Exactly as represented in Western culture: a skeleton, the total antithesis of life. She carries a scythe with a blade that causes agony just by looking at it. The black voids where her eyes should be radiate endless darkness as if I could see the graveyard where all her victims rest behind them.
"He vanished... how is this even possible?" Miyu exclaims, her eyes wide as she staggers backward.
First, I need to judge why I was the only one who saw it. According to the information about this so-called game, the players would soon know they'd been chosen. Therefore, I can deduce that the ability to see this mythical creature is the sign I was waiting for.
I scan the crowd from end to end, and no one seems to be reacting to it. This leads me to conclude that either the other players aren't here, or they've adopted the same strategy as me.
In any case, I don't plan to look for their identities. Assuming this game is real, I have no intention of participating in this nonsense. If it's my fate to die, I'll wait until the end.
Shou and Manabu arrive a bit too late to witness the teacher's disappearance.
"Whoa, what's going on out there?" Shou asks.
Haruki, who was standing a bit further from Miyu and me, turns and responds to Shou.
"The teacher dematerialized in front of everyone. It seems to be real. Well, I'm going to join the rest of the council. See you later."
Haruki hurries down the stairs and leaves the hallway.
I continue observing the crowd and then notice that, in perfect synchronization, everyone turns around. It almost feels like they practiced for weeks to achieve such precision.
The only person capable of commanding a crowd with this level of spontaneity steps into the courtyard with a megaphone. Her path fluidly divides the mass to allow her passage.
Finally, accompanied by Haruki and the other three prominent council members, she stops in front of them with her icy blue gaze. She looks at them for a few seconds, and after ensuring the commotion has ceased, she sighs and raises the megaphone to her lips.
"Stop acting like monkeys and listen to what we have to say!"
The student council president, Yukihara Mikoto, begins her speech rudely. However, no one seems bothered by it.
Unfazed by the insult, a still-panicked student tries to emphasize what just happened to his classmate.
"BUT ASAHI-"
The president's watchdog, better known as Vice President Tanaka Takashi, doesn't even give the boy a chance to finish his comment, cutting him off with a sharp yell.
"SILENCE! Let Kaichou finish speaking!"
The other friendlier council members, Hasegawa Haruki and Kobayashi Keiko look a bit awkward due to the ungraceful atmosphere the vice president created.
Meanwhile, Nakamura Natsuki is trembling with fear. I wonder how this girl even became a class representative; she seems to have less backbone than me.
"Hey, Tanaka-san. That's not necessary," Haruki says.
Is he trying to defuse the tension? I expected nothing less from him.
"You can't interrupt a superior's speech and go unpunished. Hasegawa-san, don't you agree with me?"
"I don't recall giving you permission to take such an unnecessary action," Mikoto responds coldly.
"I was just ensuring no interruptions," he stammers defensively.
"And yet, your unnecessary action wasted more of my time than simply letting the boy finish his sentence."
Takashi widens his eyes and slowly lowers his head, looking dejected.
With Takashi cowed, Mikoto tosses a strand of her long hair over her shoulder and raises the megaphone again.
"In any case, the student council is aware of our circumstances and what the voices claimed over the speakers. As you have noticed, it seems to be true. Therefore, we will maintain order among the students while seeking a way out of this 'game' with the fewest fatalities possible. For this, we need everyone's cooperation. Does anyone object?"
No one could. They're all desperate, wanting to believe in a guiding light to lead them out of this absurdity. And there's no being more radiant than Yukihara Mikoto. Even in the face of a scene transcending the supernatural, she shows no signs of nervousness or insecurity.
4:39 PM
We're now in the school's lobby, with all the classes gathered here. It's irritating me immensely. I get agitated in crowds and can barely stand hearing so many overlapping conversations.
"Do you know what I find more senseless than dividing the dormitories? Not chasing down the identity of one of the three players," Shou remarks.
Shou's proposition is no surprise; everyone is aware of this. The reason is obvious, but even so, I'd like to hear him say it explicitly.
"And why should they?" I ask.
"It's simple, right? Just kill one of the three. And there's probably someone willing to sacrifice themselves for the group."
"Shimizu-kun, that's not a nice thing to say. It's one of our classmates' lives at stake—someone innocent. Sacrificing anyone is unethical, to say the least," Miyu scolds him.
"Well, I agree with Shou. It's the easiest way, isn't it?" I comment.
"Johann-kun!? You're also supporting such an atrocity?!" she retorts, sulking.
"See, Miyu-chan? Even Johann agrees with me. And Johann, being smart, has also realized this."
You don't need to be a genius to connect the dots. The game's rules are overly simple, probably intentionally, so this decision would come sooner or later.
"It's not about morality; it's about survival," I add.
"It's easy to oppose now, but when the time comes, we might not have a choice," Manabu concludes.
"You guys are heartless," Miyu responds, sulking.
For a moment, I thought about revealing that I'm a player just to see where our conversation would lead and how each of them would react. However, it's wiser to suppress that desire and keep this matter a secret. The fewer people know I'm a player, the less hassle I'll have moving forward.
9:35 PM
We were assigned to four different dormitories. Half the girls are under the president's supervision, and the other half are with Keiko and Natsuki. Meanwhile, the boys were divided similarly between Haruki and Takashi.
"Twenty minutes until lights out!" Takashi exclaims.
Under other circumstances, I'd hate being in this guy's group, but in this case, it's perfect. He has what it takes to keep Shou and Manabu's chatter in check.
I look up at the ceiling with an internal smile and gradually close my eyes.
Until my sleep is interrupted once again by an unwelcome call.
"Hey, Jocchi."
"What do you want from me?" I ask.
"Manabu and I are bored. Want to play cards in secret?" Shou asks.
