It's a wonderful day outside.
Birds are chirping.
Flowers are blooming…
On a morning like these, the first thing Kouji does when he wakes up is… to look at the calendar.
The weird dream, the weird feeling, the pain. With those unusual things, he wants to confirm what the day is.
Date: March 22, 20XX
It was the same day from his dream. A nightmare about March 22 after school, he died in two different memories, one is getting hit by a truck and the other is him getting stabbed by a sword.
He can't tell if the memory is real or not, but the pain he got was genuine.
Tried to take a quick look at the TV, if the broadcast is the same, and it's shockingly the same thing from the dream.
So he hurriedly ate his breakfast.
Took a bath.
Wore his uniform.
Then went straight to Michiko's house.
Using the excuse of him picking her up and leaving together.
Thus, while on their walk, Kouji asked Michiko about that. However, their talk didn't work things out and complicated stuff happened.
Now at the school.
"Okay class, that's all, you all can go take your break time."
History has just ended, and it's already break time.
Many students left the room and went to the canteen, while some had their food such as bento and stayed behind.
"Michi…"
"..."
Kouji wanted to talk to Michiko, but she just ignored him and left the room with her friends.
"Kouji! Let's go to the rooftop already."
After getting ignored, his friends called him.
"Wait, can we eat at the canteen today?"
Kouji asked.
"Why?"
"Well…"
A friend looks at his hand, understanding what's going on.
"I see… alright then, let's go."
Then, they went to the canteen.
The canteen was huge, like a food court.
Seeing many students there, a combination of different classes or years. It was a rowdy area.
Kouji went to buy food while his friends went to find a spot for them since they have their own food already.
In their table was;
Kouji dishes from the canteen, and the friends' lunch, were different from each person. One had a bento, the next one was a sandwich, and the last one was bento as well, but it's bought from the convenience store.
Even though their eating was not the same to each other, they still enjoyed it.
Having a chat while munching.
Getting a good atmosphere and more.
And laugh at each other.
Changing from topic to topic until the main part.
"Say Kouji, did something happen between you and Kobe-san?"
"–huh? Why do you ask?"
Kouji was shocked by the question.
"Well, Kobe-san seems to be ignoring you."
"Yeah, we noticed it as well."
Stated by his other friends.
"Ah, that's… yeah, she's angry."
"Why? Did something happen?"
"Well… it's complicated."
The reason for Michiko being mad was indeed because of him.
What happened was…
Earlier, when they reached the brick road area that headed to the school.
______________________________________________________________________________
"Wow… pretty…"
Michiko said after arriving.
With stunning scenery, she then took out her phone and started taking pictures.
"Hey, Kou, let's take a selfie."
"..."
"Kou?"
Kouji just became quiet, seeing what his face was making, made Michiko worried.
So she went closer to him and ask,
"Kou, does something matter?..."
Hearing her voice, Kouji suddenly grabs her shoulder on both sides.
"Kou?..."
She was shocked.
"Michi! Are you sure this place doesn't look familiar to you?!"
"Huh? Again with that? What do you even mean by that?"
"Like I said, the place, the situation, the people, they all look the same!!"
"I dont know what youre talking about. Kou, can you please remove your hand? You're scaring me."
Instead of removing it, Kouji grabbed it tightly instead.
"Michi look! Around us, it looks the same! The day is repeating!"
"Kou, your hand, it hurts…"
He still goes on, gripping more tightly.
"Michi, why can't you understand!? The day is looping! I'm looping! I'm dying!"
"KOU, RELEASE ME IN THIS INSTANT!"
Michiko snapped.
She shouted with the depth of her lungs.
Hearing her voice, Kouji comes back to his senses and releases her.
"Sorry…"
He apologized.
"Michi–"
"Shut… your mouth. Don't talk to me."
"..."
"Kou, you're acting kinda really weird today, I am only going to talk to you again if you're normal again."
Michiko ran as soon as she said that, leaving Kouji behind.
"Michi…"
______________________________________________________________________________
That's what happened.
In that situation, the fear and confusion overthrew him, leading to do bad things.
And what Kouji did earlier is not cool, and he knows that.
He really felt bad about it.
It really makes sense, who wouldn't be mad about it? Hurting someone and shouting nonsense to them. It's really disrespectful.
Now, Michiko wouldn't talk to him or even look at his face. She is still scared about it. When she's with him, she starts to shake.
"I'm the worst…"
"Hey, why not just talk to her and apologize properly? You guys have been childhood friends since you two were born, and you guys just had fought over one thing, whatever it is?"
"I can't, she doesn't want to talk to me unless I'm not normal yet."
"Normal?... What even happened between you guys?"
"Can't explain…"
Kouji didn't want to tell anyone because of how guilty he was. So instead, he changes the topic.
"Rather than that, can I ask a question instead?"
"Go on."
"Hey, guys… did you all think that we're repeating the same day?"
"Hmm? Not at all."
"...I guess I'm the only one that is looping…"
"..."
"No reaction at all?"
"React to what?"
"You didn't hear what I said?"
"Said? What?"
"I said, I'm looping."
"..."
"Repeating the same day!"
"..."
Saying it twice, they didn't react at all. As if they are deaf or something.
So he stood up and said it again.
"I'm dying!"
"..."
"Died and revived!"
"..."
"You guys didn't hear it?"
"Hmm? Hear what?"
"I've been talking here for a while now."
