silently.
Until I heard it.
The final name from my previous life.
(That's the last one… right?)
I opened my eyes.
Got ready to head to class.
Then—
—"Sourako Mizuki!"
■ The teacher called.—"Present!!!"
Wait.(…Huh?)
I turned slowly.
Looked behind me.
That name…It can't be random.
(I'm sure… I know that name.)
A small girl was hurrying forward.
Rushing like she was about to miss the last train out of town.
The teacher hadn't spotted her right away, so she kept repeating:—"Where is Sourako? Anyone seen her?!"
That's why…She was walking fast.
She was small, yes.
But the real reason? She was the very last name on the list for our class.
(No one noticed her? No… everyone was too busy rushing to their classes.)
Mizuki walked toward her group and stood among her classmates in the waiting area.
She was… the last one.She had taken her place behind me. Even though she was the last in line… I could still see her.
My eyes flew open as if I'd seen a ghost.
(No way…How can she be the same girl from yesterday?!)
(What kind of cursed luck is this?)
A wave of panic burst inside me.
But my face?
Stayed calm.
I kept my eyes forward, glued to the floor.
Just waiting for that line:
—"Alright, head to your classroom."
■ She looked at me.
Mizuki…Was clearly shaken.
Like she couldn't believe what she was seeing.
(Wait… it's him?!)
■ Her eyes widened.■ Her face said it all:"I can't believe this. How?!"
A confused smile.
Glances she tried to hide.
And me?
I ignored her.
Turned back forward.
Froze my emotions.
(No time to freak out.
This is high school.
This is the new me.)
But Mizuki?
Inside her head, a storm was brewing:
(No no no no…How is he here?
In the same class?!)
(Look at him…He doesn't look like a high schooler at all!
Even the way he stands…His aura?!He's way more than just a student.)
…Or at least that's what I like to believe about myself.
Then suddenly—
The teacher's voice:
—"Class 1-Sci-4, please proceed."
It was time to go in…Me, and her.
Together…In the same class.
The same place.
So what kind of future is waiting for me?