What a dreadful sensation is overtaking my body. Déjà vu? Could it be that I already know this girl?
She furrows her brows and begins to walk slowly toward me. With each step she takes, the atmosphere grows increasingly hostile.
At the same time, Miyu climbs the stairs to check why I've frozen in place.
"Did something happen, Johann—k-?!" Miyu's sentence cuts off as she reaches the corner and sees what stopped me in my tracks.
It seems to affect her similarly, making it feel almost contagious.
Fortunately, Miyu's arrival causes the girl to stop advancing, though she continues to glare at us. I guess I'm safe for now.
"Hey! What's wrong with you two? Did you see a ghost?" Shou asks.
Manabu and Shou approach and also notice the girl's fierce presence. However, their expressions are more akin to seeing a deity than a ghost.
I feel like I should say something, but nothing comes to mind besides asking her name and where she's from. That's what one would typically do, yet it feels forced, artificial, and pathetic for this unfriendly encounter.
This is why I hate socializing; there's never a clear solution. What the hell am I supposed to say?
"Sorry we almost bumped into you," Miyu says.
The tense atmosphere continues. The girl keeps glaring at us, not saying a word.
"Miyucchi, since she's a foreigner, maybe she doesn't speak Japanese," Manabu suggests.
"Oh, you're right! But my English isn't great. How should we try to communicate with her?"
"Haha. Allow me to take over. You might not know this, but I'm a certified English speaker," Shou boasts.
"That's impressive, Shoucchi! Why didn't you tell us earlier? We could have been translating eroges and making a fortune!"
"We'll discuss business later, dear Manabu. For now, observe my spectacular skills," Shou brags before addressing her in his atrocious English. "Hello, beautiful lady. Speak English?"
Shou's terrible English pronunciation even makes Manabu and Miyu cringe. Still, I think she might grasp what he's trying to say. Regardless, she remains static, her sharp gaze unchanged.
"I don't think she understood you, Shoucchi," Manabu laughs softly.
"How could she not? My performance was flawless! It's impossible she didn't understand," Shou retorts, irritated.
"Forget about translating eroges, Shoucchi. It's clearly not your calling," Manabu quips.
"Calm down, boys. Maybe she doesn't speak English, either. We don't even know where she's from," Miyu interjects.
It's unlikely, though. A Westerner planning to travel abroad typically has at least basic English skills.
For some unconscious reason, I decide to try German.
"Do you understand?" I ask.
She stares at me coldly for a few seconds before finally speaking.
"Do I know you from somewhere?" the girl replies in serious German.
Well, it seems I've struck gold—she speaks my native language. Her question mirrors what I had been thinking. We're making progress and saving valuable time.
"Oh! She speaks German!" Miyu exclaims, excited.
She has no idea what the girl just said, so why is she so cheerful? For all she knows, the girl could be insulting us.
"What a coincidence. I was about to ask you the same thing since I had the same impression," I reply.
"Hey! What are you two talking about?! Tell us, Johann! That's not fair!" Shou complains.
"Wow, Shoucchi. Are you that eager to know what a beautiful 3D girl is saying?" Manabu teases.
Could you both wait until we finish the conversation before asking about it? Talking to strangers is hard enough for me without your chatter in my ear.
"Shut up," the girl says in Japanese.
I'm surprised; she took the words right out of my mouth for the second time.
"She knows Japanese?!" Shou exclaims.
"So, if she understands Japanese, we can assume she's heard everything we've said so far and just ignored us. Feeling hurt, Shoucchi? I've warned you about the cold reality of beautiful 3D girls. They crush our hearts without a shred of compassion," Manabu jokes.
What unnecessary drama. Stop putting beautiful girls on pedestals and lamenting over it, especially while I'm trying to talk to one.
"Boys, calm down. Don't jump to conclusions. That's not fair. Let her explain," Miyu tries to mediate.
Miyu then turns to the girl, smiling, signaling her to continue.
"There's nothing to explain. It's exactly as you understood. Now, stay quiet. I won't ask again," the foreigner says curtly before focusing her gaze back on me.
"How rude! Is that any way to treat people who are just trying to help?" Miyu murmurs, wide-eyed.
Yeah, she didn't see that coming. Her manner of speaking matches her intimidating gaze perfectly. It's like four helpless prey being cornered by a ravenous predator. Honestly, I'm struggling to keep from laughing at Miyu's disappointment.
"And you? Why are you silent? Tell me who you are," she demands irritably in German.
What? Now, I'm the target of her frustration? What did I even do?
"My name is Johann Geistmann."
Even after I tell her my name, she continues to glare at me intensely. I can't understand why she's so hostile toward us.
"What is it? Does my name ring a bell?" I ask.
"Are you stupid? Do you think I can recognize you just from your name?"
She's getting on my nerves. What does she expect me to say? I have no notable titles to mention, so I simply stated my name.
"I was born in Germany and moved to Japan a few years ago. I'm just a high school student. Does that satisfy you, or do you want details about my personal life?"
She frowns even more, clearly unsatisfied with my answer. What more does she want? I don't even have an academic career to share.
"What now? Do you want to see my passport and citizenship documents? Honestly, I don't know what else to tell you."
"That's not it. I was also born in Germany, which increases the likelihood that we've met before. However, something doesn't add up in your self-description. Something's off," she claims.
How can she assert that? My description was too generic for a supposed stranger to find any discrepancies.
"What is it, then? Please inform me if my life has been a lie. I'm very curious," I reply sarcastically.
"It's irrelevant to you. For now, I'll just assume you lied."
