Chapter:25 Nostalgia

The next day dawned with its usual mix of sunlight and urban noise filtering into Renko's apartment. Despite the late night and the fatigue that clung to her, Renko found herself stirring awake as the day beckoned.

[07:00 AM]

*Buzz*

Her alarm clock went off, a persistent reminder that she had school to attend. The rhythmic buzzing filled the room, accompanied by the soft glow of morning sunlight.

*Grrrrrr*

Renko groaned, the weariness from the previous night still lingering. She reached out to turn off the alarm, contemplating what the hell she had to do today.

[Notification]

[Status: Extreme Fatigue (-20% Attributes)]

'Great, just what I needed.'

As Renko dragged herself out of bed, she couldn't help but feel the weight of exhaustion settling in. The events of the night replayed in her mind, and she wondered if the lack of sleep would hinder her during the day.

[Notification]

[Quest: Transportation - In Progress]

[Objective: Acquire a driving license.

Objective: Acquire a Bike or a Car]

With the quest reminder, Renko remembered her decision to acquire a faster mode of transportation. The prospect of getting a bike or a car was quite exciting as well as tiring since she would have to spend quite some effort to first acquire a vehicle and then a license and then would have to take care of it.

'Guess it's time to head to school.'

Renko went through her morning routine in a semi-zombie state, the fatigue making every action feel like a chore. After a quick shower and a simple breakfast, she grabbed her bag and headed out for school.

[07:45 AM]

The city streets were already bustling with the morning rush as Renko made her way to school. The fatigue weighed on her shoulders, but the urban energy around her somehow kept her moving forward.

[08:00 AM]

Renko shuffled through the crowded halls of her high school, her eyes twitching from fatigue. Not only that, but she had extremely dark circles around her eyes and her eyes were red as charcoal. The idle chatter of students around her seemed so near and yet so distant, she simply couldn't shake off the feeling that she was moving through a dream.

As she approached her classroom, Renko noticed a familiar face in the crowd – Hori. Her face looked surprisingly bright today.

"Morning, Renko,"

Hori greeted her with a bright smile, one of her hands waving at Renko to hurry up while the other took out her school shoes from the locker.

"Hey, Hori,"

Renko replied, a tired smile forming on her lips. Despite her exhaustion, seeing her smile somehow made the morning a bit more bearable.

The bell rang, signaling the start of another day of classes. Renko took her seat, trying to stay awake during the lectures. The fatigue, however, had a way of pulling her into a drowsy haze.

[10:30 AM]

The school courtyard was bathed in the soft glow of sunlight filtering through the cherry blossom trees, casting a gentle and serene atmosphere. Renko sat on a bench, her fatigue evident, as her friends Hori, Yuki, Tooru, and Miyamura joined her.

"Hey Renko, you look like you had one shitty night."

Hori greeted with her trademark bright and teasing smirk, taking a seat next to her.

"You have no idea,"

Renko replied, rubbing her eyes and stifling a yawn.

Yuki chimed in, concern evident in her voice,

"Are you okay, Renko? You look like you need a nap more than anything."

She smirked,

"Hmm, how about you let me take a nap on your lap Yuki?"

Renko chuckled, her tired eyes sparkling with mischief. Yuki blushed at the suggestion but couldn't hide a small smile.

"Nice try, Renko. But maybe you should get some real rest,"

Yuki replied, playfully nudging Renko.

Renko appreciated the concern of her friends, and the casual banter helped lift her spirits a bit. Despite her exhaustion, the companionship offered a welcome respite from the challenges she faced.

"Maybe I should take a day off and catch up on some sleep,"

Renko chuckled weakly, appreciating the concern from her friends. The fatigue weighed heavily on her, but their company provided a much-needed boost.

Tooru chimed in,

"Well, you know what they say, sleep is the best medicine."

As the lunch break was about to end, Hori turned to Renko with a mischievous glint in her eye.

"You know, Renko, I heard there's a nice quiet spot in the school garden. Perfect for a quick nap."

Renko raised an eyebrow, catching on to Hori's playful suggestion.

"Oh, really? And why would I need a nap spot?"

Hori leaned in, a conspiratorial smile on her face,

"Well, you seem like you could use a recharge, and how about Yuki give you a lap pillow?"

Renko couldn't help but chuckle at Hori's teasing.

"Nice try, Hori. I appreciate the suggestion, but I don't think napping in the school garden is the best idea."

The friends shared a few more laughs before the bell rang, signaling the end of the lunch break. As they headed back to class, Renko somehow felt even more exhausted.

The rest of the school day passed in a blur of classes and tired glances at the clock. Renko's eyelids felt heavier with each passing hour, and the pull of fatigue was becoming harder to resist.

