The classroom buzzed with whispers and laughter, faint and distant, like an echo from another world. I stood frozen, My heart racing, eyes fixed on the familiar chalkboard in front of me. Am I… alive? His hands shook as he touched his chest, half-expecting to find a stab wound, but there was nothing. Just his uniform, freshly ironed, his breathing steady. I thought I killed Piku and got pushed by someone. Who...was that girl?
"Hey, are you listening, Takeru?" a familiar voice said.
I turned, and there was Piku, alive and well, grinning as if nothing had happened. Takeru's stomach twisted. The last time I'd seen that face, it had been pale and smeared with blood, his eyes fading as the rain washed over them. I felt a wave of nausea and stumbled, grabbing onto the edge of my desk for support.
"You okay?" Piku asked, his voice laced with genuine concern.
"Yeah… I'm… fine." my voice was barely a whisper. How could he be here, in this moment, as if the entire horrific event had been erased?
"Good! Because if you keep spacing out, we'll be late to class," Piku teased, clapping me on the shoulder.
I forced a smile, my mind swirling with confusion. As Piku walked ahead, he glanced around the classroom. Everything was exactly as it had been before that night on the rooftop—before my life had unraveled. I couldn't shake the haunting memory, like a stain I couldn't scrub away. The way Piku had looked at me with those betrayed eyes, the blood on my hands…
It wasn't a dream.
The horror was too vivid, too raw, to be anything but real. And yet, here I am, back at the beginning, given a chance I didn't understand. But why? I thought,in confusion.
---
The day passed in a haze. His friends greeted him as usual, laughed at his jokes, but their voices faded into background noise. Even Piku's laughter, usually so infectious, grated on his nerves. I couldn't stop staring at him, haunted by the knowledge of what I had done.
By lunchtime, I'd barely eaten a bite. My stomach twisted, my appetite drowned beneath a mix of guilt, anger, and confusion. He kept running over the memory, trying to grasp the reason behind his sudden act of violence. The nauseating feeling is making me want to puke. The envy I'd harbored for months, the resentment I couldn't shake—how had it all exploded so viciously?
As I sat there in silence, Piku nudged me. You're acting weird today, you know that?"
I looked away, swallowing. "Just… not feeling great."
"Well, if you're sick, you should go home. But I know what would cheer you up." Piku pulled out his phone, flashing a photo of Tokyo Tower lit up against the night sky. "My girlfriend snapped this picture when she was at Tokyo two years ago." Doesn't it look amazing?"
I stared at the image in silence, the bright lights and towering skyscrapers reminding me of the dreams we'd shared. Tokyo—the place where we'd planned to escape, to find freedom. I should have felt excitement or even relief, but all I could think of was the twisted irony of it all. I took away his dream.
"Yeah, it does," I said quietly, fighting to keep my voice steady. The familiar jealousy tugged at me, but now it was wrapped in guilt. How do I stop this from happening again?" I thought, my mind spinning.
---
The lunch bell rang, signaling the end of the break. As we packed up, a chill ran down my spine, and I looked over my shoulder. Standing at the back of the room was the girl from last night—the girl who'd seen me after it all. She stood silently, her gaze fixed on me with a knowing smile.
Piku was oblivious, chatting with our classmates as they filed out, but my feet felt glued to the ground. She gave him a slight nod, beckoning me to follow.
Who is she? I didn't know what possessed me, but I slipped out of the classroom, It was as if my legs were moving by themselves to follow her, she led me down the quiet halls to the stairwell leading to the rooftop. We climbed in silence, the sound of our footsteps are the only noise echoing in the deserted stairwell. With each step, my heart pounded faster, dread gnawing at me.
We reached the rooftop. The girl stood by the railing, looking out over the city. "You don't remember me, do you?" she asked without turning.
"I've never met you before," I replied, keeping my distance. "But you saw… what I did."
She chuckled softly. "Did I? Or was that just one version of reality?" She turned to me, her eyes glinting with something unreadable. "Time is strange, you know. We don't get to decide how it works."
I clenched my fists. "Why am I here again? Why did everything… reset?"
She shrugged. "Why do you think? You wanted a chance to fix things, didn't you? Or are you just running from what you did?"
The words struck me like a slap. "I… I didn't want that. I just… didn't know how to stop myself. I don't understand what's happening. Who are you?"
Her gaze pierced him, and a dark smile crept onto her face. "I'm here to watch you try again. See if you're any different this time around." She leaned in closer, her voice a whisper. "And if you fail… well, I'll be here to remind you. Every time."
"What do you mean by 'every time'?" I stammered, a chill running down my spine.
She simply laughed. "You'll find out."
Before I could ask anything else, she turned and disappeared down the stairwell, leaving me alone on the rooftop with my thoughts—and the weight of the previous day pressing down on me.
I sank to my knees, gripping my head, memories of Piku's death flashing before my eyes. The blood, the regret, the look of betrayal. I had to find a way to break free of this cycle—to resist the anger and jealousy that had consumed me.
As I sat there, trembling, I made a silent vow.
No matter what it takes, I'll make things right. I won't let it happen again.
Little did I know, fate says otherwise.