"Is it? There's no sound at all. You just suddenly stood up and quietly stared at us."
"Seriously?"
"Yeah."
Kouji fell, sat back in his seat, and felt disappointed.
"So, telling Michi is unnecessary…"
He stated.
True, explaining to Michiko was rather useless since a sentence he says was just blocked by something that none of someone can hear.
Him talking that to her just misunderstood things, resulted in this fight.
"I need to talk to her…"
He wants to apologize to Michiko for shouting and hurting her.
In the end, he's in the wrong, and he doesn't want to ruin their friendship that lasted since they were kids until now because of him.
So after break time, they went back to their room.
And before the teacher comes and starts the class, he's going to talk to Michiko.
At her seat.
"Michi…"
"..."
"Look, I'm sorry."
"..."
"Okay, class, it's time to start."
Michiko still ignored him and the teacher already arrived, giving him no choice to postpone the talk to 4pm where school ends.
But she left, went to her club, before Kouji noticed it. So he has got to wait for her after club activities end.
Clubs only have a 2 hours period.
It was already sunset.
Kouji kept his promise to talk to her, and he was at the shoe locker where the entrance was.
Michiko shows up, the reason is well… the where Kouji was standing was in her locker. So she doesn't have a choice than to meet him.
Well it's not technically she doesn't have a choice… let's say, she can just forget to change the shoes and just leave. She can do that, but she did not instead.
What's the reason? That's just easy to know.
Because she, too, wants to talk things out with him. She, too, doesn't want to ruin their friendship. She, too, has the same thoughts of him.
So she walks closer to him.
"Michi…"
Kouji was the first one to talk.
"..."
Michiko ignored him again.
Instead of waiting for her to answer, Kouji decided to just tell her.
"Look, i know you're angry, and i know what i did was wrong, so what I'm going to say is… I'm sorry."
"..."
"It's fine if you don't answer me. I just came here to apologize."
"..."
"I really felt bad about it. Can you forgive me?"
"Ice cream."
"Huh?"
"I will forgive you if you buy me an ice cream."
Michiko finally spoke and made eye contact with him, demanding compensation. In her case, even though Kouji didn't apologize, she still forgives him regardless.
"Alright then, what flavor do you want?"
"Strawberry."
And with that, their friendship is secured. Then leaving the school with a relief on their face and going back to their usual self.
Having conversation normally as if they forgot what happened earlier.
Walking to their way home until they reached a certain road.
"Look, Kou, it seems there's been an accident happened here."
"..."
"Kou?"
The road, the accident, was the place where in his memory he would die. Seeing it with his eyes, means the dream was real. But the time that he should have died has already long passed, since it's already almost night. He still looked around him to make sure, but the person in white was out of sight.
"So, I'm just being paranoid."
Kouji thought that it's just paranoia, saying that his nightmare is inaccurate, though most of them really did happen. But look, he was there right now standing with Michiko, ALIVE. He has never been glad until this point.
"Huh, did you say something?"
"Nothing. Let's just go to the convenience store."
Setting aside the dream, they continue their walk to buy ice cream.
The sun was already set when they reached the store.
They entered.
"Your flavor is strawberry, right?"
"Yeah."
"And also, want something to eat?"
"Ah! Right, speaking of eating. I forgot that your bento is with me."
"Right…"
She didn't give that to him at that time because, well, she's mad at him.
"Then, what did you eat back then at break time?"
"I bought food at the canteen."
"Oh… then this dish is…"
"I'm still going to eat that."
"Huh? Why?"
"I don't want to waste food."
"Then suit yourself."
After buying ice cream for both of them and a chip for Michiko, they sat at the table and started eating.
Kouji ate all the dishes inside the bento.
"Thanks for the food."
"Um… Kou."
"Yeah?"
"Can i make our bento starting from now instead of Okaasan?"
The bento was made by Michiko's mother. He always received one since his parents were not there to make one for him. Now, Michiko wants to do the bento for some reason.
"Why ask me? Just go ahead. I'm already glad of you guys for giving me such lunch."
"Well… I really just want you to know."
"Then, thank you in advance."
"You will not be disappointed."
"Yeah, yeah."
Kouji stood up and say,
"Let's go home already."
"Okay."
After wrapping up and throwing their trash, they left the convenience store.
Walking their way home.
Reaching their neighborhood.
The street was empty, no one was around. Since the sun was already gone, the streetlight was already on.
Following the route to their home, they're casually chatting without minding the volume of their voice while walking, since the people in that area know them.
With being used to old habits, their sense of danger is low.
They didn't notice at all that there's someone at the light pole ahead of them. Causing Kouji to stop and look at the person.
"Kou?... Do you know that person?"
It can't say for sure if he knows the person or not, but he's sure that he's going to get killed again.
It was the women(he presumed because of the face and beeline honey color of hair seemingly long), and wearing a white jacket, hood on.
"Michi, run!"
"Wha–"
Kouji quickly grabbed Michiko's hand and was supposed to run, but failed because his hand got cut off then he tripped.
"Kou!–AAaaa…"
"Mi…chi?..."
Michiko screamed then suddenly stopped, without following any other sound. Kouji was concerned, so he looked at her, ignoring his pain from the cut hand.
After that, he became quiet and shocked about what happened to her.
She was on the ground and the blood was spreading coming from her.
Kouji just stared without saying anything. Before he knew it, the person was beside and slash him.