[03:00 PM]

The final bell rang, signaling the end of classes for the day but Renko didn't notice it as she was too busy napping in the infirmary. It took a while but she soon woke up in the infirmary, disoriented for a moment before remembering she had dozed off. The soft sunlight filtered through the windows, casting a warm glow on the room.

She stretched, feeling her joints creak refreshingly after the short nap.

[Notification]

[Status: Minor Fatigue (-5% Attributes)]

'Well, that helped a bit.'

Renko sat up, realizing that the school day was over. She thanked the school nurse, who smiled understandingly and made her way out of the infirmary.

[04:00 PM]

The school courtyard was now less crowded, and Renko took a moment to enjoy the peaceful surroundings.

'Hmm.'

She noticed someone was standing outside room 3-1. It was a redheaded boy and a green-haired girl who had Hori cornered. 

"Sorry, Hori-san, for having you do work for us when you are so busy."

Said the redhead.

Renko hid behind a bend in the corridor, listening to their conversation.

"It's fine, it's fine. It's you who's asking me to do it. After all, Sengoku-kun."

Answered Hori.

"Really, thanks so much, it's a huge help. Sakura, could you take care of these real quick?"

The redhead handed Hori's completed work to the green-haired girl,

"Sure."

Hori seemed somewhat conflicted over these two people's requests.

And the nerve of the redhead,

"It really is best to have smart people do these things."

To give such a perfunctory compliment as if he was doing her a favor.

"Oh, but by the way-"

That bastard took out more papers!

"Could I ask you to take care of this, too?"

"...Eh?"

Seems even Hori was a bit stunned by his shamelessness.

" Sorry, Hori-san. Everyone on the council's stumped right now..."

Apologized the green-haired girl. Sakura was her name right?

After dumping a lot of work on Hori, they went off to their own destination.

"You really shouldn't accept all their requests like that." 

Renko advised Hori as she came out of her hiding place. Renko's unexpected appearance startled Hori, who turned to face her with a sheepish grin.

"I know, I know. But they're kind of desperate, and Sakura-chan seemed genuinely sorry about it,"

Hori explained, her eyes reflecting a mix of exhaustion and determination.

Renko sighed, realizing that Hori's kindness was often taken advantage of. Or was it?

"Are you sure? Anyway, Just be careful, Hori. You've got your own stuff to deal with, and you can't always carry the burdens of others,"

Renko advised, her fatigue lending a serious undertone to her words. Hori nodded, seemingly not taking her words seriously.

"You're right, Renko. I'll talk to them about it and set some boundaries. Thanks for looking out for me,"

Hori said with a grateful smile.

With a sigh, Renko left Hori behind and made her way out of the school building, the sun's gentle light showering the mortal world in its gentle embrace.

[04:30 PM]

As Renko made her way to her apartment, Hori followed after her. Apparently, she had hurriedly packed her school stuff and followed Renko so they could return home together.

As they walked out through the school gates, they found themselves in a familiar routine of heading home together. The city streets were less crowded now, and the urban noise had mellowed into a background hum.

"Hey, Renko, how was your day, aside from the obvious fatigue?"

Hori asked, attempting to lighten the mood.

Renko chuckled,

"Well, you know, the usual. Survived classes, took a nap in the infirmary, and now contemplating the mysteries of life."

Hori laughed,

"The classic high school experience. You're really nailing it, Renko."

As they walked, Hori brought up the upcoming school trip.

"Oh, by the way, have you decided which group would you be joining for our school trip to Kyoto?"

Renko scratched her head, realizing she hadn't given it much thought.

"Hmm, I guess I'll figure it out. How about I join yours?"

Hori's eyes lit up with excitement,

"Hmm, then it would be Yuki, you, and me. Three for three, just about the numbers we need to make a group for the trip."

Renko raised an eyebrow,

"So you were just waiting for someone to join your group."

Hori shrugged,

"I guess."

Renko couldn't help but laugh at Hori's honesty.

"Fair enough. I guess I'm in then. Kyoto with you guys should be interesting."

The two friends continued their banter as they walked through the familiar city streets. Despite the fatigue that still lingered, Renko found comfort in the presence of a friend.

Wait.

Now that she thought about it, it had been several decades since she actually called someone a friend. 

She must have been what? 

15? or maybe 16? 

Her last world was pretty harsh on underachievers. 

Once out of the Middle School, competition shot through the roof. People who couldn't score high enough were conscripted to the army and those failing were straight up sent to mines or such plantations. 

Renko herself hadn't been a topper, barely making it to the teacher's qualification was her limit and after that, mass conscription started, and all the inexperienced civil servants were shipped off to war.

She was too, from the age of 21 till she died at the age of 49.

Quite a coincidence, her death day also happened to be her birthday. Seems like she didn't make it to 50 in time for her death.