Unknowing

Using my fever as an excuse, I manage to escape from the entirety of class D, which is hounding me with questions. I go to my room for a bit to pretend to cool off. Normally I would have told them to get lost, but given my condition and what happened on the island, I'm beginning to learn that it's necessary to work with others.NoIt wasn't just that.Ever since the beginning of the year, I've been slowly starting to change. Telling Chabashira sensei that a defective product could be fixed and attending the celebration in Ayonokouji-Kun's room is something the old me would have never done.and I began to chase after the root cause of it all."I finally found you."Ayonokouji Kiyotaka, stone-faced as always, stares at me blankly."You again? What is it now?""Hirata-Kun told me. When you told him A and C's leaders, you said I was the one who figured it all out. And after the test was over, you asked him to work to bring the class together. Are you trying to use me as a cover?"He's displayed this behaviour before, but I could never figure out why he helped me. He's displayed no ambition or drive so far and is content to put in minimal effort. So what made him expend the effort he made during the island exam? Even more than that, he wasn't the type of person to say that he'd help me on the island, so why would he? I was going to ask him that before being interrupted by Hirata-Kun and the others."Horiktia, do you remember what I said back then? You need allies.""You did it for that?"Shocked didn't even begin to describe how I felt. Did he go against his detestation of troublesome things for something like that? I highly doubt it was his sole reason, but if he wants to hide it, who was I to pry?Memories of his abyss-like eyes on that day were brought to the forefront of my mind at that word, sending an involuntary shiver down my spine.but stillWhat was this warmth?"You've finally started to change.""It's your fault... Grudgingly, I will acknowledge you as an ally, too. Still, I don't want you acting buddy-buddy with me once we're back at school. We're only working together to reach Class A. But... I will say one thing. Thank you. Not that I'm saying that I need you or anything."And that was the last time I talked to Ayanokouji-Kun. The experience was downright shameful, and I could scarcely believe the pathetic words that were unceremoniously pouring out of me at the time. I don't even remember being able to maintain eye contact with him for very long before redirecting my gaze.How am I ever going to catch up to Nii-san if I can't even do something so simple?Finally arriving on the right floor, I head to the library having just finished reading For Whom the Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemingway, a veritable masterpiece and the author's finest work, and decide to acquire another book to occupy my time until I spot a familiar figure."What on earth are you doing?"Ayonokuji's POVThe library on the cruise ship was large, outsizing the average library by a fair amount. This may seem to not have any drawbacks at first with the vast array of books it provides, but navigation is quite bothersome with a vast amount of books requiring a ladder to retrieve them.In short, it wasn't the type of thing someone would want to do on the day after an exam that required you to stay on an uninhabited island for a long time, and I'd much rather spend my day holed up in my room. Nevertheless, my situation motivated me to expend effort towards the particular subject of the supernatural.The problem was where to start.There were seemingly infinite possibilities and lines of logic when talking about the supernatural, and it was extremely difficult to explain my experience.I should rule out a classical religious experience given that my experience doesn't meet 3 of the 4 classifications William James wrote in Varieties of Religious Experience. He describes it as 'ineffable' (beyond description), noetic (receive direct revelations from God), and transient (short-lasting); the only classification it does meet is that it was 'passive', so it wasn't governed by me in any way.But that was only a classical religious experience. There isn't a reason for a deity to abide by human classifications.The chance of this being the work of some godly beings isn't completely nullified given the amount of mythology where humans are used as entertainment for them. Greek mythology in particular stands out, with nearly every prominent figure, from Heracles to Achilles, being subject to their whim.But my situation is hopeless if that really is the case, so it's best to dismiss it.Were my memories altered? If so, what was the goal? Was my lack of knowledge about my newfound life about to puppet me into the hands of the perpetrator? I could only conclude that was a line of thought I should halt until I experience any more changes and analyse how that affects my actions.The second line of thought is that I was somehow trapped in an illusion that was extremely close to the reality I was aware of. The obvious discrepancies imply that the caster either got extremely close and failed or that the changes were done on purpose.Both theories are intertwined with the idea of a perpetrator wielding supernatural power, which is what is currently leading me to explore the idea of magic systems in fiction as well as realise how tough it would really be to identify the perpetrator.In fiction, the system of magic could