Asahi stared at the screen.
His body felt… disconnected.
His breath, slow. His mind, hazy. His limbs, heavy.
Then—
A single, quiet thought surfaced.
"I feel tired."
A small pause.
His fingers trembled slightly.
Then—
A horrifying realization.
"I died in the future."
His breath hitched.
His heartbeat slowed.
His stomach twisted.
"The future me… set up all of this."
A bitter chuckle escaped his lips.
But there was no humor in it. Only exhaustion.
Then—
A name surfaced.
The Black Man.
His jaw clenched. His fingers curled into a fist.
His voice barely above a whisper.
"He can't kill me."
The words felt surreal.
Why? Why only him?
His mind raced.
"FA said it. He is not from my dimension."
A pause.
The suffocating silence wrapped around him.
"And FA told me… he can't kill me."
His chest felt tight.
His thoughts spiraled.
"He is not from my dimension… so he can't kill me?"
His lips parted slightly.
Then—
"But why me alone?"
A New Battle Awaits – The School Loop
8:40 AM.
The glowing numbers on the clock pulled him back.
A deep inhale.
Then—
A quiet, broken chuckle.
"Let's go to school."
His body felt wrong.
His hands shook.
His steps wavered as he moved toward the door.
"Something's off."
Then—
A sharp wave of exhaustion slammed into him.
His breath turned uneven.
His head spun.
His hands clutched the walls as he walked.
"Shit… this isn't normal."
The Family Notices Something is Wrong
The scent of miso soup and rice filled the air.
His mother stood at the stove, humming softly.
His father sat at the table, reading the newspaper.
A normal morning.
Then—
He stepped into the kitchen.
The moment they saw him, the room fell silent.
His father was the first to react.
Dad: "Good morni—"
He stopped.
His brows furrowed.
His eyes scanned Asahi's face.
A flicker of confusion. Then—concern.
His mother turned.
Mom: "Good morning, As—"
Then—
She saw him.
Her breath caught.
The soft warmth in her eyes turned into something else.
Something sharp.
Mom: "…Asahi… Are you even sleeping?"
Her voice was different.
Not scolding.
Not teasing.
Just… scared.
His fingers twitched.
His voice came out flat. Emotionless.
Asahi: "Huh… just give me the food. I'm getting late."
A long pause.
His father lowered the newspaper.
His lips pressed into a thin line.
Then—
Dad: "Hey… What happened?"
His voice was firm. Heavy.
Asahi (snaps): "JUST GIVE ME THE DAMN FOOD."
Silence.
His mother flinched slightly.
His father just stared.
Not with anger.
Not with confusion.
With understanding.
His father knew.
He could see it clearly.
Not just the exhaustion.
Not just the lack of sleep.
But something deeper.
Something broken.
Then—
A quiet, bitter thought surfaced in his father's mind.
"He isn't angry."
"He's just… too exhausted to feel anything anymore."
His hands clenched into fists under the table.
Then—
A soft, tired sigh.
Dad: "Honey… just give him the food."
A moment of hesitation.
Then—
His mother placed the plate in front of him.
A quiet clink echoed in the silence.
Dad: "Eat."
Asahi stared at the plate.
His hands reached out—
Then—
They wouldn't stop shaking.
His fingers struggled to hold the spoon.
His grip loosened.
His movements were too slow.
It wasn't just exhaustion.
It was worse.
His mother couldn't take it anymore.
Her voice broke slightly.
Mom: "Asahi…"
His father cut her off.
Dad: "Let him eat."
His spoon clattered against the plate.
His shoulders shook slightly.
Then—
A deep, heavy sigh.
He pushed himself up.
Walked away from the table.
Then—
Dad (softly): "It's all because of sleeplessness…"
His voice wasn't loud.
Just… tired.
His mother took a step forward.
Her voice panicked.
Mom: "Stop him! He can't even walk properly—!"
His father didn't move.
He just watched.
Not with fear.
Not with panic.
But with understanding.
Then—
A small, sad smile.
Dad (whispering): "He is trying hard…"
A soft prayer.
Then—
Dad: "Which costs more than his life."
A Body That's Falling Apart
His feet dragged.
His vision blurred.
His mind felt like static.
"I have to walk."
"I have to go to school."
His breath came out ragged.
His hands clenched into fists.
Then—
A sharp impact.
His body collided with someone.
A soft gasp.
A familiar voice.
Anari: "Hey, Asahi!"
His stomach twisted.
His head pounded.
Then—
Asahi ignored her.
He kept walking.
His mind barely registered her presence.
Then—
She grabbed his hand.
Anari: "Come this way… You're walking in the wrong direction."
She pulled him along.
He said nothing.
Did nothing.
A Glitch in Reality?
They reached the school gates.
Asahi lifted his head.
His breath stilled.
Then—
A familiar voice.
A girl was running toward him.
The same voice.
The same face.
Anari: "Hey, Asahi! You're early today, huh?"
THUMP.
His chest tightened.
His vision blurred.
His body stiffened.
Then—
"She was just with me."
"And now… she's coming from the other street."
His throat dried.
His breath turned shaky.
Then—
"Then where is the one who came with me?"
His hands clenched.
A suffocating silence.
Then—
She stood in front of him.
Her hands on her hips.
Her eyes—narrowed.
Then—
Anari:(Frowning.)"Hey! What happened to you, huh?"
Her lips pouted slightly.
Then—
Anari:(Angry.)"Are you not sleeping?!"
A small huff.
Then—
Anari:(Scolding.)"Bad boy!"
