{T minus 06:45 to the truck accident}
I stood at the bus stop with a cola in one hand.
The sky was overcast, and there was a greasy smell in the air. It felt like the complete reverse of summer in the other world. Me before I knew the taste of blood was waiting for the bus to arrive.
Wait, really? I came back this far?
I opened my bag. Inside were my familiar old textbooks and notes. Light novel. Pencil case. Smartphone. I opened the music app because I wanted to listen to anime theme songs so badly, but then I remembered. My headphones are broken.
I composed myself a little.
This is awfully wild. I’m back at the morning of that day? It’s gonna be a crazy long dream. Is this what they call a panoramic memory?
I got on the bus when it pulled up and looked around. It wasn’t like I wanted to find someone I knew to talk to—I just did that every morning for some reason. I wondered if maybe something would happen; I was on the lookout for even a dust mote-sized possibility. Well, back then I was.
I thought about reading the light novel but decided not to. I squinted at the scenery going by out the window.
Tokyo.
This place is so huge, and I used to live here.
There was too much information coming at me, and it wore me out. I’d gotten sort of used to living in the country—to strongholds, the forest, and cobblestone streets.
When I started remembering, I got nostalgic for that world. The front line against the demon lord who left war and mystery in his wake. I never thought that would be something I’d actually experience.
But it was the land I had always dreamed of.
“Oh, I might know the guy you’re talking about. It’s the South High soccer team, right? We’re friends, I’m pretty sure.”
Haru got on at the next stop. That nostalgic smell wafted over me. She smelled different from in the other world. It was a pungent, artificial scent that stuck in your nostrils.
Long hair with a wavy perm. Her uniform worn just a bit more casually than the dress code dictated.
Yep, this is Haru Koyama.
It felt sort of like meeting a 2.5-D actress in real life. The Haru from the other world and the Haru I had watched from afar overlapped for the first time to become the real Haru. I had the strange feeling that I both wanted to see that and didn’t at the same time. But I had the bizarre realization that, yeah, Haru Koyama really did live here.
I took a deep breath, made up my mind with an Okay, and took one more breath.
“Morning.” I greeted her from a ways away in a voice loud enough for her to hear as I looked right at her.
Friends A and B got weird looks on their faces. But Haru Koyama smiled a bit. “G’morning.” She replied as if we were friends and it was totally normal.
Then she went back to chatting about the boy from another school. She immediately forgot about me.
But I was fine with that. Haru would give a little response to anyone who talked to her. So it had been simple. Almost disappointingly so.
Today I had my first conversation with Haru Koyama.
Women aren’t demons. Words and looks get through.
{T minus 06:32 to the truck accident}
When I entered the classroom, I sensed something flying my way and quickly stuck an arm out.
A baseball slapped into the palm of my hand.
“Whoa, sorry. Are you okay?” Baseball Mob looked shocked.
Oh, right. I forgot about this.
“I’m fine. Here.”
It felt heavy when I threw it back to him—even to me, who had been swinging around a giant sword until just a little while ago.
Reality was heavy.
“Oh, you’re here.” A guy set his bag down before taking the next seat over and shamelessly grinning at me.
Sekiguchi. Oh, right, we sit next to each other. He asked, “Did you see it?” but at first I couldn’t remember what he was talking about. But when he mentioned the title, SoraDan, the memories came flooding back. Yeah, that scene was godly.
“When Yufumin was like, ‘Wanna touch?’ and stuck her chest out.”
“Y-You’re a pervert!” he protested, pushing his glasses up his nose so many times it looked like he was dribbling them.
But I just said, “Nah, it’s normal.” I know you like that kind of stuff, too.“More importantly, I was in another world until just a bit ago. Haru Koyama from our class was there, too. There were swords, magic, cheat skills, and a demon lord and everything. I hit the level cap almost immediately, so it turned into sort of a slow-life story. Oh, and of course all the women who got involved with me were beautiful, and I did something with almost all of them.”
Sekiguchi listened blankly for a little, then—”Ohhh”—cracked a smile. “I see,” he said, looking away. That’s the correct way to handle your classmate having an episode of delusional fantasy.
In the center of the classroom, Haru Koyama and her friends were cracking up and making a racket. She was goofing around with Baseball Mob. Yeah, I didn’t have the courage to go over there and hang with them.
Sekiguchi still looked confused. Since he didn’t know what to say, he ended the conversation and started lining up his textbooks.
Yeah, why would you believe that?
Even though it really happened.
{T minus 04:07 to the truck accident}
I leaned against the back of my chair and stretched.
This class is so boring. What good does learning about contemporary society do? I’m about to head to another world.
I looked over at Haru. She had her head propped up on her elbow and was writing something in her notebook. It’s just my guess, but I bet it had nothing to do with the class. Right now there are two people who don’t have to pay attention in class: Haru and me. We don’t have any more tests to take.
I tried to remember the other world. Forest combat. The way it felt to kill something. They were all real memories, and when I remembered the last demon I had killed, the corners of my eyes stung.
This desk and this classroom are real memories too. The two worlds are similar except not. Class is so boring.
Suddenly, I had this sense of crisis and opened my textbook to begin reading.
Politics, economics, law. I actually wasn’t sure if this knowledge would be useful or not yet. It’s not as if I knew everything. That goes for everyone.
There’s no time. I had to cram in as much as I could while I had the chance.
I would never be coming back.
{T minus 02:11 to the truck accident}
Yep, this world is almost over.
“Sekiguchi and Chiba are in charge of shopping today. I’m coming with, so I’m counting on you guys.”
I told Baseball Mob, “Got it.” Time flowed in a straight line.
“And of the girls, it’ll be Hamazawa, Airi, and Moka. See you after school.”
“Seriouslyyyy?”
Airi and Moka were wincing and saying “This sucks” and whatnot.
I sighed like a pig after a meal.
Lemme tell ya, you guys are going to witness something so shocking that, “This sucks” won’t even begin to cover it, so just take my word for it and go.
“Oh, wait. I’ll come with.”
Once Haru put her hand up, the gang was all there.
There were only two hours left until the accident.
For some reason, my stomach was cramping.
{T minus 00:20 to the truck accident}
I was nervous.
In just a little while I would be transported to another world.
The feeling was a mix of Finally I can go back, and Man, I have to go again.