With lunch break almost over, I headed back toward homeroom for my afternoon daydream session.
On the way, I heard a commotion from nearby.
And like every idiot in a horror movie, I went to check it out.
*Bang*
'How was your lunch, slut?' A girl sneered, 'Was it salty? Or just the way you like it?'
She and her group of hooligans surrounded the girl I had met earlier. They blocked every possible escape route.
'Come on, speak!' The bully stomped her foot.
The girl didn't respond.
She was crouched on the floor, hands clamped over her ears. Her face was red and sweat dripped down her forehead.
'..Umm, someone's here.' One of the lackeys muttered, pointing at me.
The bully turned around.
'Oi! Get lost unless you want your school life to become a living nightmare!'
Kids.
I swear, they think they're the rulers of the world just because they were spoiled by their parents.
'What were you doing to her?' I asked.
'None of your business!' She snapped, 'Now get lost!'
'Sure.' I pointed at the crouched girl, 'As long as she comes with me.'
'She isn't going anywhere.'
I took a step forward.
Then another.
My gaze locked onto hers.
The way a predator watches its prey.
'Men shouldn't hit women,' She said with a shaky voice.
Her body trembled. Even her lackeys stiffened.
They could feel it.
Fear.
During my time with Chad Prince, he forced me to train in something called 'presence'.
As a hero, I had to appear in public all the time.
According to him, my natural aura made me look. Invisible. Unbefitting of a hero.
So every day he gave me lessons until he was satisfied.
I still remember the day he approved.
***
"Ahh.' Chad Prince said, arms crossed, 'Now that is the aura of a monarch.'
He grinned.
'No one will ever doubt your title as a hero again.'
'Fuck you.' I said.
***
Back in the hallway, the bully's eyes trembled under my stare.
I pointed again.
'She's coming with me.'
'…Y-Yes.' The bully nodded immediately, 'S-She's all yours.'
Without another word, she and her friends bolted down the hallway like their lives depended on it.
They didn't understand why.
But for a moment, they had felt something terrifying. Like death itself had stepped into the room.
I turned back to the crouched girl.
'They're gone.'
She slowly looked up and uncovered her ears.
Her lips moved. But no cohesive words came out.
'S-so… w-w…'
'Calm down first,' I said. 'Then speak.'
Her breathing was uneven.
Her hands were still shaking.
Her heart rate was clearly abnormal.
'Hmm.' I rubbed my chin. 'I've seen something like this before.'
What did the priest call it again?
I tried to remember.
***
'Why is he shaking like that?' I asked.
The priest gently held the young man's shoulders.
'That,' He said softly, 'is trauma.'
'Trauma?'
'His body remembers something his mind wishes to forget.'
'Then why not heal him?' I asked. 'In my world, we use drugs.'
'My healing magic can only treat the physical,' the priest replied. 'Drugs only temporarily numb the pain.'
He looked at me.
'The only cure for trauma is time and acceptance.' He smiled gently. 'So if you ever need someone to talk to, young hero… I will listen.'
'Why are you telling me that?' I scoffed. 'As if I'm traumatised.'
The priest sighed.
'You may not realise it yet,' He said, 'but beneath your facade -'
'I DON'T NEED YOUR HELP!'
***
'…Good times.' I muttered.
Funny how, eventually… I did end up needing his help.
The girl in front of me was probably experiencing the same thing that the young man and I had.
Which meant there wasn't much I could do.
Healing comes from within.
All I could offer was a space of healing.
'Here.' I handed her a tissue. 'Wipe your face.'
She slowly took it.
'Thank you… Ku-reiji san.' She whispered.
At this point, I'd given up correcting people. If they wanted to call me Ku-reiji, then whatever. God had already cursed me with a ridiculous surname anyway.
'You feeling calmer?'
*Nod nod*
'Want to tell me what happened?'
She hesitated.
Her mouth opened. Closed. opened again.
'You don't have to,' I said. 'Not if you're uncomfortable.'
She looked down at her feet.
'Don't need to be upset,' I added. 'We barely know each other.'
I shrugged.
'Dumping your life story on a stranger would be weird.'
'Th-Then… I'll tell you when I feel comfortable.'
'Sure.'
Man.
Why did she sound like a chick chirping every time she talked?
A cute chick.
*Ding-*
The bell rang, signalling the end of lunch.
'Well,' I stretched, 'time to return to my afternoon nap.'
I glanced at her.
'Want me to walk you to your class?'
'Umm…' She blinked. 'We're in the same class.'
Huh?
Now that she mentioned it. She did look familiar.
'Ah.' I said, 'You're the girl who sits next to me.'
She stood up and combed her hair with a smile.
