I sat there, thinking to myself as I always did. My mind clouded with thoughts about my current situation— the staring, the hushed rumors and comments, the incident with the so-called bully— and my memories— the dreams, the visions, and the phantoms.

  As my eyes wandered the walls of the classroom, many of the other students quickly averted their gaze as if cautious to meet mine straight on. I could only imagine that their eyes were naturally being drawn to me as my transfer was rather dramatic, much against my own intent. But unfortunately, they were too afraid to speak to me.

  ~Though this may work in my favor. The bully situation made it clear to me that I don’t know how to communicate with mortals properly enough yet.

  Not wishing to scare them with my eyes any further, I turned my head and gazed into the window. But this, too, was a major mistake.

  As soon as my gaze met my reflection’s, it stared back deeply and smiled a wicked grin. Not only that, but the reflection was rather distorted like a glitch in a video game.

  I felt my own eyes going wide and I quickly shut them and turned away from the glass. I could hear my heart pounding and my breathing became heavier as I shuddered at what I just witnessed.

  In that instance, I could hear more of the students’ whispering gossip about me.

  “He looks paler now.”

  “Is he okay?”

  “Maybe we should ask?”

  “No way. You do it.”

  “He’s too scary. I don’t want to.”

  I opened my eyes, afraid of being consumed by the darkness of having them remain closed. Immediately, the class fell silent yet again.

  Yoshito looked at me with concern, pointing at his ear and then the door as if silently asking if I needed assistance.

  ~He seems worried. I don’t want to bother Mia so soon on my first day though… She’s already done so much for me and has even been trying to protect me from reflective surfaces lately…”

  With this in mind, I subtly shook my head at the teacher and gave him a thumbs up.

  Though, Yoshito simply frowned in response. His concern did not waver.

  Suddenly, a student stood up. It was a girl.

  ~Wait, isn’t that…

  Indeed, it was the girl whose friend spoke out that comment about me walking out of some fantasy novel earlier.

  She turned abruptly, approaching me quickly and confidently, so much so that it almost startled me.

  ~Remember. Yoiya. Cohesive sentences.

  “U-uhh… Hello. May I be of assistance to you?”

  ~Nope. That’s still too formal!

  But the girl did not seem fazed by my strange choice of words. Instead, she held out her hand to me and smiled brightly, still brimming with that confidence from earlier.

  “Hello. My name is Ake Mori. Nice to meet you, Yuruichi. I hear you already ran into some trouble earlier and I’m deeply sorry for that. Unfortunately, I can’t really do anything about the other classes, but I did consult with the class representative over there about it.”

  I stared up at the girl. She had light brown hair and hazel eyes that sparkled like emeralds. Her outfit was rather basic as it was mostly just the school’s uniform for girls and her chest…

  ~Irrelevant. But Mia’s is bigger.

  I quickly shook my head, erasing the very thought from my mind.

  ~Memorizing measurements? What am I doing?

  I cleared my throat and smiled back at her. “Nice to meet you, too. As I said earlier, my name is Yoiyami Yuruichi. And uhh… Thanks, but I don’t think that guy will bother me again.”

  Ake stared at me intently, seeming to be at a loss of what to say.

  ~Especially not after I damaged that fist of his so much…

  Ake was the one to clear her throat this time. Placing one hand on her hip, she extended her index finger upwards and spoke clearly.

  “Anyway, I am your class representative, so I’m in charge of the wellbeing of my fellow students here. If you need anything and I mean anything, you come to me. Got that?”

  “...Right.”

  Ake once again stared at me intently, this time with a frown on her face.

  ~Why is she staring?

  Ding dong. The sounds of the school bell resonated throughout the entire building just as it did moments before.

  If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

  ~Huh? Is homeroom over already? Nobody really did tell me how things worked around here.

  Ake clapped her hands together, instantly grabbing my attention with the sudden subtle noise.

  “Perfect timing. Mister Morita did want me to show you around after homeroom, so let’s get to it, shall we?”

  She smiled and quickly took me by the hand.

  “How about I show you the nurse’s office first? It’ll be most important when you have some kind of emergency.”

  “He-hey wait–-!”

  But it was too late. She was already dragging me out of the classroom, her face brimming with subtle enthusiasm.

  “Do you see that?”

  A single student’s whisper reached my ear before we left the classroom.

  …

  Ake had loosened her grip on me after we passed by a couple of doors, allowing me to follow her down the hall rather than being pulled the whole way.

  We passed by a number of doors with signs, including the faculty office, and I read every single one of them.

  Ake glanced back at me with a smile, having not said a single word about any of it.