Then—
A sharp pinch on his nose.
Asahi Loses Himself
A sudden dizzy spell.
His body swayed.
His mind spiraled.
Then—
Asahi:(Panicking.)"Shit… Shit, shit, shit…!"
His chest tightened.
His vision darkened slightly.
Then—
Asahi:(Thinking.)"I'm losing it… I'm losing my consciousness…!"
His heartbeat raced.
His hands shook.
Then—
A desperate reaction.
SLAP!
His hand struck his own face.
A sharp sting.
A small gasp from Anari.
Then—
Asahi (thinking):"Stay concentrated…!"
A moment of silence.
Then—
A soft warmth.
Her hand—gently placed on his cheek.
A soft, calming warmth.
Then—
Anari:(Softly.)"I would have slapped you."
Her thumb gently brushed his skin.
Then—
A comforting whisper.
Anari:(Gently.)"Just sleep, Asahi."
Her fingers ran through his hair.
A soft caress.
A touch that made him forget the pain for a moment.
Then—
Asahi stood still.
His body refused to move.
His mind—silent.
Then—
A thought crossed his mind.
A truth he tried to deny.
Then—
Asahi (thinking):"FA was right… I have fallen in love."
Anari stepped back slightly.
Her voice cheerful, reassuring.
Then—
Anari:(Smiling.)"Looks like you have to go to school."
A pause.
Then—
Anari:(Softly.)"Don't worry… I will be there for you."
A small, gentle promise.
Then—
A teasing smile.
Anari:(Laughs.)"I'll make you sleep in the classroom! After all, you don't listen to the classes, right?"
Asahi stared at her.
A small smile formed on his lips.
But—
It was hollow.
They entered the school.
Walked through the hallways.
Then—
Into the classroom.
Asahi sat down.
His body sank into the chair.
Then—
A strange, foreign sensation.
Asahi (thinking):"A weird feeling."
A slow breath.
Then—
Asahi (thinking):"No… I feel relaxed."
Anari sat beside him.
Like always.
She looked at him—smiling.
A bright, simple smile.
Then—
Asahi (thinking):"This smile…"
A soft inhale.
Then—
Asahi (thinking):"It keeps me alive."
A pause.
Then—
Asahi (thinking):"It keeps me conscious."
The Lesson Begins – But Something Feels Off…
The teacher walked in.
Their voice—distant.
The other students chatting.
Then—
A loud voice echoed.
Sensei:"Let's start the class, students…!"
The classroom blurred. Words turned into muffled echoes. Asahi's head dipped forward, his vision swimming in exhaustion.
His mind screamed at him to stay awake.
Asahi (thinking):"I just started hallucinating from sleep loss…!"
His heartbeat quickened, a pounding reminder that he was slipping.
Asahi (thinking):"This is bad."
The heavy weight of his eyelids dragged him under.
SLEEP.
A whisper.
SLEEEEP.
The voice crawled into his ears, a hypnotic pull laced with something unnatural.
SLEEP!!!
The sound exploded inside his skull.
His fingers twitched.
His breath turned ragged.
And then—
STAB.
A pencil pierced through his left hand.
A silent scream. His teeth clenched. His pupils shrank from the sudden pain.
The voices vanished.
The only sound left was his shaky breathing.
Asahi:(Whispers.)"Fuck…!"
10:30 AM.
The bell rang, but Asahi barely registered it. His feet dragged as he stepped out of the classroom. The world tilted slightly, his body betraying him.
Footsteps echoed behind him, following his exact rhythm.
A presence.
Asahi didn't react, didn't turn back. His mind calculated everything.
Asahi (thinking):"I'm being followed."
He moved up. Up the stairs, towards a place with no eyes. No distractions.
The terrace.
The moment he stepped outside, a sharp breeze kissed his skin. His breathing evened, his head a little clearer.
But he wasn't alone.
Without turning, his voice cut through the air.
Asahi:"Come out."
A soft giggle.
Anari stepped forward.
Anari:"Huh… You found me."
His stomach twisted.
Asahi (thinking):"Shit… It was her."
She rocked on her heels, arms crossed.
Anari:"I thought you'd be happy if I followed you up here."
She smiled, innocent and pure.
Anari:"With this, I thought we could be together."
A sharp contrast to the paranoia eating him alive.
Before he could respond, she turned and walked back downstairs.
Asahi:"Huh…?"
Something felt wrong.
His chest tightened, a sharp sensation crawling up his spine.
Asahi (thinking):"When will he come…?"
And then—
The atmosphere changed.
Heavy. Unnatural.
The sky darkened, the wind no longer a gentle breeze but a warning.
Asahi's pulse spiked.
He's here.
A shape materialized.
Fingers emerged from the air itself, pushing through reality like a man stepping from another world.
His body reacted before his mind could process it.
His lips curled into a grin.
Adrenaline pumped through his veins.
His heart pounded with excitement.
The thrill. The fear. The rage.
A full body stepped forward.
The Black Suit.
The White Hunter Eyes.
A smirk.
The Black Man:"Yare yare."
His voice was amused. Confident. Unbothered.
He cracked his neck, tilting his head slightly.
The Black Man:"Looks like you were waiting for me, huh?"
Asahi exhaled slowly. His hands trembled—not from fear, but from something much worse.
His lips twisted into a brutal smile.
His body screamed for violence.
Asahi:"Yeah…"
A chuckle escaped his lips.
His head tilted, his eyes gleaming with something unhinged.
Asahi:"This time… I will know who you are."