Weird Students (1)

As soon as I woke up back inside my room on the mansion, confusion engulfed me as I checked the calendar that was on the shelf before checking through my phone.

'First Day of School!'

It was the same.

Panic gripped me; this regression wasn't exactly as I anticipated. Cursing my predicament, I held my head in frustration.

"Why had I been thrust back to the beginning?"

There were no answers, and the disorienting return only fueled my anxiety.

Contemplating various possibilities, I considered the absurd idea of being poisoned. However, logic swiftly dismissed it – Miss Olivia, who shared the meal, wouldn't endanger herself nor her boyfriend. She wasn't that reckless or suicidal.

Desperation led my mind to entertain wild theories. Had my father sent assassins? A notion swiftly dismissed, recognizing the improbability... Although there is still a possibility, I knew his personality. The mind raced, concocting and discarding scenarios, each more implausible than the last.

Tok Tok—!

The cacophony of thoughts was interrupted by a familiar knock – Chloe, no doubt. Ugh, it must've been forty minutes since I started thinking about this.

"Brother, it's time for you to wake up!" Chloe's voice penetrated the door.

"....Shit."

I delayed opening the door, taking a moment to retrieve my uniform and the glasses that was carefully hidden inside the closet.

"Brother, I'm coming in!" She says, following a sound of keys and the door being unlocked.

"How annoying..."

As the door clicked behind me, I chose a hasty exit through the window. Time was of the essence; I needed to unravel the mystery behind this unexpected turn of events.

***

Arriving at school somewhat worse for wear, my forgotten bag left me in a minor state of disarray. Despite the oversight, a bottle of perfume and a recent bath provided some reassurance.

"Ugh, seriously... How could I forget my bag?"

In a rather gloomy state, I proceeded with a familiar routine, ignoring Alicia as I navigated through the school.

However...

"It's because of you that we got trapped in this world!"

"Teehee~!"

A chance encounter disrupted my plans.

"What are you laughing—Ugh!?"

A sudden collision with an unfamiliar student sent me tumbling to the ground.

"Ow... That hurt."

"Are you okay?"

"...Mmm?"

When I opened my eyes, the student I bumped with extended a hand, offering assistance, and I accepted, getting back on my feet.

"Ern... I apologize for bumping into—??"

My attention shifted as I recognized the duo from the previous regression. Wait a minute, aren't they the same weird students bickering from back then...? Ah! Calling them weird might be rude, I'll just call them "unique".

"I—!!?"

Before the male student could utter a word, his female companion intervened, patting his shoulders. With an excited demeanor, she pushed him down to the ground and introduced herself like it was nothing.

"Hey! Hey! My name's Kiyona. As for this violent guy, you can call him Kim! He has a last name that meant 'reader' in korean, but you can ignore that since it's not important—"

"What do you mean not important!?"

"—What about yours?"

The student she called Kim grumpily stood up and patted the dust off his shirt. As for the girl who introduced herself as Kiyona, I was caught off guard when she suddenly approached me, stopping when our faces was a couple of inches away from each other.

In a somewhat flustered state, I hesitantly responded, "Uh... Well, you can just call me Vallen," raising my hands in a gesture to maintain some personal space.

Her enthusiastic eyes sparkled as she suggested, "Hey, wanna be friends? Let's be friends!" without giving me a chance to respond.

"Eh? Wait, wha—!!?"

Before I could protest, she swiftly grabbed my shirt, leaving the other guy, Kim, behind.

"You! Stop pulling other students, you damn brat!" Kim's loud reprimand drew attention, causing other students to take notice of our peculiar trio entering the school.

...I couldn't shake the feeling that this girl was using me as an excuse to evade him.

—That guy looks familiar...

—I don't know why, but I feel like I've seen him before.

—...Me, too.

Whispers circulated among the students as they observed the commotion we caused. The hallway buzzed with curiosity, and the risk of my identity being exposed loomed ominously. Each passing moment increased the likelihood of someone recognizing me.

"I'm not sure if this meeting will have any positive effect. However, I can at least hope that something might change for the better."

"Did you say something?"

"... Nothing important."

Sighing internally, my face showed a bitter expression upon realizing that I accidentally said my thoughts out loud.

...That was embarrassing.