“P-please leave my hand. I take my words back....!”

  I made our grip even more tight.

  “No, you will definitely run away.”

  “I don’t like it, b-baka!”

  Ichinose's currently fussing a lot, she had a lot of issues with me because we are now actually standing in front of two different entry gates.

  Boys or Girls.

  Apparently, they have separate washrooms for gender. I was used to visiting the mixed one on my floor.

  Lectures during my probation included being civilised towards the opposite sex whether it's during work, rest breaks or even outside meetings.

  Floor 2 Supervisor Mr. Grub used some very heavy words like “Mutual Trust” “Cooperation.” “Team Work.”

  “Work Spirit.” and whatnot to justify by saying even going to this pce is a part of our daily work life, and it will increase interactions so to say.

  Miss Pearl called it bullshit two days after when Kitagawa was pointing out the mistakes I made while drafting in wrong format, she said it was more to

  “Release Steam.” “Horny Couples.”

  “It’s so dirty. I bet that guy is deying my reports on purpose to the upper floors.”

  That was her response.

  “Blue pill or Red pill? Ichinose.”

  “This...This is not a game. I am not going to either one!”

  “Both have students inside. This one...will have open usage. Girls are closed doors.”

  I only want a reflective gss.

  “No. N-no, boys! I already poked once and someone saw me doing it. I am so embarrassed, I wanna die~~!”

  “Your choice. Remember if anything happens, it was your suggestion.”

  Ow! She stepped on my foot first, and then moved forward with a newfound courage.

  “Thrr~ It's cold. What the hell is that?”

  I whispered over her ear after feeling a sudden chill just by making a small distance inside, what ghost area is this?

  I can accept hospital room type of smell but this....

  “--yeow. Do you mean...Hand Dryer? It's on your right.”

  Then why is it blowing so cold?

  Apparently, even working on sensor. Same goes for fluid to wash.

  Tilting a bit close I noticed walls having marble tiles to ceiling above, how could this be?

  When did government facilities get so good.... Usually it's popur for either missing toilet paper, or out of soap.

  Wall cracks and simir damaged structures.

  But more importantly, “Then shouldn't it be warm instead? Why giving chills?”

  “Eh...You are not making sense. It's always cold air.”

  She really lost me there. Could it be a cultural difference? I stared at Ichinose who equally met my gaze with her own....

  Probably she means something around I really need to be educated.

  “But...you can also be wrong sometime right? It's basic home science. Don't you dry your clothes under the sun?”

  This made Ichinose's face towards me even with some newfound bad anger.

  Apparently, this topic should not be continued anymore. Okay, I will make a sticky note for now.

  Looking forward, what I could make out, it does...no should be, what else can they have above sink?

  Let's go there, moving a couple of steps while this time around, me dragging Ichinose with her muttering, “Please forgive me mother...I let him go me astray.”

  Finally, I can look at myself.

  She was right...about hair. They had gotten bigger than I remember, started to come in front, and droop over my forehead. Let's put them ab--

  “......”

  “Eek~!” A quick gasping was let out from beside me while I....

  This.... it's ruined. Exposing my right eye—or what was left of it.

  The socket was a nightmare...flesh, jagged... scar slicing from my brow to.

  The eye itself was a dead, pure milky white type....iris and pupil obliterated leaving some ghostly orb?

  Stared bnkly at nothing.

  A sharp object, maybe a knife, or pen I couldn't be sure... it's like when started to...then didn't stop.

  What a wreck, it was really nothing.

  I turned my head slightly, my left eye catching her blurred form, a faint outline of pink hair and wide.

  Am I crying....?

  She looked horrified.

  Her hands flew to her mouth, apparently a movement I didn't take note in my self observation.

  Ichinose stared, her voice breaking with...I guess that can be, no should be shock, “Y-your eye....what happened?”

  Her words at least spilled out, I don't know what to do with her concern, apparently her notice about opening ceremony now took second pce.

  She stepped closer, while I too did backwards watching her move, even the slightest contact made me push against the sink.

  I had nowhere to go.

  She made a gesture of hand hovering in the air, but stopped, well I wouldn't won't to touch me either.

  I didn’t answer—not yet.

  These actions only fueled my paranoia, if she won't do it, I will.

  My hands shot out, pressing her against the sink with a force that made her gasp, a sharp “Ugh~!” echoing in this girl’s bathroom.

  Her voice should be loud enough to be heard by someone inside doing her...nature's work. At least, we are not standing in front of entry gate.

  The edge could have dug into her back, so I previously put my hand over it, there's no need to be some kind of edge lord....

  Ichinose used her hands to grip the sink as she steadied herself, still not able to collect her voice together.

  “W-what are you doing?”

  Stammering, is she now?

  “It’s my turn. Can I...can I touch your face? Please don't reject me.”

  She was taking too much time—my fingers were already on her face...slowly.

  Tracing the curve of her cheek, it doesn't feel much different to what mine would...I don't know how to describe it.

  What's wrong with just skin? It's just a bit more soft, probably using cream on a daily basis. That's not big....