  ~Huh? Is she suspicious of me?

  Ake stopped at a door in the middle of the hall we were in. Unlike most of the other doors, this was a regular swing door, not a slider. It reminded me of the ones in Mia’s apartment.

  My ‘class representative’ quietly opened the door and lead me inside.

  “This is the nurse’s office. It seems she’s out right now, though. But if you ever feel faint or overwhelmed, come here. Don’t push yourself.”

  ~Overwhelmed? Mortals can sense that? No, no. I need to act normal. What was normal again? Let’s see… Maybe a line from one of Mia’s mangas will work.

  “Uhh… Is she cute?”

  Ake blinked.

  For a moment, she just stared at me—her expression unreadable.

  Then she let out a small breath through her nose, something between a sigh and a laugh.

  “…That’s what you’re worried about?”

  Her tone wasn’t annoyed.

  If anything, she sounded… amused.

  Gently amused.

  She crossed her arms lightly, tilting her head.

  “Well, I suppose she’s considered pretty. But that’s not the point.”

  Her eyes softened.

  “You looked pale earlier. I just want to make sure you’re alright.”

  ~Pale? Again? Mortals really can sense that? Or is she just… paying attention?

  I swallowed, unsure how to respond.

  Ake continued, her voice calm and steady.

  “You don’t have to tell me anything. Just… don’t ignore it if something feels wrong, okay? That’s what the nurse’s office is for.”

  “Right…”

  ~Well… at least for now, I think I’m in the clear. Thank you, big sis for lending me your books to read!

  Ake headed for the door, opening it once more.

  “Let’s see. Next I think I’ll show you the cafeteria. Nutrition is important, after a—”

  “LIbrary.”

  “Huh…?” Ake seemed a bit startled by my sudden demand. “..You want to see the library?”

  “Uh… Y-yeah… Can we… go to the library next…?” I turned my head away, attempting to hide my embarrassment. I wasn’t used to making requests of others. Asking for things felt so alien.

  ~Perhaps… I am a god after all. Why would a god ever need to ask for anything?

  Ake smiled at me, clearly amused but her aura remained gentle.

  “Alright. Library it is.”

  Ake stepped back into the hallway, waiting for me to follow. Her smile hadn’t faded — if anything, it softened, like she was pleased I’d spoken up at all.

  “Library it is,” she repeated, closing the nurse’s office door behind us. “It’s a bit farther down, but that’s fine. We’ll go your way.”

  ~My way…? Mortals can… choose routes? Some gods have told me that mortal fates were predetermined… It made sense at the time, though… as we gods birthed the mortal races.

  I trailed behind her, keeping a careful distance. Ake didn’t grab my hand this time, but she slowed her pace just enough that I wouldn’t fall behind. She must have noticed how quietly I walked.

  We passed more doors — classrooms, storage rooms, a stairwell. I read every sign, committing them to memory. Ake didn’t comment, but I could feel her eyes flick toward me every so often, as if checking whether I was still there.

  Not suspicious. Just… attentive.

  “Most students don’t ask for the library first,” she said lightly as we turned a corner. “But I think it suits you.”

  “S-suits me…?”

  “Well, you seem like the quiet type. And the library’s peaceful. No crowds. No noise.”

  She glanced back at me with a small smile. “I figured you’d like that.”

  ~She… noticed that? Mortals are terrifyingly perceptive…

  I swallowed, unsure how to respond. Ake didn’t push. She simply continued walking, her steps steady and confident.

  After a moment, she added, “However, I’m not sure whose on duty today… But if it is who it usually is…” She stopped. “Nevermind… I’ll handle it.”

  That part made my shoulders tense up without my permission.

  Ake noticed that too.

  Her smile faded a little.

  “Here we are.” She said, as we stood in front of those big wide doors.

  The sign overhead read “Library”, confirming our location. Looking around, the hallway was silent and empty, just like before. It was the kind of atmosphere that naturally calmed me, as it reminded me of my home— my original home, the Void— just without the usual endless darkness.

  My muscles all relaxed at once and I found myself smiling ever-so-slightly.

  This smile quickly turned into embarrassment, however, as I caught Ake smiling back at me as she gazed at my face.

  Seeing my embarrassment, she let out a small giggle and proceeded to open the doors.

  “Huehuehue.”

  Before I even stepped across the door’s boundary line, a strange laugh filled my ears. I turned my head immediately to the side, finding a girl sitting behind a large reception desk.

  “Why, if it isn’t the legendary transfer student and the radiant honor student of the student council?” The girl said with a big smirk on her face as she continued her strange laugh.