either be hard or soft, with soft magic systems not telling us a lot about how the system works but allowing for easily added new elements, and hard magic systems defining to the audience how the majority of the system works. However, the rationality axis of a magic system also plays a key role in my investigation. Even if the magic system of the caster is hard, that doesn't mean I can apply logic to it.According to Sanderson's essay, Superman's magic system is hard but irrational; while all of his abilities and weaknesses are known, we can't apply any logic or extrapolate as his powers are all over the place. His x-ray vision has nothing to do with his ability to fly, and that has nothing to do with frost breath. So if you only knew a couple of his abilities, it would be exceedingly difficult to guess what his other abilities are because they are all disjointed.This was the worst-case scenario in trying to identify or combat the caster, as their abilities may not strictly belong to a single category, so I decided it was best to not operate under that assumption unless someone gives me a reason to.Leading me to my final theory:"What on earth are you doing?"It seems my seatmate has decided to grace me with her presence."I think it's fairly obvious; I'm reading.""It isn't like you to go through a stack of books and draw attention to yourself."It was true that I had an attention-grabbing pile of books next to me that would immediately label me as a nerd in the social hierarchy if anybody saw me."What can I say? There aren't many people around, and I have recently become passionate about a subject. Shouldn't you be happy?"Seeing as it was our summer vacation and we just finished a rigorous exam, everyone would much rather spend their time out and playing than in the library. I would be in my room all day as well if it weren't for the unexpected situation I found myself in."Whilst it certainly puts me at ease to see you do something other than nothing in your free time, it's unusual to see you passionate about anything. It's disconcerting," Horikita said while bending down to get a closer look at the books, allowing me to discover something.Have her breasts become larger?I remember Judging that Horikita's breasts were neither large nor small. They exquisitely straddled the line between the two. The perfect size, but it seems they have gotten a bit bigger than I remember; was it another discrepancy, or did she just grow? The latter wasn't unreasonable, as we were all teenagers going through a growth period."Ayonokouji-Kun. Were you thinking about something stupid just now?""Er. No?""I felt like you were acting strangely."It seems that she is once again displaying her ability to sense inappropriate thoughts just by looking at me."I was just wondering whether or not I should invite you to read with me.""about the multiverse?" She asks, pointing towards the pile of similarly themed books, "Is it really worth the effort?""Don't you find it interesting? A universe beyond our own with different laws of physics beyond our comprehension and all sorts of alternative histories and events". If the physics are different from the ones we evolved on, then we may as well dissolve because the charge on the electron is different and all our biochemistry would change, meaning that either the laws of physics were exactly the same or my consciousness has been transferred to my counterpart in this universe who evolved on the physics of this universe. The two weren't mutually exclusive, but they didn't have to be inclusive either.Steven Weinberg said that if the multiverse existed, the hope of finding a rational explanation for the precise values of quark masses and other constants of the standard model that we observe in our Big Bang is doomed, for their values would be an accident of the particular part of the multiverse in which we live. After a couple of internet searches, it appeared that everything was the same, meaning the consciousness transfer could still very well have happened or I could have replaced his entire physical presence, but those were thoughts for later."Do you plan to study physics?""Pretty much, as far as the multiverse is concerned, anyway.""True, but consider this: exploring complex ideas helps develop mental flexibility and problem-solving skills. It broadens our perspectives and prepares us for future advancements. Isn't that worth some effort?"Horikita's eyes slightly widened before she settled again, smirking. "You do make some interesting points. Fine, I'll read with you, but don't get used to it."The rest of the day was spent in pleasant silence, punctuated by occasional discussions, making the study session surprisingly comforting and intellectually stimulating for both.Surprisingly, I didn't actually expect her to agree. Was her opinion of my lifestyle so low that my reading really intrigues her that much?"So, what's your opinion on it anyway?""It's an excellent tool for literature, I suppose, but there isn't any value for me in getting any more into it; as long as I continue to improve myself, speculating about an alternate version of me is pointless."I thought the same until, not too long ago, I found myself wanting to change that for her."Don't you think that's arrogant?""How so?" said Horikita, narrowing her eyes and levelling a glare at me."Theoretical physics has been dismissed as pointless study plenty of times, yet our current era is built on it. Just because