May 3, 2016
"Hikigaya-kun, I hope you're doing well. I'm sorry I couldn't talk to you yesterday. Something came up at the last minute."
"I hope you can forgive me."
"Understood, Hiratsuka-sensei. I'm currently catching up on the assignments from each class," I replied formally to my homeroom teacher.
Hiratsuka Shizuka was our homeroom teacher. She specialized in Modern Japanese. She was a tall woman with long black hair and bangs covering her forehead, dressed in a typical white lab coat.
"Well, I won't take up any more of your time. I've already spoken with the teachers from your other classes so that you won't be overwhelmed with too much homework."
"Hikigaya-kun, if you have any questions or concerns, just let me know. That's what I'm here for. I'm your homeroom teacher, and it's my duty to support my students. Understood, Hikigaya-kun?"
Hiratsuka-sensei looked directly into my eyes as she spoke.
"Understood, Sensei."
I nodded.
"One more thing. If you're interested in joining a club, let me know and I'll help you with that. I just started one, but no one is interested. These kids only want to join clubs where they can play sports or have fun."
Sensei sighed and shook her head, apparently frustrated that the students were only interested in sports or recreational clubs.
"For now, I'll just focus on my homework. Once I've thought about it, I'll let you know."
It was still only my second day. I needed to take my time getting familiar with the school and finding places where I could be left alone.
"I understand. If I'm not teaching a class, you can find me here. You're free to go."
"Excuse me, Sensei."
I left the teachers' room.
After the break, I had Physical Education.
I wasn't exactly in good physical shape, but I also couldn't afford to attract attention during my first PE class.
I headed to the changing room to get changed.
"Hmm... What was the word again?"
I let out a small sigh.
Perhaps it was time to let my body move a little more freely.
After all, I had spent far too long without exercising properly.
It seemed like my body had become rather rusty.
...
"Ahh..."
I sighed.
After several laps around the school grounds, some aerobic exercises, and stretching, I found myself exhausted.
I was now lying back on a shaded bench, trying to stay out of the sun.
"Here, Hikigaya-kun. It's important to stay hydrated after running so much."
Sakuma handed me a bottle of ice-cold water.
Apparently, he had bought it from one of the vending machines.
Good guy.
"Thanks, Sakuma. I'll repay you later."
"No problem. Just support me when we have our soccer match against the other class."
Sakuma waved his hand before jogging back toward the artificial turf to continue playing.
Apparently, Sakuma was part of a sports club and had been selected as one of the players representing our class in the inter-class soccer matches. According to what he had told me, these matches were also a way for the students to stay active and prepare for future athletic competitions at school.
From what I had heard, Hayama, the prodigy and popular guy from the other class, was a member of the soccer club and trained regularly with them.
Hmm... Good for them. I'll just support them from the stands.
I drank a good amount of water to recover from the exhaustion.
Since I hadn't brought a personal towel, I simply wiped myself with my shirt. It wasn't as if I was putting myself on display.
Besides, I wasn't exactly well-endowed. Just average.
So I probably wouldn't have to listen to any girls whispering about me.
...
Riiiin!
"Well, everyone, that concludes today's class. I expect your assignments by the next lesson. Don't forget, every point counts toward your final grade."
I gathered my things and left the classroom with the other students heading toward the exit.
"See you later, Hikigaya-kun. You should consider stopping by my club sometime. It might help you get used to the school environment."
"See you later. I'll think about it."
I nodded toward Sakuma.
The students who belonged to clubs headed to their respective clubrooms for their activities. Since I wasn't interested in joining one at the moment, there was no reason for me to stay.
And from what I had heard on the news the previous night, we were going to witness an astronomical phenomenon in the coming days known as a blood moon. It occurred when the Earth passed directly between the Sun and the Moon, covering the Moon in its shadow, the umbra, and turning it red.
I felt as though the words were sitting on the tip of my tongue, and my mind grew strangely heavy whenever I thought about the name blood moon.
As if I had heard it somewhere else before.
I shook my head.
I was a rather lazy person. Thinking too much was tedious. I only needed to worry about finishing my homework and checking on my little sister.
The rest was insignificant.
Ahh, what a pleasant evening breeze.
Walking for a while like this felt nice. Maybe I could even stop and rest in a park.
One of these days, I'll take Komachi out to enjoy the sunset.
My dear little sister... You have no idea how much I worry about you.
Although, sometimes, it feels like she's actually the older one and I'm the one she has to take care of.
.....
"Well, as you can hear, Doctor Serisawa, several new species of marine and terrestrial fauna have been discovered in recent days," a female news presenter said on television during the evening news.
"That's right. These appearances suggest that there may be changes occurring in the environment, which need to be investigated thoroughly so that we can prepare for any possible consequences," the researcher on the screen explained seriously.
"And Doctor, could you tell us more about these species that have recently come to light, or are still being discovered?"
"Of course. For example, some appear to be related to the mollusk family. There are several different types of squid, as well as various insects found in forests and mountainous regions..."
The researcher continued giving examples of various animals that had been discovered recently.
Well, it wasn't particularly strange.
New species were discovered in the world from time to time. As people liked to say, we were living in an age of discovery.
So the appearance of unusual fish or animals wasn't exactly unprecedented. After some time, if they turned out to be particularly interesting, they would probably end up in zoos or aquariums for people to admire.
From what I heard, a strange species of squid had appeared along the coast of Japan, in the Pacific waters east of Chiba.
I felt a sharp stab of pain in my head as I looked at the images on the screen.
Something about it didn't add up.
With the discomfort I had been experiencing every day because of the whispers, several names seemed strangely familiar to me, yet I couldn't pronounce or recall them properly.