"No."
I already have another game stressing me out.
"Hey, you guys! It's already quiet hours," the vice president scolds.
Day 2
8:17 AM
Is it morning already? Where exactly am I?
I sit up and observe the surroundings.
The school? Indeed. That bizarre event yesterday turned out to be authentic.
I wake up feeling quite dizzy. My memories seem rather muddled. I vaguely recall dreaming about something very strange.
What was it again?
When I try to remember what happened, my head hurts terribly. I can't recall the sequence of events, but the sensations I felt remain vivid in my mind.
Was I worried?
A lucid dream? No, it was more like an astral projection. Clearly, I consider something like that absurd by definition. However, considering the existence of being trapped in a supernatural dimension, the situation takes a different turn. I can no longer rely on scientific laws to describe what is possible or not in here.
I place my hands on my face and try to push my brain a bit harder. I feel like some crucial information is very close. I get the impression it was something crucial, something I absolutely shouldn't forget. Perhaps a way out of here?
I think there was someone important there. But who was it again? I vaguely remember the silhouette of a person.
No. Actually, there were two people.
Exactly. There were two people. I think that's right.
For now, I can't recall either of their faces, but I have the impression that these two people were at an impasse about something. I also don't know what my position was regarding this conflict—maybe I was mediating that possible dispute.
"What's wrong, Jocchi? That face—did you forget to use the incognito tab? Feeling down?" Manabu asks.
"I'm not. I'm just trying to remember something important."
Important? Is a dream really that important? Assigning meaning to dreams has no basis. Even so, I can't help but feel disturbed by these uncertain memories. Even without any guarantee that it's valid information, I still want to remember it.
I'm almost there. It's as if there's only one door between me and this nebulous information. However, the door is stuck and won't open at all. I need some kind of mental trigger to serve as a key to access these memories.
"What's bothering you? Tell us. Maybe we can help," Shou suggests.
"How can I tell you something I don't remember? There's no way you can help me with this, and if you keep distracting me, I really won't be able to remember. Let me focus."
"Geez, what a grouch. Did you wake up on the wrong side of the bed? That's why no one but us hangs out with you."
Firstly, I don't want to hang out with anyone anyway. And I don't see the sense in using that as an insult, considering your situation isn't much different from mine since only Manabu talks to you.
"Let him be, Shoucchi. I completely understand. When I'm focused on trying to remember a 2D dream, I get like that too. It's such a precious memory since we only have access to that world in our dreams."
"Manabu, I hate to break it to you, but that's probably not the case. He must have dreamed of real beautiful girls if your premise is correct. Then again, we're talking about Johann, right? What kind of things go on in that guy's dreams?"
These idiots won't let me think. Who would take such nonsense seriously? What are they going to claim next? That I dreamed of the president?
Wait.
Now that they've brought up that idea, I recall more of my dream. One of the mysterious silhouettes is becoming more evident. Maybe she really is related. These two fools aren't entirely wrong in this story. Well, even a broken clock is right twice a day.
Come to think of it... they're actually correct. She was definitely in some critical part of my dream.
I get flashes of her and another girl I don't recognize.
As I push further, my dizziness intensifies, but I'm managing to piece together some information and assemble this puzzle. We were right here in the school, maybe in the student council room.
A table, shelves full of books and documents, and a tea set. I've never actually been there, but I judge that such characteristics fit this hypothesis. The most direct way to confirm this information would be to go there personally, but I'm not sure it's worth coming up with an excuse to enter just because of a dream.
Besides, I still can't remember what was happening. Only the setting and the people involved. Why would I go there? And more importantly, who was the second girl? Judging by her features, I can assume she's clearly not Japanese. So, if she's real and not just a product of my mind, she can only be the exchange student Shou mentioned yesterday.
Since I already know who the president is and her whereabouts, maybe I should occupy myself with finding out about this mysterious girl who's the biggest unknown. The fact that I dreamed of her before even meeting her probably has some relation to this game. Truth be told, conceptually speaking, she seems the most suspicious figure.
I push my brain a bit more, but this is all I can recall for now. Besides, I shouldn't take a dream so seriously since there's no guarantee it's connected to reality—it might be a futile effort.
An event interrupts my train of thought.
"Everyone up! Just because there are no classes doesn't mean you can sleep in!" Takashi opens the door and exclaims.
Other students who were still lying down get up with disapproving looks.
It's already quite late, and since we went to bed early, I don't see much reason to complain. However, wouldn't it be more interesting to keep everyone asleep?
"And why can't we? Just because you're the vice president, does that mean you can order us around like this?" Shou asks.
Some classmates join Shou's small rebellion, giving him some support.
"They're Kaichou's orders. No complaints—just follow what you've been told," Takashi adjusts his glasses while explaining.
Ah, so she's the mastermind behind this? Could she be planning to maintain regular school hours just for the sake of order? I wouldn't doubt it.
Given that the orders come from the student council president, everyone who had boarded Shou's democratic battle jumps ship and starts packing their sleeping bags as if the discussion had never happened.
With the message delivered, Takashi leaves the dormitory and slams the door.
"I really don't like that guy. He's an inflated ego jerk," Shou says.
The funniest thing is that while he exerts his authority, he's also a watchdog of the president. Besides, I've never been fond of him, but strangely, I'm starting to feel an even stronger repulsion toward him.
"Well, there's nothing we can do about it, Shoucchi. We might as well pack our things and look for something to pass the time," Manabu comments.
"You're right. I'll try talking to some girl since we have plenty of free time."
Are they really treating this as free time? It's unbelievable. It just highlights how strange this environment feels to me. However, this so-called free time could serve for me to uncover more about this strange sensation and the enigmatic dream that's been bothering me.