homeless 3

After leaving the karaoke bar, everyone went their separate ways, each returning to their own homes. However, I didn't have one, so I decided to patrol the area one last time before finding a bench to sleep on. The city of Tokyo felt even bigger than I had imagined as I walked its streets. Acting almost like a vigilante, I kept a lookout for any signs of trouble or criminal activity before settling down for the night. 

"Ah, my familiar bench," I mused as I approached it, feeling a sense of comfort in its familiarity. It had practically become my home at this point, conveniently located near school. However, as I got closer, I noticed someone already occupying the bench. Someone familiar. 

"Huh, Kishimoto?" I said in surprise. 

"Togawa, I finally found you," she replied with a tired smile. 

"What are you doing out so late? And what do you mean you found me? Wait, how did you even find me?" I bombarded her with questions, puzzled by her unexpected presence. 

As Kishimoto remained silent, her smile trying to hide the fatigue in her eyes and the traces of tears, I sensed something was amiss. Taking a seat beside her, I couldn't help but ask, "What's wrong?" 

She hesitated at first, but eventually, she opened up and shared with me what had been troubling her. 

"So you found out you were a copy, and your real body survived, huh," I muttered, piecing together the situation. 

Kishimoto simply nodded in response. 

I was lost in my thoughts thinking about the situation. With everything happening, I had forgotten about this particular plot point from Gantz. 

"Hmm, shouldn't she have been with Kei at this point?" I wondered, but I quickly pushed aside the thought. Now wasn't the time for such pondering. I turned my attention back to Kishimoto. 

"I understand how you feel, this sense of not being real," I said. 

"How?" she questioned; her voice tinged with skepticism. "You don't have a doppelganger out there, so how could you possibly know how I feel? I can't return to my family, my friends won't know I exist, my life is over," she said with frustration 

I sensed Kishimoto's anger towards me, feeling as though I may have trivialized her situation. 

"I was betrayed by my lover," I revealed suddenly, catching her off guard. " In that moment, a part of me died. I spent every day consumed by thoughts of revenge. But I couldn't act on it. Revenge had been my sole purpose, but it was taken away. From that moment, I was truly dead, just a walking shell," I confessed. 

"I wasn't pitying you when I said I understood what you feel," I clarified, wanting her to understand the sincerity behind my words. "In that moment, everything around me felt meaningless" 

In that moment, a shared understanding passed between us, connecting our pain in ways we hadn't anticipated. 

"You still have your identity. You still have people who know you. You're still you," I reassured her. 

Kishimoto's emotions started to well up again, but she quickly regained her composure, realizing she was becoming too emotional. 

We sat in silence, but it felt oddly comforting, as if we had both found solace in each other's company. The release of our pent-up emotions was therapeutic for the both of us. 

"How did you deal with it?" Kishimoto finally broke the silence, her voice soft but filled with curiosity. 

"Huh?" I was caught off guard by her question. 

"The betrayal, how did you manage to get back up from it?" she clarified. 

"Oh, that," I replied, pausing to gather my thoughts. "Honestly, I never fully recovered from it." 

"What? But you seem..." she trailed off, clearly puzzled by my response. 

"Fine? It's because I found a stronger desire than revenge," I explained. "It's what keeps me going, a new purpose in life." 

"A desire that keeps you going..." she echoed, her voice trailing off in contemplation. Kishimoto stared at me for a moment before a determined expression crossed her face. I noticed a faint flush on her cheeks, but I didn't dwell on it. 

"Thank you, Togawa. You've helped clear my mind," she said with gratitude. 

"No problem, I'm glad I could help," I responded sincerely, feeling a sense of relief that I could offer her some comfort. 

"By the way, how did you find me?" I asked curiously. 

"You told me that you stay around the school, and this was the closest school from the Gantz situation, so I figured you might be around here," she explained casually. 

"Wow," I was impressed by her deduction, realizing that she had figured out my location from such little information. 

We talked through the night, sharing our stories and thoughts without hesitation. As the hours passed, our conversation flowed effortlessly, deepening the bond between us. I could feel the distance of the relationship between us lessening. It was the first time I had truly opened up about my feelings since arriving in this world. Of course, I kept my mission and the fact that I was from a different world a secret. 

Kishimoto leaned towards me, her eyelids heavy with exhaustion. I glanced at her and noticed that she had dozed off while we were chatting. A sense of relief washed over me, knowing that she had finally found some much-needed rest. She must have been struggling to sleep ever since we returned from the Gantz situation. 

"Good night, Kishimoto," I whispered softly, closing my eyes as well, feeling a sense of contentment knowing that we were both finding some peace in the tranquility of the night. 