certain concepts seem a world away from understanding doesn't mean it isn't worth pursuing, and if something were to be found despite it seeming a world away, wouldn't the satisfaction from that be worth the trouble? The same could be said for arguments about the existence of God: if an unseen infinite power was really responsible for everything, then there is no way for us to really understand and disprove it. Yet we still study philosophy despite it not having a clear answer because we advance by trying to explore the things we don't understand; that's what it means to be human."That was part of the reason I came to this school—to explore the things the white room couldn't help me understand.This feeling of excitement at such an unimaginable learning experience was starting to bloom within me.Horikita's eyes slightly widened before settling again, and she began to speak with a mocking smirk. "It isn't like you to give such lengthy speeches in conversation, and I don't think I missed that terrible attempt at humour, "a world way." H How pathetic."It seems she caught my joke—not that I expected it to work at this point, though I do remember giving Horikita a speech of a similar length after fighting her brother.How unemotive was my alternate? I began to fear how I could've turned out.Glancing back at Horikita, I find that her eyes are back on her book, Parallel Worlds by Michio Kaku. Despite not saying it out loud, it seems that my words have gotten through to her.The rest of the day was spent in pleasant silence, with the odd back and forth here and there and going out separately to buy packaged food. Despite being used to spending such a long time studying, I found this scenario to be oddly comforting.Combined with the excitement dwelling within me, I was starting to look forward to what this universe had in store.(The next day)"Holy shit! This is delicious!""Let's invite Kikyo-chan here later!""And Suzune too! Oi Ayonokouji, invite her for me."Me, Sudo, Ike, and Yamauchi were once again grabbing breakfast together. This wouldn't ordinarily be an occurrence two days in a row, but if I wanted to continue my research as I wanted, then there was a certain person I could only contact through them."I highly doubt she'll come, especially after the whole class was forced to stay together for such a long time period"' let alone with Kushida there', was the part I didn't add on. Besides, it was true that a lot of us desired some time away from classmates for a bit."ugh... I guess you're right. By the way, didn't you want something?""I was going to ask for this guy's number," I said, pointing to a name on my phone."I see, I see! You've made the right choice indeed, Ayonokouji-Dono!" The professor said it exuberantly.I wanted to meet with Hideo Sotomura, otherwise known as The Professor, an overweight first-year otaku who gathered information daily on a variety of topics, from dating sims to manga.The only one I was interested in was Isekai. From my research, I was aware of its origins in the story of the fisherman Urashima Taro and other tropes relating to it, but asking a professional in person would be more lucrative.He was also very knowledgeable about history and machinery, which led me to contact him when I was in the store with Sakura and Kushida, as well as to help set up the fake camera bought by Ichinose and Kanzaki.Originally, he was one of the few people I had in my contacts, but since waking up in this world, it's been made clear that he and my alternate haven't interacted much other than the pool incident, which leads me to wonder just how I contacted him for help with machinery back then or if I ever needed to at all."Keep in mind that I mainly want to go over the method of transport between worlds and how the main character gets back to their home, but not much else."I wouldn't be able to comprehend the conversation if we got any deeper than that."Do not worry; I will cater to your needs appropriately." Happily nodding, the professor continues,As for the method of transportation common in the Isekai genre, the first thing to look at would be death! Whether it's getting run over by a truck or dying from overwork, the unknown nature of life after death serves as an excellent bridge for the soul of the protagonist to transcend space and time into the world of their dreams! As for the other methods, there is summoning, where a group uses magic to transport a being from our world into theirs in order to combat a threat nobody in their world can, immediately telling us where the story will go, unlike when the protagonist is reincarnated with no goal in mind after dying. ""So in either instance, the protagonist has no control over whether they get transported or not."That would match up with my experience if true. It was likely I could have died in my sleep as well, as depressing a thought as that was."Not in general, but instances where the character receives an email or letter asking if they would like to participate in something along the lines of 'a new experience' do occur. In that case, transportation occurs when the protagonist agrees to it. Keep in mind that this can range from physically agreeing to a mere thought of consent, and then they are suddenly transported into a fantasy world."It isn't out of the realm of possibility that I agreed to such a thing; the notion of going into another world wasn't one I would consider, so I would probably agree to it to see what