Assume I lied? What kind of reaction is that? Isn't it more likely that she's mistaken? Who does she think she is?
I glance to the side and see Shou and Miyu watching the interaction, wide-eyed, unable to understand a word we're saying. Meanwhile, Manabu looks fascinated. Is it because he's never seen me get humiliated by a girl? Perhaps it is because she fits the small niche of 3D girl personalities he secretly admires.
Fine. Now, it's my turn to get some information from her. Maybe I'll recognize her, especially since she had the same impression.
"And you? What's your name? Perhaps I'll remember you through it and confirm whether we've met."
"I'm not obligated to tell you," she replies, turning away.
This is really infuriating. The only reason I haven't lost my temper yet is because her intimidating aura outweighs my irritation. I'll try to stay calm and reason with her, no matter how difficult it might be.
"Look, someone as reserved as I am isn't exactly a model of politeness and courtesy. But even I know that when you ask someone their name, offering yours in return is customary."
"If you're someone 'reserved,' you should understand perfectly well that I couldn't care less about such norms or prepackaged politeness. Why would I be obligated to follow them?"
I see that trying to reason with her will be a waste of energy. I'll have to find another way to get the information I want. Surely, her name is in the school's records since she had to enroll as an exchange student. Perhaps Keiko or another council member knows where I can find it.
Wait. Something about all this feels wrong.
Why am I so fixated on this? This isn't like me. What difference does it make if I know who she is? What will change if I learn her name? Nothing.
What's happening to me? Clearly, it's not just the behavior of others that's altered in this reality. It feels like I'm being influenced too.
I continue staring at her, unsure of how to respond.
Noticing that I have nothing more to say, she considers the conversation over. She places her hands in her pockets, turns away, and walks off without another word.
I barely have time to process the bizarre encounter when the group behind me springs into action.
"Johann, what were you two talking about?! We couldn't understand anything!" Shou asks with exaggerated enthusiasm.
"Nothing much. She just asked my name and systematically insulted me. She thought she knew me, but it seems she was mistaken."
"What a relief. Her gaze was so terrifying. For a moment, I thought she was going to attack us," Miyu says, sighing in relief.
"Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if we ended up getting beaten. It seems the exchange student is off my love list," Shou laments.
"So, you're giving up your womanizer status? Don't you find assertive girls more attractive?" Manabu teases.
"I love girls, but normal ones! Only someone sick like you, Manabu, would consider pursuing someone like her."
"Me? I've said it before: my devotion is solely for 2D girls. Even if a 3D girl has a 2D soul, it's not for me. She's more Johann's type anyway."
"You've got to be kidding me, Manabu. I'm not a masochist," I reply.
I don't expect anything good from her, but at the same time, the feeling that I know her persists. Strangely, as my irritation with her fades, I find her attitude increasingly amusing.
9:18 PM
I used to love bedtime, but an overwhelming anxiety is unsettling me tonight. It's so strange.
A different feeling accompanies me this evening—a sense of duty? Is there something I need to do? What?
It seems Haruki's absence is being felt again. I've noticed this odd behavior intensifies or diminishes depending on the environment. Since this place is closely tied to the incident with him last night, I imagine others are more likely to recall him here.
"It's so unfair," Shou laments.
"Haruki was always kind to everyone," Manabu responds.
"Why him, of all people? He was the only council member who didn't look down on us. Unlike the vice president, who only cares about rules and keeps nagging us."
"He's just enforcing the president's decrees," I reply.
"Looking at it that way, I agree with you. He only acts like that to please the Kaichou. What an obsessive guy. He should be like me and give up on unattainable girls. It's a waste of energy. He should focus on girls he can actually win over."
The person in question abruptly opens our dormitory door, capturing everyone's attention.
"As I said before, is everyone ready for bed?"
Everyone falls silent so he can proceed with his announcement.
"I'm the sole person responsible for the boys' dormitories, so I ask for your cooperation. We've already passed the scheduled time. The rules have been explained, right? No one can leave the dormitory without my permission. This way, we can better organize ourselves and prevent another incident."
"What if we need to use the restroom or get water?" a classmate asks.
"I intended not to let anyone out, but as long as you're brief and ask for my permission beforehand, it's fine. I'll be on guard in the hallway."
With that, he quickly leaves and shuts the door.
"Isn't he being a bit more lenient than usual?" Manabu whispers.
"True. Thankfully, he's in a good mood," Shou replies, sighing in relief.
Day 3
6:54 AM
"Everyone, wake up!" the same shout from yesterday startles me awake.
Is the world ending?
Waking up to such a loud noise always fills me with dread.
"For heaven's sake! What time do you think it is?!" Shou exclaims, irritated.
I check the time on my phone. It's later than usual. What happened? Even though I woke up later, I still didn't get enough sleep.
"Shou, it's almost seven. It's not that early," I reply.
Still, it can't be good news for him to wake us up like this again.
"Really? Force of habit. I thought it was still dawn… I'm so sleepy," he yawns.
"What happened, Takacchi? I was having beautiful 2D dreams…"
Takashi hesitates for a few seconds before answering. His dark circles are as prominent as mine. He must have spent the entire night awake, guarding the boys' dormitories.
Given the similarity to yesterday, it's not hard to deduce what might have happened. Perhaps they're still too groggy to remember the situation we're in.
It's highly likely that another student has fallen victim to poisoning, complicating matters further.
"I think it'll be easier if I get straight to the point. Unfortunately, we suffered some losses during the night," he pauses, "This time, however, they were stabbed."