I took a few steps back, preparing myself for a dramatic run. "Alright, here we go," I said, trying to suppress a grin.
Mayu and Aoi exchanged uneasy glances, but neither moved to stop me. As I broke into a sprint, their eyes widened in disbelief.
"Wait, he's actually doing it!" Aoi exclaimed, her voice tinged with panic.
"Hikaru, no!" Mayu shouted, but it was too late.
CRASH!
The sound of shattering glass echoed through the room as I collided with the mirror. The shards scattered across the floor, glittering in the dim light. I stumbled back, rubbing my shoulder and wincing. My grand display of "magic" had turned into an embarrassing disaster.
For a moment, there was stunned silence. Then, as if on cue, both Mayu and Aoi burst into uncontrollable laughter.
"Oh my god, Hikaru!" Mayu gasped, still laughing. "What were you thinking?!"
"Mwahahahah! W-What did you think it was gonna do?!" Aoi added, clutching her sides. Tears streamed down her face as she doubled over.
I stayed on the floor, cradling my head where it had collided with the mirror frame. The dull ache throbbed as I stared at the shards scattered around me. Groaning, I muttered, "I'm sure last night I could go to the mirror world..."
Aoi, who was still doubled over with laughter, wheezed, trying to catch her breath. "The... mirror world? Hikaru, are you serious? This is the funniest thing I've ever seen!"
Her laughter grew louder, echoing in the room. For a moment, I thought she might actually pass out from how hard she was laughing.
Mayu, however, just shook her head, pinching the bridge of her nose in exasperation. "You're lucky this was an old mirror and not something expensive," she said, crossing her arms. "Come on, let's clean this up before someone finds out and we all get in trouble."
Reluctantly, I sat up, still rubbing my sore head. "I'm telling you, it's real. I went through it last night," I insisted, though the skepticism on Mayu's face and the continued laughter from Aoi made it clear neither of them believed me.
"Yeah, sure," Mayu said, handing me a broom from the corner of the storage room. "While you're proving the existence of your so-called 'mirror world,' you can start by sweeping up your mess."
I sighed, taking the broom with a grimace. "You'll see one day," I mumbled under my breath, starting to clean up the shattered glass.
"Uh-huh," Aoi managed between giggles, finally beginning to calm down. "And when you do, make sure you don't bring back any magical creepy creatures, alright?"
"Don't tempt fate," Mayu added, her tone teasing but her expression still disapproving.
***
With the thin monitor balanced awkwardly in my arms, I trudged down the hallway with Mayu and Aoi walking beside me. Aoi, still unable to let the moment go, kept giggling, her voice hoarse from laughing so much earlier.
"I mean, seriously," Aoi croaked, wiping tears from her eyes. "You—" She broke into another fit of laughter, her words barely coherent. "You ran into that mirror like it was a portal to another dimension. Who even does that?!"
"Yeah, yeah, laugh it up," I muttered, trying to focus on carrying the monitor without dropping it. "You're lucky I didn't get glass stuck in me. Then you wouldn't be laughing."
Aoi snorted, clutching her side. "Oh, I'd still be laughing—just at the hospital instead."
Mayu, walking on the other side, shot her a warning look. "Alright, Aoi, let it go. His ego's already bruised enough."
Turning to me, she raised an eyebrow. "But seriously, Hikaru, what's all this about the mirror world? You sounded like you actually believed it back there."
I hesitated, shifting the monitor in my arms as we passed a row of empty lockers. "It's not a joke," I said finally. "Last night, I really went through a mirror. I ended up in... a place that looked just like this town, but it was empty, and everything felt off."
Mayu frowned, clearly skeptical. "Empty? Like a dream?"
I shook my head. "No, it wasn't a dream. I pinched myself, I touched stuff—it was real. And I came back with the snacks to prove it."
Aoi's laughter had finally subsided, though her grin remained. "Snacks? Wait, wait, you're telling me you went to a spooky mirror world, and instead of running for your life, you raided a convenience store?"
"Priorities," I replied with a smirk. "But seriously, I'm not making this up."
Mayu looked thoughtful for a moment but then sighed. "Hikaru, you do realize how crazy this sounds, right? Mirrors don't just lead to other worlds. Maybe you were sleepwalking or something."