would happen.Even if I have no memory of it, I can't really trust my memory if magic was involved."And what about the 'getting back' part? How does that typically happen?" I asked, in a desire to learn more, whether going back would be worth it; it remains to be seen."Well, they typically don't want to," says the professor, sheepishly rubbing the back of his head."Eh? Shouldn't it be the opposite? When being separated from their family and experiencing such a drastic change of setting with most of their typical modern comforts being removed, wouldn't the typical person want to go home?" I questionWith how easy it is for modern people who have easy access to isekai to stay at home in hedonistic isolation, the thought of staying in another world for more than a couple of months should trigger homesickness easily. I would understand a minority of protagonists with complicated character issues not wanting to go back, but from my understanding, the average Isekai protagonist was a blank slate with high relatability to the average person, so the probability of them not trying to go back home was low."You would be correct if the average person was the target audience, but in most cases, the target audience is fellow men of culture who are capable of making the correct decision of staying in a world with 2-D girls instead of the average commoner who would rather chase after frivolous 3-D girls," frowned the professor.In other words, since the protagonists were meant to be relatable to people who most likely felt isolated or dissatisfied with their current lives, the appeal of a fantastical world with potential adventures, new powers, and romantic interests outweighed their attachment to their former mundane existence. This psychological shift often meant that the protagonist didn't seek to return to their original world but rather to find fulfilment in the new one."Since I'm new to this genre, could you recommend some Isekai novels that are well-regarded? Preferably ones that delve into different methods of transportation between worlds and the protagonist's journey within these worlds."For now, it would be best to get some specific recommendations.The professor's eyes lit up with excitement. "Ah, you have come to the right person! There are some classics in the Isekai genre that you simply must read. Here are a few recommendations to get you started."After listing some titles and promising to let me send me some of his ebooks, our conversation just about finished."Thank you for the information, Professor. It's given me a lot to think about," I said, appreciating the depth of his knowledge."My pleasure, Ayanokouji-Dono! If you need more insight or wish to explore other aspects of the genre, do not hesitate to reach out."With our conversation concluded, I returned to my room to examine the books sent to me and contemplated how I would consume them, lost in thought. My contemplation was interrupted by a text from Horikita asking if I wanted to continue our study session from yesterday.Since when did she invite me to anything non-class-related?What was wrong with this world?Scary! I want to go home.Accepting her invitation and leaving my room to commence meeting her at the library, I approached her table and placed my tablet with the screen of the book I wanted to analyse in front of her."Ayonokuji-kun, I was thinking we could.""Actually, I have some research of my own to conduct," I interrupt, my attention already drifting back to the tablet before me.Horikita's gaze shifts to the tablet sitting on the table, its screen displaying the cover of "Mushoku Tensei," a popular light novel series. Her brow furrows in confusion."What is this?" she asks, pointing to the screen with a hint of incredulity.I glance at the tablet before launching into an elaborate explanation of the isekai genre, detailing the various tropes and themes prevalent in light novels like "Mushoku Tensei." Unbeknownst to me, Horikita's expression shifts from confusion to disbelief as I speak."You're analysing light novels?" She interjects, her voice tinged with disbelief.I nod earnestly, oblivious to the impending storm of Horikita's wrath."I believe there's valuable insight to be gained from studying the narrative structures and character archetypes present in these works," I explain, my tone matter-of-fact.Horikita's disbelief turns to exasperation, her patience wearing thin. With a swift motion, she grabs a nearby compass and brandishes it threateningly."I can't believe I took you seriously," she mutters, her frustration reaching its breaking point.*STAB*Before I can react, Horikita lunges forward, jabbing the compass in my direction with surprising force. A sharp pain shoots through my arm as the tip of the compass makes contact, and I recoil in shock.As Horikita storms off, leaving me nursing my injured arm and pondering the absurdity of my research endeavours, I can't help but chuckle at the unexpected turn of events. It seems that even the most earnest pursuits can lead to unforeseen consequences in the world of academia.A/NScrew you horikita! anime , light novels,manga and video games are totally analysis-worthythere's actually a psychologist I started following who does this and I recommend you guys check him outhttps://www.twitch.tv/psyculturistshttps://x.com/psyculturistshttps://www.youtube.com/@psyculturistsThe guy legit does Twitter essays on the anime he watches. its Fucking awesomeAlso, I'm back!Teehee