Chapter 4: 1.3

“…It’s been way too long for a hallucination!”

The entrance ceremony and class orientation were over.

I walked down the hallway, finally free, talking to myself.

I initially thought it was a pleasant hallucination. I got to see Nito again and reminisce about the good old days.

Yes, I felt more at ease. When I return to reality, I believe I’ll be able to act more calmly than before.

But the thing was, the hallucination had been going on for about three hours.

What’s happening? Do you ever hallucinate for this long? Maybe I’m slipping out of reality?

And…

“Every detail is overly realistic. Isn’t this almost a reality…?”

I’m thinking it was.

Everything was so vivid that I couldn’t get over it.

Is this what 5K is? Aren’t many parts of this type of thing usually hazy?

Since it was so realistic, I tried to make up for some mistakes I made in real life. For instance, when I introduced myself in class. Three years ago, I tried to be cool and made a fool of myself. As a result, I became an outcast at the start of my high school life. In this hallucination, I chose a much safer self-introduction.

I also remembered a later incident where I left a printout for my parents at school and was severely chastised for it, so I neatly tucked it into my bag.

This will give the Meguri in my hallucination a better start than in real life. Best of luck to you, self.

But I was reminded of reality once more.

“Nito… sure was amazing.”

She was in the same class as me. And she was still a “superheroine,” just like in real life.

Because she had the highest score on the entrance exam, she was tasked with delivering the welcome speech at the entrance ceremony.

In the classroom, she was immediately appointed to the class committee, and she proudly greeted her classmates from the first day.

She wasn’t just a pretty face—she was also a charismatic girl who drew the attention of many boys and was trusted by her teachers.

“That’s right, she’s been like that since the beginning…”

I couldn’t help but feel nostalgic.

When she wasn’t yet the singer Nito. When she was by my side and laughing with me.

Even though I was seeing her for the second time and knew who she was, she was as stunning as ever.

For the first time in ages, I remembered that.

However, I should be able to see a slightly different “side” of her soon.

“And… she’s supposed to be here right now.”

I muttered as I came to a halt in front of a room.

The Astronomy Club room.

It’s still the day of the entrance ceremony. In real life, I ran into her again here.

Astronomy fascinated me and inspired me to become a scientist one day. With that goal in mind, I joined the Astronomy Club to make the most of my high school years.

And it was in that club room that… I unusually met Nito.

“…All right.”

I braced myself.

I put my hand on the door and opened it emphatically.

Then…

“…Huh?”

Sure enough, Nito was there.

She was sitting on a chair in the old, worn-out room.

She has gorgeous black hair, which I had gawked at a few times in class.

And her pale cheeks and round eyes diffused the after-school sunlight.

However, her posture betrayed the impression I had of her in class.

First, she has taken off her indoor school shoes and socks.

In addition, she had her bare legs crossed and placed on the desk across from her.

To top it all off, her shorts underneath her skirt were exposed.

It was unladylike. Nito was sitting in a carefree state.

To make matters worse, she had a game console in her hand and was playing an FPS game, which she appeared to be completely absorbed in.

“Whoa!”

Nito tipped over in her chair, making a loud noise.

“A-are you okay?!”

“Ow…”

I dashed over and extended my hand.

ㅤ

Nito grabbed it with a frown and staggered to her feet.

“Ah. I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have shown you something silly. Meguri-kun, right?”

“Yeah. I mean, I’m sorry I came in without warning as well. I didn’t think you were here…”

“I know right? Ha-ha.”

As we talked, I felt strange once again.

Isn’t this too real for a hallucination…?

“Well, you’ve witnessed me in a bad light.”

Nito chuckled as she rubbed her butt. She may have hit it a little too hard.

“I was trying to conceal it here, in this place.”

“…He-he, what a terrible first day.”

The nostalgia brought by the interaction made me laugh a little.

She was nothing like the real, present-day Nito.

That phenomenal singer, that honor student, was playing a game languidly in the clubroom.

“Oh, you’re not surprised?”

Nito looked at me with curiosity.

“You’ve just seen that I’m not the same person I was in class.”

“A-ah, about that! No, I was surprised! I mean, it’s nothing like the impression I had before!”

“Right?”

