บท 18: Two Lives
Who the fuck are these people!?
Ichinose… Kanzaki…
Wait a second.
Are the two of these from COTE?
Ichinose Honami and Kanzaki Ryuuji from Class B?
How the heck does that even make any sense?
My mind reeled. I tried to process the absurdity of the situation. How could characters from "Classroom of the Elite" be standing here, talking as if they knew me?
Well, I was myself in the body of Yamauchi in the COTE universe, so if we reverse the logic, it does make some sense.
But why are they talking like they are my friends?
If only I could see their faces…
Shit! Now I understand the significance of the third person point of view.
Anyways, let's listen to them.
"Hey, Kanzaki. Don't you have your job today? When would you leave?" the female asked grumpily.
"I took the day off. And what would you do when I leave?" the male one replied sarcastically.
Ichinose crossed her arms, pouting slightly, clearly irritated by Kanzaki's response. "Hmph. I don't need to tell you."
Kanzaki sighed, shaking his head slightly. "….....It seems like you have not changed one bit."
The banter between them felt oddly nostalgic, almost comforting. Their voices, their dynamic—it all tugged at something deep within me, stirring memories I couldn't fully grasp.
"Ichinose, you know he can't hear us, right?" Kanzaki's tone softened, laced with concern.
"I know, but… I just feel like talking to him helps, you know? Like he's still here with us in some way," Ichinose replied, her voice tinged with sadness.
...What the hell? Are you an Esper?
"Ah, that's right, Kanzaki. Are you following that light novel series?"
Kanzaki's eyes lit up with interest. "Yeah, I wanted to talk about that too. How could I forget about it? It was this light novel that brought us together, after all."
Ichinose smiled, her earlier irritation fading. "I know right? See, I have the illustration of Suzune as my wallpaper."
Hm. I see. They are talking about COTE now. I am hella interested in that too!
And for some reason, this conversation feels like one between teenagers, talking about otaku stuff quite passionately.
"Hey, how does this have your name on the illustration?" The male one asked with interest in his voice.
Ichinose grinned smugly. "Hehe. You noticed, huh? This is a custom made one, I personally requested to Tomose sensei."
Tomose sensei. The famous illustrator of COTE, light novel series.
If she can make such custom illustrations from such a famous illustrator, then she must be some important personality. Maybe in the creators' industry.
"Also did you hear that year 2 volume 12 is going to be released this month! The final showdown of their second year!" Ichinose asked gleefully.
"Seriously!? I heard that Kinugasa sensei's health had deteriorated, so the last volume was delayed."
Ichinose nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah. But, apparently he has recovered. And it's finally here! I have been waiting for this since last year! The cover page and synopsis are out too!"
Kanzaki leaned forward, curiosity piqued. "Who is on the cover page?"
Ichinose's eyes sparkled with excitement. "It's Chabashira and Hoshinomiya! What do you think? Will Ayanokouji transfer to Ichinose's class!?"
Now you are giving spoilers!?
And what's with this class transfer thing!? I want to know more!
Kanzaki rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Well, I don't know about that, but from the previous volumes, it's pretty much plausible that between Sakayanagi and Ryuen, one is going to leave the school."
Ichinose's face lit up with an idea. "No maybe, Sakayanagi would be expelled, and Ayanokouji would become the new leader of class A. What do you think!?"
Kanzaki chuckled softly. "That's a plausible future too, but Ichinose....slow it down a little. You are disturbing the other patients."
Ichinose blushed slightly, realizing her excitement had gotten the better of her. "Oops. I overreacted. HaHaHa..."
Their conversation continued, flowing back and forth with ease.
They discussed plot points, character arcs, and potential outcomes with the fervor of true fans.
Despite my frustration at being unable to interact or see them, their voices and excitement filled the room with a strange sense of warmth and familiarity.
And they are talking about COTE to boot. I don't care if I know them or not, I also want to talk about it.
One thing is clear though. These people might be from my high school days, because that was the time when I was reading this light novel.
But, I don't remember anything like discussing with my classmates about it.
High school had been a lonely time for me. I was always on the periphery, watching others form friendships and social circles while I remained on the outside.
My days were filled with silence, the only relief coming from the pages of the "Classroom of the Elite" light novel series.
It was my escape, my solace. Each volume, each chapter, was a doorway to a world where I could lose myself, even if just for a little while.
The characters became my friends, their stories my source of comfort.
I would spend hours reading and re-reading the novels, dissecting every plot twist and character development. In the world of COTE, I found the companionship I lacked in real life.
The series was my refuge, my constant companion through the lonely days and nights of high school.
But now, hearing Ichinose and Kanzaki talk as if they knew me, as if we had shared those moments together, was disorienting.
It was as if my solitary refuge had spilled over into reality, bringing with it a flood of confusion and memories I couldn't fully grasp.
The faces of my high school classmates were a blur, distant and indistinct, overshadowed by the vivid, comforting world of the light novels.
That's why, I can't make heads or tails of this yet another absurd development at all.
Then suddenly...
Thud!
Shit! Another heavy blow to my brain!
It feels as my nerves are being ripped apart!
'Ugh!'
"Hey! Yuichi! What happened!? Go call the doctor right now!"
"Yuichi!"
"Yui...."
***
My consciousness is fading again.
How many times does that make it now?
But this time, a few images are surfacing in front of me.
Then, I could hear some voices.
Is this a memory of mine?
As the world around me blurred and darkened, I found myself in an empty classroom. The afternoon sun streamed through the windows, casting long shadows on the desks and chairs.
The room was eerily silent, save for the faint rustle of leaves outside. In the far corner, three students were huddled together, their voices low and indistinct.
One of them, a boy with tousled hair and a distant look in his eyes, was reading a book. Another, a girl with a kind smile, leaned over to peek at the pages.
The third student, a taller boy with a serious demeanor, watched them with a slight frown, as if deep in thought.
The scene felt familiar, yet distant, like a fragment of a forgotten dream. The students' faces were blurry, their features indistinct.
I tried to focus, to grasp the details of the memory, but it slipped through my fingers like sand.
The last thing I heard before everything went black was the sound of my name being called, a distant echo that reverberated through the haze of my thoughts.
"Yuichi..."
Then someone replied with a playful tone.
"Tsk. Tsk. Tsk. My name is Yamauchi. Got it?"
And then, there was nothing.
***
.
.
.
Surprise! I am back in the body of Yamauchi Haruki!
Yay!
Now I can't even distinguish between, which is the dream and which is the reality! Hooray!
Well, keeping aside my sarcastic remarks on the God of Reincarnation, I felt the need to discuss about the most shocking development of the century, even if more than 70 years are remaining to end this century.
How the hell is Haruka in my room!?
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