Chapter 56 - Epilogue: Farewell

Epilogue:The bus hummed softly as it drove across the bridge that was connecting the mainland to Ikusei Kyoudo High School. Rays of morning sunlight penetrated through the windows, casting a warm glow over the cabin."Hah~" I yawned.Despite the exhaustion from waking up as early as 5 AM, the atmosphere inside was lighthearted. The students of Class 1-C shared their last moments of leisure discussing and reminiscing about the two-week long journey before returning to the grind."Ugh, just kill me already!" Ike groaned in his seat. "How am I supposed to go back to eating instant noodles after all that amazing food on the ship?!""I don't even want to think about that!" Yamauchi exclaimed in mock despair. "The desserts... That buffet... The pool... All gone!""I feel you bro!" Miyamoto shook his head. "My points are already scraping the bottom.""Back to being peasants, I guess." Hondo added wistfully."Wait, guys. Look at that dude..." Yamauchi called out.it wasn't long before their attention shifted to Sudou. He was leaning heavily against Ayanokouji. His mouth was slightly open, and his snoring was loud enough to rival the bus engine. A thin trail of thick, wet drool glistened on his chin as he mumbled incoherently in his sleep."Oh man, this is gold!" Ike grinned. He pulled out his phone to take a shot of that. "I'm sending this to the group chat right now!""Wait, wait!" Miyamoto said, trying his best to hold back the laughter. "Get a close-up of Ayanokouji's face. He looks like he's aged ten years from dealing with this!"Ayanokouji, as usual, looked unfazed. Though he slightly flinched and shifted his position to avoid Sudou's wetness."So, this is what people mean when they talk about karma, huh?" he muttered in a resigned tone.The group erupted into laughter, which ended up drawing a few curious glances from the quieter corners of the bus.A few rows ahead, the girls were having a very different conversation."Even with the test, this trip was so refreshing," Matsushita said, her voice carrying an air of satisfaction. "The ship, the view, the food... it felt like something out of a dream.""I can't believe it's over," Onodera sighed, resting her cheek against her hand. "It felt like we were living in a dream, you know?""Totally," Shinohara agreed, brushing a strand of hair from her face. "I mean, who gets to live like that at our age?""Yeah. Well, I think it wasn't just the ship." Satou leaned back in her seat with a smile. "For me, I think it was spending time with everyone. It's weird, but I feel like I got to know people better on this trip."Her eyes drifted toward some place behind me.My gaze then shifted toward Karuizawa Kei, who was sitting behind them. She'd usually talk and make a fuss out of everything. But instead, she was sitting silent; her gaze was fixated on someone; more specifically, me.It wasn't just a stare. It was sharp and probing glare, like she was trying to dissect me from a distance.I pretended not to notice, and focused my gaze on the dimly lit screen of my phone. The last received message on 'Secret':[ "It worked out exactly like you said. How?" ]A simple message, yet loaded with curiosity. I glanced back at Karuizawa briefly before turning the screen off, and sliding the phone back into my pocket.I leaned back in my seat and turned forward. Chabashira was sitting in the very front row of the bus. Her expression was unreadable. She was staring at the scenery outside as if deep in thought.Now that I think about it, this trip had been more productive than I'd ever expected.We'd gained class points, but not only that. A sense of camaraderie was born when we were in the island. Even though it didn't last long, it was still progress.Karuizawa was now part of my arsenal. Her cooperation would be invaluable in the days ahead.And then there was Chabashira... her faith in me had increased. I had even received an indirect nod of approval from her. For someone as cautious as her, earning even a sliver of goodwill felt like progress.But it wasn't just strategy or alliances that marked this trip as a success.My gaze drifted to a certain pink girl seated beside me.Sakura, her hands clasped tightly in her lap, was staring down at them as if they held the secrets of the universe. Her cheeks were flushed in a pinkish red. Every often so, she glanced at me out of the corner of her eye, only to look away the moment our gazes met.I didn't press her to speak. It wasn't necessary. The fact that she could sit here, calm yet visibly trying to muster courage, was progress enough.She had changed. It was her who asked me to sit next to her. Slowly but surely, she was gaining confidence. I felt a quiet sense of pride... not for myself, but for her.....The bus began to slow as the gates of Advanced Nurturing High School loomed into view. The towering entrance looked exactly as it had the day I arrived, and yet something about it felt different now.However...I don't know why I did it, but for some reason, my eyes were drawn toward the rearview mirror in the front. I noticed the driver's reflection. He was an old man, with an unassuming face. Graying hair and neck length beard. For some reason, he had a faint smile on his faceAs the bus came to a stop outside the school gates, the students began to disembark. I stood up from my seat and was about to do the same.That's when the driver turned his head slightly, looking directly at me for a fleeting moment."!!!"I felt it... It wasn't an ordinary side glance out of curiosity. It felt deliberate, and sharp, as if he could see through my very existence.Then, in a low voice, he spoke:"Drawer number two."It was so soft it felt like he wasn't addressing anyone at all, just musing to himself. But something about the calm, deliberate tone made the words dig into my mind.I froze, staring at him. I couldn't place his face, yet it stirred something deep in my memory. There was this unexplainable sense of familiarity in that man's face.That face... where had I seen it before?And then it hit me.I saw him the day I started my journey on this world. But that's not quite right. Because I may have seen him somewhere, even before."The Tohsaka mansion..."Or rather, what was left of it. Among the charred debris of the mansion in the original world, I remember seeing a photograph of a face resembling this man.My mind raced. The words he said, 'drawer number two' kept playing in my head over and over like a loop. I had multiple questions colliding against each other. But the most important one:How?The driver's smile deepened, as though he knew exactly what I was thinking. I wanted to ask him who he was. But before I could get the chance, someone behind me interrupted."Hey, move it!" Yamauchi barked. "You're blocking the way."Reluctantly, I broke eye contact and stepped off the bus. When I turned back, the driver was already looking away."Weird." I mused to myself, before turning toward the school.The crisp air brushed against my face, ruffling my hair in the process. My eyes traced the outlines of the gate built out of natural stone.This reminded me of the very first day here in this world. Back then, my thoughts had been a jumbled mess. I was confused, and beyond confused at the same time. My priorities were unclear, and my understanding of this world was still forming.It took me a while to get used to it. But eventually, I started treating this world like my own, and the characters as human beings... well, sort of."Oi, Levent."A sudden slap on my back jolted me from my thoughts. I turned to see Ayanokouji standing beside me with his usual calm expression, but tinged with slight amusement."You've been staring at the gate for like two minutes," he said."Yeah, I know. Just... reminiscing.""Reminisce later," he said, before walking past me inside the school. I guess he prefered being inside the school more than the outside?Shaking my head, I took a step to the side, letting the others behind me pass. I was about to do the same, as well. But just as I was about to take a step inside the school again."Levent-kun." a voice called out from behind that made the stop right before the gateI froze from the sense of déjà vu.I slowly turned to see Horikita a few feet away, holding her baggage, walking toward me."What is it now?" I asked, half expecting some sarcastic remark.She stood right in front of my face, and tilted her head slightly. "You looked ridiculous just now.""....."For a moment, I just stared at her, trying to process the absurdity of her question. But then, I remembered... This same situation has happened before.And the next second, without a warning..."Pft!"A laugh escaped my lips. A real, audible laugh.Horikita frowned. "What's so funny?""...Nothing," I shook my head and turned back toward the entrance of the school. "Absolutely nothing."