6:54 PM
The evening brings the cold, and the pool heater isn't powerful enough to keep it warm during such a harsh winter night. Because of this, we leave the pool and head to the locker room.
Was that… fun? Yes, I can't remember a single time I laughed so much and so spontaneously as during our wars in the snow and the pool.
Now I can clearly understand this feeling: joy. It was such a euphoric experience that, despite being in circumstances that made no rational sense, I still wish it could have lasted a little longer.
I stop and watch the two of them chatting and smiling as they walk toward the girl's locker room.
Do they feel the same? Most of the time, they remain cold or serious. Were those laughs a genuine form of happiness?
But can we allow ourselves to feel this, even while carrying so many sins?
They notice my uneasiness, turn to me and stare for a few seconds.
"What is the matter? Do you want to shower with us?" Mikoto comments with a mocking smile.
Yeah… I was staring at them. So, of course, she would take the opportunity to tease me.
"I was just going to ask if you brought the towels," I reply, embarrassed.
"Your reactions are truly priceless, Johann. You have made my day," she laughs. "I checked in advance; clean towels are in the lockers."
Clearly, my excuse didn't work, and how many times has it been today already? I think I've become her toy again.
Mikoto enters the locker room while Ailiss remains outside, staring at me.
"Is something wrong?" I ask.
Is she still upset about our pool war? Since she was laughing, I thought she had let go of her resentment.
"What are you waiting for? Aren't you coming?"
"Of course not!" I respond, even more embarrassed.
What is she thinking?!
"Then just say so; you made me wait for nothing," Ailiss enters and slams the door.
Did she actually take Mikoto's joke seriously? Or has she been influenced and started replicating the same kind of teasing? Or maybe she just doesn't see me as someone significant enough to be bothered by being in the locker room together?
Unfortunately, it seems to be the third case.
Honestly, despite everything, I'm still a boy. They should take that into account.
I enter the locker room, grab a towel from the locker, and head to one of the showers. Before stepping into the stall, I hear some laughter coming from the girl's locker room.
It seems they're having a lot of fun over there. During the repetitions, when we remained unconscious, this was impossible. I'm glad they've overcome their differences and now enjoy themselves as friends.
I sigh, ignore the laughter, close my eyes, and focus on not imagining what they might be doing.
I turn on the water, let the hot stream fall over my head, close my eyes, and melancholically recall the infernal memories of the time I was trapped in the loop. The desolate feeling I found myself in, the complete insanity I endured for centuries—all of it will never disappear from my mind.
I guess there's no way to rid myself of this burden. It's a sin that will accompany me for eternity in this world of repetitions. Every time I find myself alone, these demons return to haunt me.
What ensures that this time will be any different?
I open my eyes, and for a moment, I see the dirty color of the water running over my body.
What is this?!
I scrub myself. I scrub. I scrub.
In a tone of desperation, the more I try to wash, the muddier my skin's surface becomes.
I close my eyes once more, and when I open them, I realize there's no sludge.
There's nowhere for me to run.
There's nowhere for me to hide.
The faces of all those I caused so much suffering are always in constant vigilance. They will curse me until the moment of my death, and as I'm trapped in life within this world, I'll never be free of my sins.
…
I lift my head from under the water and, turning around, I encounter the most unexpected situation I could imagine.
I rub my face and look again to ensure I'm not hallucinating again.
"What are you doing here? Don't you know this is the boy's locker room?" I ask, surprised.
Mikoto and Ailiss are standing in front of the stall I'm in.
Luckily, I was so lost in my thoughts that I hadn't removed my shorts… otherwise, I wouldn't know where to hide my face from such embarrassment.
Where are their minds?
"The thing is, the girl's locker room does not have hot water. We thought the bathroom boiler was turned off along with the pool's by mistake, but everything seems in order. We were waiting for you to finish so we could shower here," Mikoto explains.
"Could it be a plumbing issue?" I wonder aloud. "But that doesn't justify you just barging in here. You should have waited for me to leave."
"Since you were taking too long, we decided to come in," Ailiss adds.
"I got distracted; I'm sorry."
I must give them some credit in this situation. It's getting pretty cold outside, and I was indeed taking too long, lost in my thoughts. They could easily catch a cold if they waited for me to leave the locker room.
"Johann, do not tell me you were taking advantage of the shower to do that, were you?" Mikoto says mockingly, laughing. "Do not feel shy about it; normally, I would scold you for misconduct in a school environment, but given the situation, I think it is justifiable. It is a natural practice for a boy your age, so do not be bothered by our presence and carry on with whatever you were doing."
To think I was worried about these two… clearly, they're taking advantage of this inconvenient situation to annoy me. Anyway, I'll finish washing up and get out of here quickly.
"No, I wasn't. Why don't you go to another stall to shower already?" I reply, embarrassed.
"That was the plan, but I accidentally broke them," Ailiss responds.
"How is that even possible?!"
Okay… their explanation so far has been entirely plausible. But this is getting too strange to be true.
"I turned the faucet the wrong way with too much force," she displays the broken faucet handle in her hands.
Alright… how did she even manage that?!
I sigh.
Trying to rationalize their actions and feats isn't going to get me anywhere.
"How many times did you do this? Dozens to disable all the showers?"
"Something like that," she replies seriously.
She just agreed?! Do you seriously expect me to buy this lousy excuse? You've got to be kidding, right?
Breaking the faucet is solid evidence of her superhuman strength, but nothing justifies this series of mistakes. It's clear that this Machiavellian idea of embarrassing me comes from Mikoto. Everything is so well-orchestrated that they even thought of the faucet issue in advance, despite it being a rather absurd justification, to say the least.
"As Ailiss explained, this is the only functional shower in the gym. So, could we share it?" Mikoto asks with a smile.
"Fine, I'll leave and let you shower."
It's a shame I can quickly nullify this entire plan of theirs. All that theater to claim this shower was for nothing since I can leave it whenever I please.
She then responds with the icy tone she used to reprimand other students.
"You cannot. From what you described, you were distracted and have not properly showered. As the student council president, it is my duty to ensure you do not leave here smelling bad."
Yeah, right. That's not your duty at all. But there are still plenty of ways for me to dodge her attack.
"Then I'll shower after you…"
"A three-person shower means saving water. Remember, it is important to think about sustainability."
"In this supernatural reality, it doesn't make any difference; resources always reset."
How long will they insist on this unfounded argument? Even with good rhetoric, their ideas will eventually run out.
The two exchange glances, and apparently, they have no more excuses to use.
"Have you forgotten about that bet you lost in basketball, Mistkerl? Here's our command: Don't argue against our points."
I understand. I forgot about the ace up their sleeve they were saving, but I'm relieved it wasn't used to give me a more embarrassing order.
Thus, I'm forced to yield to their suggestion.
"Alright, come in," I sigh.
"Do you want me to shampoo your hair?" Mikoto asks Ailiss, who nods.
Since we're in swimsuits, it's not such a problematic situation, and as a bonus, I get to see a softer side of them. One of them helps wash the other's hair, and once again, we find ourselves in a rather childish situation, laughing at simple jokes during the shower.
Since we've been spending time together like this, I feel I can set aside the dark thoughts that haunt me for a while.