'Whoa.' I muttered. 'New character unlocked.'
'Let's go, Ku-reiji san.' She said cheerfully.
I tilted my head.
'Why the fake smile?'
Her expression cracked.
'What do you mean?'
'Why hide how you actually feel?' I asked.
'…We'll be late for class.' She quickly said.
She turned around and hurried down the hallway.
I watched her go.
'It's going to be a long one.'
Just like the priest had said.
________________________________
The rest of the class passed without anything worth remembering.
Now I had to stay behind because my homeroom teacher was showing me around the school and introducing me to the different clubs.
We went from club to club.
Sports club. Culture clubs. Academic clubs.
None of them interested me in the slightest.
Then again, anything related to school rarely excites me.
If I had to join a club, the only one I'd seriously consider would be the legendary protagonist club.
Also known as…
The 'Going Home' club.
That didn't sound like a bad idea.
'So,' the teacher said as we walked down the hallway, 'how are you finding the school so far?'
'It's school.' I replied.
What was I supposed to say?
Put on a fake smile and say it was wonderful?
Talk about how I watched someone get bullied earlier?
School is just school.
You listen to a bald teacher or a pregnant teacher talk all day.
Watch the teacher's pet remind the teacher about homework.
Observe the bullies acting like they own the place.
Then eat a depressing lunch or get robbed by overpriced canteen food.
Where else in the world can you experience something like that?
The teacher forced a polite smile.
'Well… I hope you enjoy your time here.' He said. 'If you ever need help, don't hesitate to ask your classmates or me.'
Then he power-walked away.
'Guess it's time to go home.'
Club activities had just finished and most of the students were now heading home or to their after-school lessons.
Some people really did live and breathe school.
Honestly, if my life hadn't taken a bizarre detour through hero training and supernatural nonsense, I might as well kill myself.
Instead, thanks to my past life.
You could practically call me a scholar of life.
As I walked toward the school gates, I spotted a familiar brown-haired girl.
The salty lunchbox girl.
She blended into the crowd of students leaving school, walking quietly among them.
She was alone.
Completely alone.
Even from a distance, she carried a gloomy aura around her that I could sense.
Yet she wore that same fake smile.
Something I had learned to notice after spending time with the priest.
'Sup.' I greeted.
'…'
No response.
She kept her head down and stared at the pavement as she walked.
'Sup, insert-your-name.' I said, waving my hand in front of her.
She suddenly jolted out of her thoughts.
When she saw it was me, her eyes widened.
'Sa..ppu?' She said, tilting her head.
'That means "what's up." I explained. 'A greeting from where I'm from.'
'Ahh.. I see.' She nodded. 'Sa-ppu, Ku-reiji san.'
I let the pronunciation slide.
Mostly because she somehow made it sound adorable.
'Why do you keep calling me by my last name?' I asked. 'Why not my first name?'
She immediately started to fidget, glancing around nervously.
'B-Because… in Japan… First names are usually reserved for people who are close.'
'I see.' I stroked my chin. 'Back where I'm from, we use first names for almost everyone. Even strangers.'
Who can blame me for my lack of cultural knowledge?
One day, I was in Australia.
The next day, I was in a fantasy world fighting monsters.
Now I was somehow in Japan pretending to be a student.
Life really takes strange turns.
By the way,' I said, 'I never got your name.'
Her eyes widened.
'Oh… I didn't tell you?'
'Nope. I gave you my name and then you ran away.'
'Ah…'
She immediately started sweating.
'M-My name is Sato Kasumi.'
'Well, now I finally have something to call you.' I smiled.
'Nice to meet you, Kasumi.'
'Th-That's my g-given name.' She stammered, blushing.
'So?' I shrugged. 'Aren't we already pretty close? You're the first person I've met multiple times since arriving in Japan.'
I gestured toward myself.
'You can call me Dylan too.'
Suddenly.
'KASUMI!'
A sharp voice cut through the air.
Kasumi froze.
'Mu-mother?!'
I turned toward the voice.
An older woman stood near the school gates, dressed in business attire with her arms crossed.
She looked impatient.
'Get over here now!' She snapped. 'We'll be late for cram school!'
'Co-Coming, mo-mother!'
Kasumi ran toward her.
But as she did, I noticed something.
Whenever her mother spoke. Kasumi's body trembled.
Her heart raced.
Sweat ran down her face.
That reaction was the same when she was bullied.
'Interesting.'
'B-bye bye, Ku-reiji san.' Kasumi called quickly before running off.
I watched her disappear beside her mother.
Yeah.
Her problems definitely didn't start at school.
________________
[Kasumi] Tanetsuke Ojisan