She smiled wryly.

Then she fiddled with her pedicured toes and…

“At school, I would become the quintessential honor student.”

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That’s right. This was the type of girl Nito Chika was.

The Nito I knew had several facets.

First, there was Nito the Honor Student, with excellent grades, good looks, and a strong sense of integrity.

Another was Nito the Beauty, who drew admiration from both men and women.

And then there was Nito the Singer, who sang against the backdrop of a clubroom. To the general public, she was Nito the Mysterious Artist.

Lastly, Nito the Club Member.

A high school girl who was rambunctious, messy, and slightly disheveled.

I’m sure each was genuine. Nito was a girl with many sides, and they weren’t all fake. But the carefree Nito in front of me was the easiest for me to deal with.

“Oh, by the way, Meguri-kun. Are you planning to join the Astronomy Club?”

“Yeah, that was the plan.”

“I see, I see. Me too. Well, I’m not interested in astronomy, and I just wanted to use this room.”

Then Nito laughed mischievously.

“I have an older sister who’s an alumna. She told me that the clubroom would be vacant this year.”

“So you went right over here and was just lounging around when I found you.”

“Pretty much.”

She giggled and then bumped me on the shoulder.

“I mean, I didn’t expect someone to show up on the first day, you know? I guess I made a mistake.”

She smiled wryly.

Her friendly skinship and the scent of her shampoo were both very nostalgic.

“Well… a lot of things can go wrong.”

I scoffed to myself as I approached the piano.

I felt like talking to her for a bit.

“I had a lot of expectations at the time, too. I hoped to have a good high school experience, make many memories, and get closer to my dream.”

I placed my fingers on the keyboard.

With a gentle press, a rustic tone echoed throughout the room.

“But before I knew it, it was over and I couldn’t do anything. I’m left with a lot of regrets. I knew it would end up that way, but I never changed.”

“…What do you mean?”

Nito looked at me dubiously.

“It was over? Never changed?”

“Yeah, I knew you’d react like that.”

It’s such a realistic hallucination.

Fortunately, Nito was unaware of the details of my regrets.

To console myself, I started playing Nito’s song.

“…!”

Nito’s eyes were wide open.

I see. That’s the kind of reaction I’m getting.

She has yet to compose this song. And someone in front of her was playing the melody that she’d later create. I’m not a musician, so I can’t imagine how it felt, but it had to be an odd sensation.

“But, well… it was nice to see you again.”

I smiled at Nito as I said that.

“I’m glad I got to see you, Nito, even if it was just a hallucination.”

“…What’s that—”

I had just finished playing when Nito opened her mouth.

At that moment…

A light obscured my vision.

The area went utterly dark after a brief moment.

Then several wisps of light circled me.

“…?!”

It was the same mysterious space I had seen when I started hallucinating.

And then, the speed of the lights revolving around me gradually picked up, painting the area in front of me white.

“…Senpai?! Senpai?!”

The voice caught my attention.

“What’s the matter? You suddenly spaced out…”

“O-oh…”

Makoto was in front of me before I knew it.

I looked around and realized I was back in the clubroom.

However, the furnishings differ from those in the clubroom where Nito and I were just now.

The map and boombox were worn, and the curtains’ color had faded.

Then, on the chest of my uniform, which had become so familiar to my body, was a small flower decoration for graduates.

The hallucination was over.

When I finally understood Nito had disappeared, I went into shock and hallucinated.

It ended, and I returned to reality.

“…No, sorry, it’s nothing.”

“Is that so? Okay, then.”

“Yeah, I’m sorry for worrying you. Well, I guess it’s time to go home.”

“Let’s go.”

We left the clubroom.

At the entrance, we changed into our outdoor shoes and walked to the main gate, where many students remained.

A dream’s end is always a bittersweet moment. I wished I had more time with Nito. I had things I wanted to say and questions I wanted to ask. I wanted to apologize to her too.

But… yeah. I guess I’ve calmed down enough.

“…Phew.”

I took a deep breath, and a faintly sweet aroma wafted across my nose.

There was no point in moping any longer.

I have no choice but to await further developments.

I just have to accept that.

Whatever happens, Nito will most likely no longer be a part of my life.

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