  This is too real to be a mask.

  Next my thumbs brushed her jaw, she doesn't have a beard. Well, that's obvious...

  There are details, which I can only make out now being at this distance.

  It's a bit too well shaped. Just like her eyeshes are so long. Big pupils.

  Colour....

  I can't just conclude if this pce really is what I am thinking it is so easily, what do you think I am, a 3rd grader?

  I can't just see a random pce which had the looks of Advanced Nurturing, and girls face like....well.

  Wow, I am reincarnated. I don't have any one left in my family. Only grandfather who died. Or something on lines of what a waste of life.

  Look, god rewarded me to be in my favourite anime. I can be the protagonist, make harem of SSS...unknown tiers.

  What crap. So naive. Idiots.

  God is not kind.

  Her heart is beating so loud, or is it something like Matt Murdock, my hearing improved...That shouldn't be the case.

  Please meet some real individuals with disabilities. From their view, we are the lucky ones who don't feel grateful for they are not even born with or lost after.

  I interacted with a whole variety of people in my past year. Pink, it looks right... let's see.

  They are hair. I mean I know it is. I touch mine everyday. Hers had some kind of scent...I can't go to exact, what type... perfume she uses.

  But I shouldn't do it too much.

  It wasn’t fake—no wig, no dye, just the natural strands, slightly damp from the humidity. Or maybe it was just not her turn to wash today?

  I moved my fingers lower, grazing her neck, her pale...skin, blood flowing inside veins.

  Ichinose flinched her eyes at that, a shaky “Fuu~Nnn~” kinda voice notes slipped out, you do realise it's breathing on my wrist?

  I leaned closer, straining to make sense of what creature is in front.

  She doesn't have any wire or plug area to connect her outside from this could be virtual world? You can't trust AI's and technology, they are getting so advanced.... it's not exaggerating to say we will have Jarvis on our hands in a few years.

  Chatbots with favourite characters already exist, good ones for paid.

  Video Models.

  Last, I found her lips, they are wet, probably...she might have licked them, or biting with her teeth.

  It's a habit...of us.

  Faint..yes, but she is breathing. It's actually quite loud, more like panting.

  Ichinose....I pressed inside lightly, searching for any sign...I hope she doesn't bite my thumb.

  No tubes, a tongue. A real one.

  No mask, no Androids—just the real, living... figure of her, that face, sort of blushing you see in anime, light novel illustrations.

  “Pease… stop… you’re scainn me.”

  A bit muffled.

  I removed my fingers to outside from her mouth, they came out wet... it's saliva. What else did I expect?

  She...is real.

  Ichinose Honami, Css 1-B.

  I am trapped here and a world that wasn’t my own, desperate for my family whom I might....

  Never see again.

  How did I even die? Or is it something like coma patients, if I die here, can I leave, go outside, into real world....?

  But her face didn't scream “Japanese” the way it should have. I am not being a racist towards them, but that's how it is.

  You can't change...It should be fairly well to recognise.

  They were supposed to look..different, weren’t they?

  Why don’t you seem… Japanese?

  I don't even know their nguage, what they use... it's something kanji?

  No, this nguage is more complex.

  In what way we are communicating? Is it english for me, japanese for her?

  “You’re… too normal.”

  I wonder how my face looks right, now. What kind of expression do I have?

  “Your hair, your voice… you don’t sound like you’re any different.”

  ?

  “Haa~ fuu~ haa~ fuu~”

  Why isn't she responding? You have a mouth don't you? Don't give me just your...heart trying to come out.

  I should be the one speechless here, with no words.

  “...I am really here.”

  There’s no point in caressing her to check for another, but I just can't seem to stop myself.

  I don't want to be here. It's not like I am being ungrateful. But, I really don't belong here.

  Please let me go home.

  I didn't ask for this. I need to wake up from here, whatever pce, alternate earth, dimension, this is....

  Why can't I be just normal? It's not just about losing vision...I am actually too scared to remove my gloves, or any kind of clothing from me.

  Because...that didn't seem any injury.

  Rem Hahari Kujou. This person doesn't exit, shouldn't.

  “Kwaar..Dhwp....”

  “Is it...is it safe to come out?”

  I looked a bit backwards, she must have been waiting inside for us to leave...ah it's not just her, another silver, I think?

  I can't make it clear. She is most likely standing or leaning...perhaps that hand dryer, I saw earlier.

  That was really cold, definitely anything but that.

  Her figure is really big. Does she work here, a teacher or senior?

  I just don't know.

  “Ya..Ya..Kuju--Kujou- kun! Y-you are bleeding. F-From head. Let's...nurse’s office...now!”

  She's exhaling her carbon dioxide on me again. Something about bleeding.

  Maybe I wasn't supposed to recognise it, and whoever or whatever is responsible for doing this, now going to either remove my memories or rewire the scene.

  Is it System? This shit here exists or what?...In fact, I don't want anything from you.

  Keep it to yourself, I won't be anybody's sve.

  Meh...I hate you. Remember this, you made my life a joke.