It was as if there were some kind of information inside my mind that I simply couldn't access.
When I calmed myself and managed to think clearly, I could distinguish certain names and colors.
I think it might be worth looking into one of these days, just to see if it was something different from what I imagined.
I wasn't going to keep living in ignorance.
If this had anything to do with what I had been hearing and seeing over the past few days, sooner or later, I would have to find out.
Although, honestly, I would prefer it if my head stopped hurting before I started investigating anything.
"Onii-chan! Dinner's ready! Put those notes away and come to the table!"
Komachi called out from nearby.
I had been finishing my homework and had gotten distracted by the news.
I put my things away and joined my sister for our dinner of two.
Our parents were still away on their trip, so they wouldn't be coming home anytime soon.
At least they sent us enough money for our weekly expenses.
.....
May 4, 2016
Umm...
Frowning, I opened my eyes as sunlight streamed into the room.
I rubbed my eyes and looked ahead.
My sister was poking my face, trying to wake me up.
"Onii-chan, it's going to get late. Looks like you stayed up last night. That's not good for you."
She shook her head from side to side.
"Come on, let's have breakfast. I'll wait downstairs. Wash your face first."
I yawned.
I had slept deeply last night after attempting to do what I had decided to do.
I had already gotten used to the headaches. I treated them as just another migraine, complete with nausea and dizziness that sometimes brought tears to my eyes.
Before going to sleep, I had tried listening more carefully to those voices.
The only thing I managed to catch was the word that always seemed to appear alongside the others:
Seer.
There were also several words I couldn't understand, including the name of that Lavos Squid, and a few others.
It felt like an incomplete list.
I'd write down everything I remembered later.
For now, I headed to the bathroom to wash my face and get ready for school.
I look terrible.
I stared at myself in the mirror.
It looked as though that midnight meditation had drained every bit of energy I had.
Even now, walking normally was difficult.
I sighed.
After getting changed, I headed to the dining room, which was right next to the living room.
While having breakfast with my sister, I listened to the news.
"Yes, as you can hear, large numbers of these so-called Lavos Squid have been appearing along the coast," said a fisherman being interviewed at a pier.
Hmm. That pier is close to the school.
Apparently, these squid had been appearing around the docks.
That name, Lavos... Now I know where I've heard it before. All of this seems like one coincidence too many.
"The blood of these squid is particularly mysterious, with its peculiar blue coloration. Investigations are already underway to determine whether it possesses any unusual properties or is simply another species," the reporter explained while pointing toward baskets and nets filled with the captured squid.
"Although research is still underway, local residents and fishermen have already begun catching them for consumption. Some even claim to have eaten them and felt remarkably well afterward."
The news continued with conversations between reporters and interviewees.
Nothing particularly important.
Except for the coincidences.
Formula, huh?
.....
Riiiin!
"Hey, Hikigaya, are you coming? We're heading to the cafeteria," Sakuma said, approaching me with a group of his friends.
I shook my head.
"My sister prepared lunch for me, so I'll stay here for now."
"Man, I'm jealous. I wish I had a little sister who prepared lunch for me too."
"We all say the same thing, brother. Amen."
They said it with imaginary tears in their eyes.
That's right. You guys have no idea what it's like to have a little sister who actually worries about you.
I looked at them with a smug expression.
Sakuma laughed from the side and shook his head.
"You two idiots, come on. Stop bothering Hikigaya."
"You know where we'll be. We'll be in the courtyard cafeteria if you change your mind."
"Yeah. See you."
It was nice to have classmates actually talk to me instead of being a complete loner abandoned by everyone.
Still, Sakuma was like that with everyone in the class. There were no exceptions.
Most students already had their own groups of friends, and only a few people ever spoke to me.
I turned my gaze and noticed another classmate quietly eating her lunch.
She was also one of the more reserved students, rarely engaging in conversation.
Even her appearance made her look almost like an elementary school student because of how small she was.
Gotou Ruri.
I think that was her name.
A short girl with an almost perfectly styled hime cut and a beauty mark beneath her left eye.
Perhaps sensing my gaze, she looked back at me.
Our eyes met for a few seconds before she quietly returned to her meal.
There were several peculiar people in my class, now that I thought about it.
Even though I wasn't particularly proactive when it came to social relationships, I was observant and a good listener.
I knew the names of several classmates simply from overhearing their conversations during each class period.
Seer. Formula.
I shook my head.
Remembering those coincidences gave me too much to think about.
So for now, I would simply relax and let things unfold naturally.
Perhaps if I did that, a clue would present itself out of nowhere.
There was no reason to get worked up or rush into things.
Rushing almost never ended well.
So I should stop making my brain work so hard.
Let everything flow naturally.
That would be my mantra from now on.
Hiratsuka-sensei had told me she would send me advanced lessons by email so that I wouldn't be overwhelmed with additional homework.
I wasn't carrying my phone with me at the moment.
The school itself didn't completely prohibit mobile phones. They were only confiscated if students abused them during class, and they were returned at the end of the school day.
Sobu High School was rather strict about that sort of thing. They didn't want students using their phones improperly during class, although they were allowed to bring them in case of emergencies.
Since I had worked so hard to get into this school, I had no intention of causing any trouble.
That was why I preferred to leave my phone at home.
.....
Riiiin!
Classes were finally over for the day.
Looking out the window, I could already see the sky turning red with the sunset.
It was even more visible because we were in a coastal city with a view of the sea.
I sighed.
Let everything flow naturally.
Let it happen slowly and peacefully.
I didn't want everything to fall apart because of one mistake.
I wasn't that ignorant.
What a beautiful sunset.