Chapter 38: Why Does My Head Hurt?
In his memories, Shoko Nishimiya's smile... seemed to carry a hint of pleading warmth. And, damn, why did his heart ache for a split second just now?
The fragment flashed by and disappeared.
Haruka was bewildered and uncertain.
Had he not been resting well lately?
He frowned.
Seeing Haruka not responding, the gazes of some students nearby had already turned toward them.
Shoko Nishimiya waved her hand somewhat stiffly, a flash of loneliness crossing her eyes.
Snapping back to reality, Haruka glanced at Shoko Nishimiya and said with a smile, "Shoko? Have a nice weekend?"
Shoko's spirits lifted, and she nodded repeatedly.
She sat at her desk. She didn't put down her school bag, nor did she take out a book. Instead, the first thing she did was take a carton of pink, strawberry-flavored yogurt out of a side pocket.
Smiling happily, she placed it on Haruka's desk.
But...
Haruka's brows furrowed tightly.
This scene...
Why did it feel like deja vu?
He subconsciously took it. "Thank you."
Then, naturally, he inserted the straw and started drinking.
Seeing this scene, a few students nearby were already whispering.
Haruka paid them no mind. He simply chatted with Shoko about food, economics, shopping, and other topics on his own.
As for Shoko, she couldn't hear what the others were saying. And when it came to Haruka's words, she responded selectively.
When it came to things she didn't understand, or when Haruka was clearly venting, she remained silent, only nodding in agreement from time to time, looking somewhat cautious.
Their situation was soon known by the people in the class.
But thanks to Haruka's close friend Hayama and Yumiko Miura, who wanted to help Shoko, the gossip in the class didn't blow up too much.
However, after Miura went out, some girls came over.
They could be considered friends on the edge of Miura's circle. And since Miura himself acted that way, they felt they had to at least come over and try to accept her. Even if they didn't really want to.
A few days ago, because Shoko couldn't hear, leading to awkwardness and a bad atmosphere, they had all chosen to leave.
Yui Yuigahama walked over. "Um, I'm sorry."
She took out a box of chocolates and handed it to Shoko, her face full of apology.
That day, she really didn't have the courage to resist the atmosphere.
For the past two days, she had been feeling very guilty.
Today, seeing Haruka chatting and laughing with Shoko as if no one else was around, and seeing that others didn't have much of a reaction, she finally mustered the courage to come over and apologize.
'Ah... Yui, you really are a coward...'
Yui felt a sense of guilt in her heart, unconsciously tightening her grip on the chocolate box.
Would she accept it?
Probably not, right?
Then...
Shoko took the chocolate from her hand and smiled at her.
This smile...
Yui's body trembled slightly.
"Thank you."
Shoko shook her head. She opened the chocolate box, took out a piece, and stuffed it into Yui's mouth.
Then she ate a piece herself.
Immediately after—
Sss!!
Both of their expressions turned pained.
Yui stuck out her tongue repeatedly.
Shoko blinked her eyes rapidly.
"You guys... Pfft."
Haruka couldn't help but laugh from the side. Shoko blushed and didn't dare to look at Haruka. Haruka tapped her gently, then handed her some water.
The girls who had gathered around also started laughing.
Under such circumstances, the so-called "atmosphere" seemed to have become good again.
However, no one noticed, Haruka's laughter gradually faded.
He looked at this scene with furrowed brows.He felt a sense of dissonance.
His brain vaguely told him that it seemed... it shouldn't be like this?
"Should I catch up on some sleep later?"
***
[Days passed, one by one.]
[Because you discovered that you were already an academic genius and felt an inexplicable resistance to excessive studying, you stopped grinding your studies like a maniac.]
[You began to exercise, discovering that your physical condition was quite good.]
[With plenty of time on your hands, you went to the Service Club every day to help out. Occasionally, you checked on the status of the novel you submitted.]
[Soon, the novel was signed by Kadokawa Sneaker Bunko and assigned an editor named Sonoko Machida.]
[Gradually, your relationship with Shoko became better and better. Although Shoko was gradually being accepted in class, you remained her best friend.]
[A thought crossed your mind: Could you learn sign language to communicate better with Shoko?]
[However, when you looked up some materials, you discovered that you learned incredibly fast, mastering it after seeing it just once.]
[In just two short days, you learned sign language completely.]
[Such speed was nothing short of genius.]
[At the same time.]
[The publishing house finally replied. Your "stitch-monster" novel started gaining traffic, and your editor signed you up for a competition, where you won the Silver Award.]
[It could be called a double blessing.]
[You chose the buyout option for the work, obtaining a certain amount of money, but you were not blinded by this sum.]
[You prepared to live out your high school life step by step, waiting for the university environment, which would be more suitable for starting a business.]
[You heard about the Cultural Festival happening a few months later.]
[Your brain began to throb with intense pain.]
[Fragments of memory awakened deep within your mind.]
In reality: "Sorry, simulation me. I'm doing this for our own good. Just bear with it. Good luck! A beautiful future awaits us!
...
"Cultural Festival... Stage... Bullying... Transferring schools?... Then... Ahh..."
There seemed to be more memories behind it.
But Haruka was already sweating profusely from the pain and really didn't want to recall any further.
"I can guarantee it. There is something wrong with me!"
After recovering a bit, Haruka gulped down some mineral water and thought.
"So, could this be my cheat ability? But... future prediction? Predicting just this? Scattered bits and pieces."
"And it doesn't feel like it either. It just feels so weird."
"..."
Due to a lack of information, the current Haruka found it difficult to guess anything valuable.
But that didn't stop him from taking action to avoid the situations in his memories.
"Whether it's true or not, just trying it out won't hurt."
"Besides, Shoko is a really nice girl."
Haruka thought as he looked at the newly appeared yogurt on his desk.
...
[You began attempting to learn a sign language song, searching for instructional videos online.]
[You were prepared. If you didn't succeed, you would go to the Service Club to find the helpful genius who possessed the "composure of the strong"—Dora-Yukino.]
[Surprise!]
[You discovered that you had extraordinary talent in both sign language and singing.]
[In just one short day, you mastered the song and the movements proficiently.]
[And there were still about two months left until the Cultural Festival.]
[You began to think about how to verify your memories faster.]
...
In reality:
Haruka looked at the simulation interface and nodded slightly to himself.
Everything was normal so far.
Moreover, this [Past and Present Lives] talent seemed to trigger based on context—like being touched by a scene and recalling memories.
In that case, he shouldn't have to worry too much.
Next, he hoped everything would proceed smoothly.
My Perfect evaluation…
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