I now sat on the comfortable seat of a limousine, Ophelia's to be exact. As for Haru's ghosts, they were running at extreme speeds following the car. I checked the time, and it was 2:21 pm; the motion of the car was making me a little dizzy, but I could bear it.
"Do you want medicine for your motion sickness, Miss Aikawa?" Ophelia's butler, Wesley, who was currently driving asked. We were separated by a thin wall, on which was a small window where I could barely see him. He was an old man who was pushing seventy, yet still, despite that, he kept on being the majordomo for Ophelia's family. It was pretty impressive.
"No, it's fine," I said.
"I see." He said, "Still I was a little surprised when Madam Ophelia called for me to give you a ride around town. Is there any particular reason for this?"
"I'm on an important, highly classified, highly confidential mission," I said. Trying to sound cool.
Wesley chuckled, "Haha, I see. A secret mission, huh? It sure is great to be young."
It seems Wesley doesn't think much of it, but this was important, I must find out the identity of the Idealist that can reverse the time.
A few moments later we arrived at the town's police station. "We're here Miss Aikawa," Wesley said.
"Thank you. Wait here," I said as I exited the limousine.
When I entered the police station, the stares of the police were full of worry. A high-school girl like me went to the police, probably to report something, and it left all of them wondering what it was.
"Excuse me," I said to the police receptionist "Are there any murder reports today?" I asked.
"Uhm..." The receptionist tilted her head, "I apologize, hon, but that's confidential..." She said.
"Please," I begged, "I'm just asking if there are any murder reports today; I won't ask for any personal information or breach any privacy; I just want to know if a murder transpired on this particular day."
"No, can do, hon." She said, not budging for a bit.
I returned to the limousine dejected.
"Things didn't go well?" Wesley asked.
"Mhm." I nodded, "I don't understand. I just wanted to know if any murder reports came in today."
"Well, confidential is confidential, Miss Aikawa; you were probably suspicious too; a random high-school girl asking if there were any murder reports is kinda suspicious," Wesley said.
"Ugh." I hung my head low.
"Wait here," Wesley said. Exiting the Limousine, then going to the police station.
"What is he up to?" I pondered.
A few moments later Wesley came back.
"Fortunately no murders took place today," Wesley said.
"Woah..." I said, "How did you find out?"
Wesley chuckled and then made a money sign.
"You bribed her?" I said, "How much do I owe you?"
"Do not worry about it, Madam Ophelia told me to assist you in any way possible. I'll collect my money from her later." Wesley replied.
"W-Woah..." I said, well, Ophelia's rich, so I'm sure it's just pocket change for her... Right?
"Where to next?" Wesley asked.
"Hmm..." I began thinking.
When thinking of where to find people who died today, you'd think of going to the police, checking the newspapers, and perhaps looking around the slums. However, finding out that there were no reports lessened the possibility of finding a dead body.
In which case how about the town's Hospital? There is always an abundance of regret in hospitals that could perhaps make a person want to turn back the time. Perhaps someone from a fatal disease might die on their hospital bed today, and then one of their loving relatives, family, or friend who is an idealist will awaken their power of turning back time.
"The town's hospital, please," I said. Wesley nodded and then drove to the hospital.
A few minutes later, we arrived at the hospital. This will be easier than the police station for sure because, unlike the station, I don't have to talk to the staff. Hell, I don't even actually have to do anything.
I exited the car and then went to one of the hospital's restrooms.
"Can you guys check if there's anybody here that could see you?" I said to the ghosts who were guarding me. They nodded, then promptly left to do as they were told.
Wait a second, could I have had them search around the files in the police station? Ah crap, I wasted Ophelia's money... Oops.
A few minutes later, the ghosts came back. They shook their heads indicating no one could see them.
"Alright, thanks," I said. To which they nodded.
I sighed and then checked the time on my phone; it said 3:59, there was approximately an hour left before school ended, and I still hadn't made any progress.
The police station and the hospital didn't work, huh? What can I even do now? Is it even possible for me to find the idealist? I sighed again in exasperation.
Let me think, the time warp happened when I was asleep meaning it happened somewhere around the evening. Hence, the awakening must've happened in the evening, too, so no matter what I do right now, I wouldn't be able to pinpoint the Idealist.
"I'm such an idiot..." I sighed.
I went back to the Limousine, fully dejected and hopeless, realizing I'd just wasted my time this entire afternoon going around town.
"Things didn't go right?" Wesley asked, "Do they need to be bribed?"
"Haha, no." I said, "There's no need to do anything. I'll just come back later in the evening. Can you still drive me around later?"
"I do not mind, so long as Madam Ophelia allows me to," Wesley replied.
"Great, I appreciate it," I replied. "I'll go back to school for now, can you take me there?"
"Of course, Miss Aikawa," Wesley said.
The Limousine headed off to school, and while it did so, I opened my phone to text Haru.
What did your grandfather say?
A few moments later Haru replied.
He said he can make it
but it would take about
a month or two.
By then the guy would
probably be found by
Other idealists already...
Exactly. How are
things on your end?