I shrugged. "I know how it sounds. But I'm telling you, it happened. And I think it might happen again."
Mayu exchanged a glance with Aoi, who now looked more curious than amused. "Well, if you're planning another adventure, let us know. I'd love to see this mirror world for myself," Aoi said, her tone half-joking,
We finally arrived at the student council room, the monitor weighing heavily in my arms. Mayu opened the door, revealing Riku, the student council vice president, seated at his desk with his usual calm but slightly exasperated expression.
"Took you guys long enough," he said, leaning back in his chair. "What, did you stop for snacks on the way?"
Aoi, never one to miss a chance, grinned mischievously. "Oh, it's even better than that, Riku-kun," she said, practically bouncing on her toes. "You'll never guess what Hikaru tried to pull."
Riku raised an eyebrow, his curiosity visibly piqued. "Do I even want to know?"
"Oh, you do," Aoi replied, nudging me with her elbow, her grin widening. "Hikaru-kun here thought he could run through a mirror. Like, literally run into it, expecting to end up in some magical 'mirror world.'" She broke into another fit of laughter, her voice raspier now from all the laughing earlier. "And when he didn't... let's just say the mirror definitely won."
Riku turned his gaze to me, his expression hovering between disbelief and faint amusement. "A mirror world?" he said, leaning back in his chair. "Really, Hikaru?"
I groaned as I carefully set the monitor down on the nearest table. "It's not as dumb as she's making it sound," I said defensively. "I'm serious. Last night, I actually went through a mirror. It's real!"
"And he brought back snacks!" Aoi added, practically wheezing. "Chips, Riku-kun! That was his grand prize from the magical mirror world—junk food!"
Riku blinked, his face betraying the struggle to maintain composure. Finally, his lips twitched into a smirk. "So, let me get this straight," he began, his tone dripping with mock seriousness. "You traveled to a parallel dimension... and the highlight of your journey was... snacks?"
I sighed, rubbing my forehead. "Look, I was hungry, okay? And it's not like there was anyone else there. Besides, that's not the point! The point is, the mirror world exists."
Riku leaned forward, resting his chin on his hand as if evaluating my sanity. "And do you have any proof of this mystical mirror world?"
I hesitated, glancing at Mayu, who gave a noncommittal shrug, and Aoi, who was still giggling uncontrollably. "Well, not exactly," I admitted reluctantly, "but—"
"But nothing," Riku interrupted with a chuckle. "You've been watching way too much fantasy anime. Next time, try not to break school property while chasing your... adventures."
"Yeah," Mayu chimed in, crossing her arms. "You're lucky it was an old mirror, or you'd be sitting in the principal's office explaining yourself right about now."
I rolled my eyes, deciding to drop the argument. "Alright, alright. Where do I set up this monitor?"
Riku pointed to a cluttered desk at the back of the room. "Just put it over there. We'll figure out how to set it up later."
With a sigh of relief, I carried the monitor over to the desk, carefully setting it down. My arms ached from hauling the thing across campus, and I leaned against the desk for a moment to catch my breath.
Aoi, still laughing intermittently, plopped into one of the nearby chairs. "Honestly, Hikaru-kun, you're going to be the reason I lose my voice. I can't remember the last time I laughed this much."
"Glad to be of service," I muttered sarcastically, rubbing my sore shoulder. "Though maybe next time, you could carry something for a change."
"Not when you're this entertaining," she teased, sticking her tongue out at me.
"Alright, I'm heading back to class. See you guys," I said, turning toward the door and making my way out of the student council room.
"Bye bye~" Aoi waved with a grin.
I walked down the hallway, absentmindedly stroking my forehead where I'd bumped into the mirror. It didn't work? What if it only works when I'm alone? The thought nagged at me. I couldn't shake the feeling that there was something to the mirror world, but maybe it only responded to me when no one else was around.
I sighed, half-expecting to try it again once I got home. But for now, I just wanted to get through the day without any more embarrassing moments.
I sat at my desk, my eyes drifting out the window, lost in thought. Everything felt… off. The mirror world, the strange things I'd experienced—it was like my brain couldn't quite wrap itself around it. Was I losing it?
To Be Continue