---- 

As I awoke, I found myself alone, with no sign of Kishimoto anywhere in sight. "I wonder where she went?" I thought to myself, scanning the area around me. The morning sun was already up, casting a bright glow over the surroundings. I stretched my arms and legs, letting out a loud yawn, feeling refreshed from the night's sleep. I gathered my belongings and slung my school bag over my shoulder. 

I strolled towards the school, taking in the scenery along the way, appreciating the tranquility of the morning. Upon reaching my homeroom, I noticed that Masanobu hadn't arrived yet. "He must be running late today," I thought 

Spotting Sanada with her group of friends, I decided to approach her. 

"Yo, Sanada," I greeted with a friendly smile. 

"Togawa-kun! Hi," she responded warmly, returning the greeting with a smile of her own. 

-Tazaki - 

He switched up quickly, one moment, she was talking down to me with her friends, and the next, she was melting down while conversing with Togawa, one of the notorious bullies nobody liked. 

I clenched my fists, feeling a surge of frustration at the abrupt change in her behavior. "Oh, your uniform? Sorry, I forgot about it. How about you come to my house after school? I have it in the laundry," she offered, her cheeks flushing red as she attempted to coax Togawa. 

Togawa's response was swift and dismissive. "It's fine, bring it tomorrow," he replied, effectively shutting down Sanada's attempt at friendliness. 

"N-no, wait! Let me pay you back somehow," Sanada insisted, her voice tinged with desperation. 

But Togawa shook his head, a rare kindness softening his expression. "There's no need. I just happened to be there, and there's no way I was going to let that happen to you." 

I couldn't help but wonder what had happen between them. It seemed like there was a deeper story lurking beneath the surface, and I wasn't the only one curious about it. 

"Hey, you bastard, stay away from her," Izumi interjected, inserting herself between the two. 

"What are you scheming?" Izumi retorted, her tone guarded. 

I was taken aback by Izumi's sudden defense of Sanada. This twisted woman, who had no trouble abusing me, was now standing up for someone else. 

"What are you talking about?" Togawa looked genuinely puzzled 

"Don't play dumb with me. Look at what you did to Sanada," Izumi's voice cut through the tension. 

Sanada's attention snapped back at the sound of her name, but she seemed distant, clutching her chest in discomfort. 

Of course, Izumi wouldn't understand. She never bothered to see beyond her own selfish desires. I doubt that she ever looked at people other than play things. 

I realized what was unfolding before me: Sanada, the succubus, had been ensnared by someone unexpected—a thug, no less. 

Sanada's sudden change in demeanor, her desperate attempts to please, it all made sense now. She had fallen under someone else's spell, But would anyone else see through her facade, or would they continue to be blinded by her charms? 

I hope she gets beat by him. I silently prayed in my head for misfortune to fall on all of them. 

"Sanada you should go home if you're sick, anyways my business is done here I'm going back to class" togawa said 

"Hold on, you think you can leave without my permission?" Izumi's tone was stern, her eyes narrowing. 

"I don't care," Togawa retorted 

"Argh, Sanada, I don't ever want to see you with that again, got it?" Izumi's frustration boiled over into a sharp command. 

"Ok, Izumi-chan," Sanada replied, though she didn't seem to be paying attention. 

"Now, for you, it's a good thing you're here. I'm in a bad mood right now," Izumi said, her tone sharp. 

Izumi looked directly at me, and I cursed Togawa in my head as I braced for what's to come. 

--- 

"So the plot has started," Togawa muttered, feeling someone glaring a hole at the back of his head. He knew Izumi wasn't going to let him go. 

Ever since she was young, she got everything she wanted. She was spoiled so much it twisted her personality, turning her into a sadist who thought the world was her playground. 

Togawa thought that this was probably the first time Izumi had someone treat her with no respect. 

She found the protagonist of her world, and it wouldn't be long before she got her hands on the hypnosis spell book. That book would make everything easier for him. 

The day went by in a flash. Togawa and Masanobu stopped by the manga club, making fast progress on AoT as the competition deadline loomed. Yuki and Sagami talked nonstop about the competition, more excited than Togawa himself. 

After a while, the group decided to watch the new animated movie, Demon Slayer: Mugen Train. They didn't hold back any tears, letting out all their emotions. Togawa stared at them, wondering if he was the same when he was younger. 

The group eventually split up, and Masanobu walked home with Togawa. It left Togawa some time to have some father and son bonding. 

Togawa stayed for dinner again. Ms. Tomoko had expected him, so she had made extra. Togawa ate his fill as usual and praised her for having the best cooking. Afterwards, he kissed her goodbye and left.