I turn around.
Behind me is man, he gives a wide smile, on his side is the stalker girl, he holds her by the shoulder. The girl looks angry, the man grabs her by her clothes, almost lifting her with the strength he uses. The girl tries to make him release her, but he just changes his look, to a really scary one, keeping the same smile on his face. Seeing his face, the girl gives up trying to let go, her expression becomes a mix of sadness and disappointment.
The man is tall and very strong. He wears a black overcoat along with a hat, both of which look quite expensive. On the one hand it's a little weird to wear clothes like that on days as hot as today, on the other hand they really match the man very well. His hair and scruffy beard are gray, something that differs from his appearance, which resembles someone aged 30 to 35 years old. In the hand in which he carries the girl, he also holds an unlit cigarette between his fingers.
"I was going out for a smoke and I saw this one running in. Tell me boy, was this girl giving you trouble?"
Running in ? Running in where ?
"I didn't do anything, he-"
"Who am I talking to? Oh yeah, I'm talking to him isn't it?."
He looks at her with the same scary look.
"Sorry....."
I see the two talking, but I don't really believe what I'm seeing, I looked around the room, it was completely empty, where exactly they came from? I extend my hand in their direction trying to see if I can touch them, , hallucinations can't be touched right? The man gets it wrong, starting to shake the hand I raised.
"You're right, sorry for my rudeness, introductions first. I'm Shizuku Nakada, and this one next to me is Lizzie. Nice to meet you Isshin."
I don't know what to say, he seems to already know my name somehow. I recognize his name from somewhere... Where did I hear that name from?
Oh Nakada is the principal's surname...THE PRINCIPAL?
"Oh... you are the principal aren't you? Excuse my lack of manners Sir, it's a pleasure to meet you."
Looking closer, I remember his face on the first day of school, at a presentation given by the school. I didn't recognize him, since on the day he was shaved and dressed more appropriately for the occasion. He strikes me as a strange yet extremely casual figure.
"Don't worry kid, no need to apologize or anything. I'm not from those parts, where I come from we treat each other a lot more casually. All I ask is that you tell me what happened."
The headmaster of the school, so it's him, I'm glad he didn't care about anything I did. In fact he doesn't seem to be Japanese, though the way he speaks is perfect. I'm quiet for a few moments, thinking what to say. The principal laughs softly, releasing the girl. He starts and walks forward.
"Go away Lizzie, I think the boy prefers to talk to me alone."
Immediately upon being released, the girl runs to the opposite side that the principal started to go. In a few seconds she leaves our presence.
"Mind if we go outside, I was going to smoke before anything else happened."
"No, I don't mind, let's go."
I start to follow the principal, he puts the unlit cigarette in his mouth, already preparing himself for when he arrives outside.
"So we're alone, you can talk now boy."
I take a deep breath, trying to focus. When I felt safe, I started to speak.
"I haven't told anyone about this, I thought they'd think I am crazy or something, so please keep it as a secret."
He nods, confirming that he's going to keep all of this just between the two of us.
"In the last weeks I have been thinking I'm being followed. I saw Lizzie looking at me from outside the classroom and I ended up coming to the conclusion that she was the one who is following me. I could never clearly see who was following me, except that it was a woman, so when i saw her i got nervous, and a little relieved too. I went to talk to her, or rather I shouted at her. She ran away and I followed her ."
"Mm-hmm....I think I got it. So, do you think it was her following you around, or are you still having any doubts?"
I think for a few seconds, logically everything seems to match, it has to be her. But for some reason some instinct tells me it's not her. I'm apprehensive for a few seconds.
"I don't know, for some reason I can't tell. As I said, I know it was a woman following me but something just doesn't seem to add up. In someway I can tell it isn't her."
We arrived outside. The director lights the cigarette, exhaling a large amount of smoke. Through the smoke he looks me in the eyes.
"I'll be honest I'm a guy who's believes a lot in my instincts so I say you need to trust yours, but if you want a little information I can give you some. Lizzie probably followed you because she heard me talking about you."
"What? Why were you talking about me?"
"I was talking to another member of staff about some students that I would like to see participating in a new project, and you have exactly the profile we are looking for, we talked about you for some time. Since Lizzie has a...a connection with the staff, she is always walking around with us, so she must have heard your name and gone to see who it was we were talking about."
A connection with the staff? There's more that he don't want to tell me for sure. I don't know why but I feel like I have to wait longer if I want answers
"Hmmm....."
"You don't seem pleased. I don't believe Lizzie has followed you around for so long, but i can't guarantee anything. It may not seem like it, but I'm worried about this situation too, something like that shouldn't be ignored."
"With so many troubled people in the same place, I doubt you didn't expect something like this to happen."
The princiap's smile slowly fades. He smokes his cigarette one last time, stubbing it out on his own jacket. He walks over to me.
"Everyone here has a problem, but the big deal is either they want to get better or they have someone who loves them who wants them to get better. Please don't offend your colleagues, I'm sure you'll learn to see them the same way I do.."
The principal's words seem to penetrate my chest deeper than any knife. I try to apologize but the words can't seem to come out of my mouth.
"I gave you all the information I had. If you want help with something just let me know. Just be careful, this story seems very weird and incomplete."
The principal pats me on the back, and walks away.
Suddenly he stops.
He shows his palm. He turns his hand away, pulling a card out of nowhere as he turns his hand back.
"Know that what I'm doing here is the complete opposite of what all my associates want. They love a good analysis before making a choice, but like I said, I trust my instincts."
He hands me the card. The card is all black with a red symbol drawn in the middle of the card. The symbol is weird, but somehow it reminds me of something like a big eyeI. I look at both sides of the card, there is nothing written on it. I make a dubious face, the principal clearly understands my situation. He smiles again with pleasure.
"You have many doubts, come to my office until tomorrow if you want to know more. You have many doubts, about this card, about what I said, about this stalker, I cannot say that all your them will be satiated, but I'm sure you'll leave there knowing much more about the world you inhabit. Secrets is a very simple nomination for the things you'll discover."
I look at the card carefully. Holding it, I nod, indicating I'm following the conversation.
"Just know that there you will have to make a choice. If you don't want to change your current reality, your future, and maybe even your past, don't come. I just want you to show up if you have 100 percent conviction, because even making the choice not to want anything with what I'm going to offer you, I can't guarantee you that your life will remain the same. Just think about it what I am saying okay ?"
"I don't know if I understand very well what you said, but I'll think about it.
"Oh, one more thing. You have until tomorrow to decide, if you regret it and come to talk to me, I will pretend that this conversation never took place. You only have this chance."
"I don't know what it will offer me, but it seems somehow dangerous."
He doesn't seem to want to answer my answer.
"Sorry but I'm afraid you have to run to your classroom now. The bell rang ten minutes ago."
"What? I I didn't listen to it! Sorry, but I have to go then."
"Goodbye boy, hopefully we'll meet tomorrow."
I run to the classroom. I put that card in my pocket as I run. I arrive in the room sweating, inside there are only a few people, including my friend who was sleeping, and who is now looking at his cell phone.
I slap my forehead, I can hear in my imagination the raucous laugh the principal must be giving right now after pulling a prank on me. I walk to my chair, sigh as I sit down.
A choice...he said I would need to make a choice.
If he doesn't want to answer me if it's dangerous or not, it probably is, isn't it? First the girl following me, now the principal begins to act strange with.
I can't think of anything I'm going to do in there that isn't illegal or.... I better not think about it so much. Obviously I'm not going there tomorrow, my life is fine the way it is.
He said that this could change everything about my present, past and future. Such a drastic change could be...
".....could be interesting....."