The next day, as I walked to school with Aoi, I felt those unfamiliar stares again from a few people. Some of them watched me with curiosity, even a few girls I didn't know seemed to be monitoring my every move. They whispered behind my back, sometimes chuckling lightly, but I knew they were talking about me.
Aoi noticed the change. "Haruto, why does it feel like everyone is following you? You must have done something to grab their attention," she said, looking worried.
I simply shook my head. "I don't know, Aoi. It feels like I've become the center of attention."
But Aoi didn't seem too worried. "Maybe it's because you're just that cool, Haruto. You're popular, you just don't realize it."
I gave a small smile, though my heart felt uneasy. There was something deeper behind all this attention. It felt like there was a connection between me and a bigger world, one full of secrets.
After school, I went to the library to find some peace. But as I looked around, my eyes met the gaze of a man I didn't recognize. He stood in the corner of the room, wearing a black jacket and dark glasses, staring at me sharply. I felt extremely uncomfortable, as if he knew everything about me.
Before I could step closer to ask him anything, the man vanished, as if he had never been there at all.
There were many things I couldn't explain, and it seemed that this new world was starting to show signs that there was no normal life for me.
That night, I stayed awake longer than usual. The image of the mysterious man in the library still haunted my thoughts. What did he want? Why did he look at me like that? And most troubling of all, why did I feel like he knew more about me than I knew about myself?
I tried to calm myself. Maybe this was just paranoia. Of course, there were many things I didn't understand about this new life, but I had to stay focused on the simple things—school, friends, and an ordinary life.
Yet, the unease wouldn't go away.
The next morning, I woke up with the same anxious feeling. Aoi seemed the same as always—cheerful, with that morning energy she never seemed to lose—but I felt that the world around me was starting to shift, little by little.
"Everything okay?" Aoi asked as we walked to school. "You seemed a bit worried last night. Don't tell me you didn't sleep."
I smiled, trying to reassure her. "I was just thinking a lot, Aoi. It's nothing. Today will be better."
But in my heart, I knew something was off. That feeling was getting stronger—that something was waiting for me out there, something I couldn't avoid.
Once I got to class, I looked around. Today, even more people were watching my every move. Some students, even those I'd never spoken to, were looking at me strangely. It was like they knew something I didn't.
Amid the chaos in my mind, I heard a soft voice behind me.
"Haruto, there's something I need to talk to you about." The voice belonged to Mizuki Hoshino.
I turned around and saw Mizuki standing at the door of the classroom, her eyes filled with meaning. Without waiting for a response, she stepped inside and sat next to me.
I was taken aback. "Mizuki, what is it?"
She didn't answer immediately. Instead, she scanned the room carefully, as if ensuring no one else was watching.
"Haruto," she said in a quiet voice, "I know there's something wrong with you. There's a power inside you, and I can feel it."
I froze. Is it true? What does she know? I wanted to deny it, to tell her she was wrong, that I was just an ordinary student. But for some reason, I felt like she might be right.
Mizuki continued, "You're not just any person. I felt the energy the moment I met you. Something... dark. A power that can't be explained."
It felt as if the world around me had gone completely silent. Was this the moment I should reveal everything? Did Mizuki know more about my past? Or was she simply sensing the same tension that was now consuming me?
"What do you mean?" I finally whispered.
Mizuki looked at me seriously. "There's a lot you don't know, Haruto. I know about your past. About who you really are."
I felt as if my entire body had frozen. "My past?" I muttered. "What do you know about it?"
Mizuki nodded slowly. "I'm no stranger to this world. A world far bigger than just this school. And I know your destiny was sealed long ago. You're not just Haruto Kisaragi."
I bit my lip. Why does everything feel like it's part of a bigger game? Why do I feel more and more trapped in it?
"So... what do you want from me?" I asked, trying to hold back the rising anxiety.
Mizuki stood up, her gaze still full of meaning. "I want to help, Haruto. But you have to be ready. The world you know is going to change soon. Its power is awakening, and you can't avoid that truth."
She turned and walked out of the classroom, leaving me with a thousand unanswered questions.
After class ended, I walked to the schoolyard with my mind in turmoil. What had Mizuki said? Her powers? What did she mean by a bigger world? Was I really caught in something much larger than I had imagined?
I was confused, but one thing was clear—this life of mine, which seemed so normal, was no longer going to last. Something big was waiting, and I had to be ready to face it, even though I still didn't know what it was.
Aoi approached, as if sensing my unease. "Haruto, what's wrong? You looked really worried earlier."
I shook my head, trying to act calm. "It's nothing, Aoi. I just... need some time to think."
But deep down, I knew I couldn't escape. This world, this new life of mine, was already intertwined with something more complicated and dangerous. And I had to figure out how to face it—whether I was ready or not.