Kaede sat frozen, her mind struggling to process what was happening. Mirei—Mirei, the idol she had admired for so long, the leader of Celestial—was sitting right in front of her, smiling casually as if nothing had happened. Her cute bob of brown hair framed her soft, doll-like face, and her eyes sparkled with the same vibrant energy Kaede had seen so many times in music videos and concerts. It was too much for her to take in.
"Kaede?" Mirei tilted her head slightly, her expression shifting to one of concern. "Are you okay?"
Kaede blinked rapidly, snapping out of her daze. Her heart was pounding in her chest, her hands clammy with sweat. She had no idea what was going on. She was supposed to be walking home after hearing the devastating news of Mirei's death, but now she was here—sitting in a classroom that looked exactly like her high school, with Mirei, very much alive, talking to her as if they were classmates.
Was this real?
"Y-Yeah, I'm fine," Kaede stammered, her voice coming out shaky. She forced a smile, trying to act normal, even though her brain was screaming at her that nothing about this was normal.
Mirei raised an eyebrow, clearly not convinced but deciding to drop it. "If you say so…"
Kaede looked around the classroom again, trying to ground herself. It looked just like her old classroom—same layout, same desks, even the same slightly faded posters on the wall. But something was off. She scanned the faces of her classmates, trying to place the unease gnawing at her.
And then it hit her.
Everyone in the room was a girl.
Kaede frowned, her confusion deepening. She distinctly remembered her high school being co-ed. She wasn't in some all-girls school, was she? So why were there no boys? Had she somehow missed something? Or was this part of whatever strange dream she had fallen into?
Before she could think too much about it, the bell rang, signaling the start of break time. Mirei stretched her arms above her head with a satisfied sigh. "Finally, break time! Let's go to the cafeteria, Kaede."
"Uh, sure," Kaede replied, still feeling a bit off-kilter but grateful to have a chance to follow Mirei and figure out what was going on. She grabbed her bag and stood up, her legs feeling like jelly as she followed Mirei out of the classroom.
As they walked through the familiar hallways, Kaede couldn't shake the weird feeling. Everything was just as she remembered it from high school—the same linoleum floors, the same lockers, the same buzzing energy of students moving between classes. But where were all the boys? Why was this place suddenly an all-girls school?
They reached the cafeteria, and Kaede's stomach growled despite her confusion. Mirei led the way, her presence commanding attention without even trying. Even though Kaede knew this was some bizarre version of reality, she couldn't help but feel a thrill walking beside her crush. Mirei was everything Kaede admired: confident, sassy, and always effortlessly charming.
They grabbed their food and found a spot near the windows. Mirei plopped down in her seat, looking relaxed as she started munching on her sandwich.
"So, you're seriously acting weird today," Mirei said between bites, her eyes narrowing playfully at Kaede. "Like, what's going on in that head of yours? I'm starting to think you need a check-up or something."
Kaede let out a nervous laugh, scratching the back of her head. "I'm fine! Just… had a weird morning, that's all."
"Uh-huh." Mirei wasn't buying it. "If you say so, but seriously, I've never seen you so spaced out. You're usually the cool, calm, collected Kaede who doesn't let anything faze her. Did something happen? You fail a test or something?"
Kaede smiled awkwardly, trying to play along with the banter. "Maybe I just need more sleep. Or, y'know, less caffeine."
Mirei snorted, raising an eyebrow. "Right. Next thing I know, you'll be saying you forgot what school we go to. You're not that out of it, right?"
Kaede looked around again. The girls in the cafeteria were chatting, eating lunch, and laughing, but there were still no boys in sight. She furrowed her brow, leaning forward slightly. "Speaking of school… why is it all girls here? Wasn't this place co-ed?"
Mirei paused, staring at her like she had just said the most ridiculous thing ever. "Uh, what? You seriously don't know where you are? Kaede, this is Aoyama Girls High School—our school. Are you sure you're okay? Did you hit your head or something?"
Kaede's heart skipped a beat. Aoyama Girls High School? She had definitely gone to a co-ed school back in her real life. What was happening? She stared at Mirei, trying to come up with some sort of explanation, but nothing made sense. Her head spun, and for a brief moment, she wondered if she had completely lost her mind.
"No, I'm fine, I swear," Kaede muttered, her voice lacking conviction. "I just… I don't know."
Mirei laughed, leaning back in her chair, her playful smile never fading. "Man, you're a real trip today. Maybe I should take you to the nurse's office. Or better yet, the hospital. I mean, we don't want you walking around in some kind of daze all day, do we?"
Kaede flushed, feeling more embarrassed than ever. "I'm not that out of it!" she protested, waving her hands defensively. "I just… had a weird thought, that's all."
Mirei smirked, clearly enjoying teasing her. "Sure, sure. Just making sure you're not having some kind of existential crisis. But hey, if you need someone to hold your hand, I'm here for you."
Kaede's face turned even redder, and she quickly looked down at her food, trying to avoid Mirei's teasing gaze. How could this be happening? How could she be sitting here, having a casual conversation with Mirei like they were best friends, when just hours ago, she had seen the news about Mirei's death?
The rest of the school day passed in a blur. Kaede tried to focus on her classes, but her mind kept drifting back to the same question: what was going on? Was this some kind of dream? A hallucination? Everything felt too real to be just a fantasy. And yet, here she was—living in a world where Mirei was alive, and apparently, they were classmates.
By the time school let out, Kaede was still no closer to figuring out the truth. She stood by her locker, staring blankly at the books she was supposed to take home.
"Kaede, you coming?" Mirei's voice broke through her thoughts, and Kaede looked up to see her standing by the door, her hands on her hips. "You're walking home with me, right?"
Kaede blinked, confused. "Wait, we live near each other?"
Mirei gave her a quizzical look. "Uh, yeah? What's going on with you today? You're seriously acting like an alien or something. Should I take you to the hospital for real?"
Kaede's face burned with embarrassment. "No! I'm fine, I promise!"
Mirei raised an eyebrow, then grinned. "Alright, if you say so. But you've been super weird today. Just don't faint on me or anything, okay?"
As they started walking, Kaede's eyes drifted to the school's front gate. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw the sign: Aoyama Girls High School.
"What?!" Kaede said aloud, her eyes wide. "An all-girls high school?!"
Mirei burst out laughing. "Oh my god, Kaede, you're seriously losing it! Should I call an ambulance, or can you make it home without collapsing? Maybe I should hold your hand after all."
Kaede groaned in embarrassment, pulling her hoodie up to cover her face. Mirei continued to laugh, playfully nudging her as they walked home together.
Even though Kaede couldn't make sense of anything, one thing was certain—Mirei was alive and right here with her. And for now, that was enough.