Absurd

The man's body tilted, and he lost his footing. His eyes flickered with anger. He couldn't believe he was being manhandled by a student.

His free hand moved toward his pocket, taking out something like a card. Rafael couldn't get a clear view; he just knew the man was taking out something.

Since he didn't know what it was, Rafael decided to follow up the attack. He tried to kick the man with his knee.

But just before it hit, the man's body turned into freckles of light, then disappeared.

This time, Rafael knew he had really left for good. As he disappeared, the surrounding area also began to distort. 

Like a broken mirror, it shattered, turning into many shards.

He found himself standing in front of the convenience store he had visited yesterday. People were moving around, busy with their own tasks.

Some of them turned to Rafael, feeling confused for a moment, but then returned to their activity.

"The fuck!" Rafael mumbled. 

His brain crashed as he quickly looked down, finding the briefcase there beside his leg.

What he had just experienced was so surreal that he didn't know what to think.

He started questioning himself: did he hallucinate?

But looking at his hand where the sensation from fighting still lingered, he knew it should be real.

He stood in a daze for a while, then his blue eyes returned to clarity. Rafael picked up the briefcase, then turned his direction back to the school.

Reaching the security office, he found Ben busy watching TV with a cigarette on his lips.

"Uncle Ben, are you busy?" Rafael called, surprising him.

Ben quickly turned around, hearing the familiar voice. "Thank God you are alright, Rafael."

"Did you know something?"

Ben quickly extinguished the cigarette and then walked closer to him.

"I saw you follow a student toward an alleyway, and then you didn't come out for almost an hour. Just what happened?" He asked while looking at Rafael, making sure there were no wounds.

Rafael was baffled. 'Almost an hour? I believe that exchange only lasted for fifteen minutes at most. Did I just sense it wrong?'

"Do you remember what kind of student I followed? And which alley I went to?"

This time, Ben was the one caught off guard. Rafael's question was just weird. How could he not remember where he had gone to?

Rafael then began describing Tom's features, but Ben shook his head.

"No, that is not the student you followed. I didn't see the face clearly, but he was quite tall, with a muscular stature. 

That is why I felt worried. I have seen multiple students taken like that, then returned with many bruises."

'So it's not Tom? Just what have I seen? This doesn't make sense. 

I followed Tom, then met a ninja who could do what? Make an illusion? Am I living in a novel?'

Seeing Rafael in a daze, Ben started feeling more concerned. "Just what happened down there? I may not be able to help, but at least I will listen."

"It's nothing, Uncle Ben. Sorry to startle you like this," Rafael said.

He then left, returning back to the school. This time, he walked around looking for Tom. But the class had already dispersed.

He didn't find any students; only some cleaning staff were busy cleaning the classrooms.

Walking in confusion, he found himself back at the library. He saw the door already locked, and the room was dark.

Rafael looked at his phone, showing the time. 

"It's almost sunset. No wonder she already went home. But dammit, just what really happened…"

Seeing the phone screen, Rafael sighed. If he could turn back time, he would snatch some photos just to convince himself he was not insane.

"What are you doing standing there? Did you forget something?" a rash feminine voice reached his ear.

Without looking back, Rafael already knew who she was. Only one person talked to him like that. 

"No, I thought you already went home. Why are you returning?"

Airine walked past him, then put her key on the door.

"I forgot to bring back Suiyin's new phone. What about you?" she asked while looking at Rafael suspiciously.

"Nothing, just a really bizarre experience."

Creak! The door opened, and Airine turned on the light. 

She went toward the librarian's desk and then picked up the phone from inside the cabinet.

She then took a seat and began opening the sealed box. Her hand moved swiftly. 

"What are you doing standing there? Aren't you looking for someone to tell what happened to you? Then sit and tell me what happened." She said without looking at Rafael.

"Never mind, you won't believe it."

"How would you know? At the very least, I promise I won't laugh."

Rafael still hesitated. No need to say to someone else; even he couldn't believe what had just happened. 

He felt it was more logical to say he accidentally ate some drug and hallucinated than it really happened.

"Still dilly-dallying, aren't you a man? Just let it out! Don't be a wimp," Airine said, as her blue eyes looked sideways toward Rafael.

Rafael's lips twitched, but as she said, he really wanted to let this out now. Holding this just made him feel crazy. 'Fuck it, I may regret it later, but I might as well just speak it out.'

He walked and sat in front of Airine, then began narrating what happened.

To Rafael's surprise, Airine had no change of expression throughout the story. She didn't laugh at him, nor did she make fun of him.

"I see, so you say a mysterious man with weird abilities is trying to kill you?" Airine asked with a straight face as her eyes reflected the light of her new phone screen.

"You believe me just like that?" Rafael asked in disbelief.

Airine looked him in the eyes. "Are you telling me you are lying?"

"I… I am not lying."

"Then why ask me that?"

'I don't even believe myself. How can she believe just like that with a straight face?'