And there it was—the other side of the that room.
I stepped fully into the mirrored version, the air feeling colder and thicker. My gaze dropped to the floor, where the chips I'd thrown earlier lay scattered, proof I wasn't imagining things.
"I'm here..." I whispered, more to myself than anything else.
The room looked identical, yet there was a faint shimmer to everything, as though it wasn't entirely real. My heart pounded as I stood there for a moment, expecting something—or someone—to reveal itself. But nothing did.
Finally, I stepped back to the mirror and leaned through, returning to the original room. The transition was seamless, like stepping through a doorway. I grabbed the tote bag of snacks and turned back to the mirror, resolutely stepping through once more to the mirrored world.
When I emerged back in the original room, snacks in hand, I let out a shaky laugh. "I'm back... with snacks, of course." My voice broke the silence, but this time it felt lighter, less oppressive. I couldn't help but smile. I'd done it. Whatever this was, it was real, and now I had proof.
***
The next day felt surreal, as if I was caught between two worlds—the familiar one I had always known and the strange, mirrored reality I had stepped into. The classroom buzzed with the usual chatter: classmates laughing, exchanging stories, and rushing to finish their homework before the teacher arrived.
But I sat at my desk, staring blankly out the window. Class 1-3 wasn't particularly lively on most days, but today it felt even quieter—or maybe it was just me. My mind kept replaying everything from the night before: the mirrors, the chips disappearing into their depths, stepping through to the other side. It all felt like a dream, yet the faint chill I'd felt and the unsettling weight of that world were far too vivid to dismiss.
"Hikaru-kun, are you okay?"
I snapped out of my thoughts, blinking as Sakura stood beside my desk, tilting her head with a curious expression.
"Oh, yeah... I'm fine," I replied hastily, trying to sound normal.
She raised an eyebrow, unconvinced. "You didn't hear Mayu-san calling you?"
"Calling me?" I repeated, confused.
Sakura gestured toward the doorway. I turned my head and saw Mayu standing there with Aoi beside her. Mayu's arms were crossed, and her expression was a mix of annoyance and impatience.
Great. I was definitely in trouble.
Sighing, I pushed my chair back and stood up, making my way toward the door. As I got closer, I could hear Mayu tapping her foot. "Hikaru," she said sharply, "we've been waiting. Are you going to space out all day, or can we talk now?"
"Sorry, sorry," I muttered, scratching the back of my head. "I didn't hear you."
"You didn't hear me?" Mayu repeated, her tone dripping with disbelief. "I've been calling you for five minutes!"
Aoi stifled a giggle. "It's okay, Mayu-chan. Maybe he was daydreaming about something—or someone." She winked dramatically, earning a glare from Mayu.
"Let's just get this over with," Mayu said, turning on her heel and heading toward the hallway.
I sighed again and followed them out, wondering how I'd manage to keep my mind off last night's bizarre experience.
The school basketball court was empty, its polished wooden floor gleaming under the afternoon light streaming in from the high windows. The faint echo of our footsteps bounced around the quiet space as we walked in.
I stopped and looked around, confused. "Okay, so why are we here again?"
Mayu crossed her arms and shot me a pointed look. "We're here to find an old monitor. It's supposed to be in the storage room connected to the gym."
"An old monitor?" I raised an eyebrow. "Why do you need that?"
"For the student council room," Aoi chimed in, her voice cheerful as always. "The current monitor is broken, and someone told us there's a spare one stored here that isn't being used. It's not new or fancy, but it'll do the job."
"And let me guess," I said, folding my arms. "You need me to carry it because it's, what, too big for either of you?"
"Exactly," Mayu replied with a smirk. "You're catching on fast."
I groaned and rolled my eyes. "Great. You know, I'm starting to feel like your personal pack mule."
"You'll live," Mayu said, already heading toward the storage room at the far end of the court. "Come on, the sooner we find it, the sooner we can leave."
Aoi grinned and patted my shoulder sympathetically. "Don't worry, Hikaru-kun. Think of it as a workout. Maybe you'll even impress someone with your strength."
"Yeah, right," I muttered under my breath, reluctantly following them.
We reached the storage room, a small, dusty space filled with forgotten sports equipment, old desks, and various odds and ends. It smelled faintly of wood polish and disuse.
"Alright, where is this thing?" I asked, scanning the cluttered room.
"I don't know, there's a lot of things here," Mayu said with a shrug. "Let's walk around and see what we can find."
We began walking through the room, stepping over old basketballs, stacks of worn-out gym mats, and various forgotten trophies. The place was filled with relics of past events, and the smell of dust was thick in the air. The shelves were lined with equipment that hadn't seen much use in years. A few stray volleyballs bounced gently against the walls, and a large crate of soccer balls was shoved into the corner.
"Man, this place is a mess," I muttered, carefully stepping around a set of uneven weights. "How is anyone supposed to find anything in here?"
Mayu shrugged as she moved some equipment aside. "It's not like we're here every day. This is just where they throw stuff that doesn't have a place anywhere else."
I glanced around and then looked back at Mayu. "So why is the monitor even here, anyway? This doesn't exactly seem like the place for it."
She paused for a moment, pushing aside an old gym bag. "Oh, the monitor used to be here because it was part of the setup for the school's sports competitions. They used to have it here to track scores and timing. But after they upgraded everything, they moved the system to a different room, and this one just got left behind."
"That makes sense, I guess," I said, running my hand along a dusty shelf, feeling the weight of years in every inch. "But it's kind of strange that it would end up here."
"Yeah," Mayu replied with a small laugh, "it was probably just forgotten about. But hey, it's still useful, right? The student council will be happy to have it."
Just then, I saw a mirror—yet another mirror. Remembering the strange events from the night before, a mischievous thought crossed my mind. Maybe I could show off a little, something fun.
"Hey, you guys want to see some magic?" I said with a grin.
Mayu and Aoi both stopped and looked at me, their expressions a mix of curiosity and confusion.
"Magic?" Aoi echoed, raising an eyebrow. "What are you talking about?"
I shrugged, walking toward the mirror with a mischievous glint in my eye. "You know, just something I learned... a little trick."
Mayu crossed her arms, skeptical. "This better not be some kind of prank."
With my body tensed, ready to run into the mirror, I took a deep breath.
"What are you doing? You gonna run into the mirror?" Aoi asked, her voice filled with uncertainty.
"Yep... just wait for the magic," I replied, a grin creeping onto my face.
To Be Continue.