No progress whatsoever,
sorry >_<
Can't help it then.
Is there really no way to find that Idealist? I began brainstorming possible ways to locate and pinpoint an Idealist, and then an idea came to my head. I immediately texted Haru.
Meet me back at the school,
rooftop, I have an idea.
Alright then, see you there.
A few minutes later, the car arrived at the school.
"Thanks, Wesley."
"Just doing my job Miss Aikawa."
I opened the door, and as soon as both my shoes touched the ground, the ticking of a clock reverberated loudly, and then the surroundings drastically changed. It became distorted and glitched, and the ground beneath me cracked and then crumbled. My body began to float; I watched as the ghosts suddenly disappeared. Wesley was frozen, and his eyes were empty. He was then suddenly dragged along somewhere with the limousine as if they were being reversed. The color of the world was getting mixed up, objects that weren't supposed to exist floated everywhere, creatures that you couldn't describe with words existing in our world were floating in abundance, and the ground became nonexistent. It was like being in another dimension, another reality...
"Argh...!" A piercing headache engulfed me. I crutched my head in pain. "Fuck...!" It was way more painful than usual, way more painful than any of the headaches I've experienced in the past years; if dying would end this pain, then please just let me die. "Arghhh!" I screamed in pain.
I should just fucking die...!
It was like the world was in the process of arranging itself, vehicles floated and were being dragged off somewhere along with other objects, it was terrifying, the thought that one of those could hit me and kill me, but all of it avoided me on purpose and I was safe as if the world didn't want any death.
"Why? Why don't you... love me?"
A familiar voice echoed in my head, but my headache was too great I couldn't focus on anything else.
Then the ticking sound of a clock reverberated again, my headache stopped, and the world was back to normal.
I sat on the ground, "Haa... Haa..." I panted, out of breath from the out-of-this-world experience.
"Did time... Get reversed?" I checked my phone right away, and surprisingly the time was now 3:26.
Recollecting myself, I get up and then head to the rooftop. I waited for Haru there, and twenty minutes later, he arrived.
"First off, how many times has time reversed for you?" Haru asked right away upon arrival.
"Two times," I replied. "I even had a killing headache during the reversal."
"Huh? Killing headache during reversal?" He tilted his head, "Interesting... 'During' huh." He seemed to be in deep thought.
"Why?" I asked, "Anything strange?"
"Yeah," He replied, "When time reversed the second time for me, it was like a skip. One moment, I was already on the rooftop, and then, in the blink of an eye, I was back in my grandfather's house."
"Uh-huh..." I said, "Lucky you, you didn't have to go through... All that." I shivered recalling the experience.
"It's strange that we both have different experiences when time reversed." He said.
"Let's figure that out later," I said. "I called you here so I can tell you about my idea of finding the Idealist."
"Alright, let's hear it then." He listened carefully.
"What if you had your ghosts test every person in town to find out if they are an Idealist or not? Then, from that, we can try to work out if they're the ones who reversed the time." I explained.
"Oh-ho..." He looked at me keenly, "That's certainly a good method, and certainly much quicker than waiting for my grandfather's device... I'll do that then."
Hehe, I must be a genius. I compliment myself on my head. Good job me.
The dozens of ghosts scattered right away, "I'm gonna have them check at the school too, can't dismiss the possibility that they played dumb when Ophelia was asking around." He explained.
A few moments later one of the ghosts returned.
"Uh-huh." Haru nodded, "Alright thank you." He said to the ghost.
He turned to me and said, "They found someone who could see them, but it wasn't at this school."
"Where?" I asked.
"It's the school across the street," He explained. "Some middle-school girl apparently."
"Middle-school? Do you think they may have already awakened their power?" I asked.
"Well, we have to make sure either way; let's go?" He asked.
"Alright," I said.
As we were about to head off to the neighboring school, a thought entered my head.
Middle school girl, huh? I wonder if Mayuri knows them. If so, Mayuri could help us in talking with the girl.
Then, the important thing I should've remembered...
"Wait." I said, "I finally remember now..."
"What is it?" Haru tilted his head.
"My little sister Mayuri," I said, "She's an Idealist too... And she has a reason to want to reverse the time."
The reason why I was able to figure out Mayuri was an Idealist was because she had the characteristic that Idealists have in common, and that is to always dream and have REM sleep be 100% of their sleep.
Mayuri had been rejected recently, and when I comforted her, she asked me a weird and impractical question, one that hinted at regret and the want to redo things. "Do you think if I... confessed again, and again... and again, do you think that one day he'll finally reciprocate my feelings?" That was what Mayuri asked me back then.
"Crap..." I facepalmed.
Why didn't I realize sooner? Now, Mayuri is confessing again to her crush.
"Why didn't you say this sooner?" He asked.
"I apologize okay? I only remembered just now, and I finally figured it out. Mayuri is the one that's reversing the time." I said.
"It's great that you finally found out who the Idealist was, but what reason could a middle schooler like her have in reversing the time?" Haru asked.
"You'll see!" I exclaimed, "For now, we have to hurry and stop her. I don't want her to keep doing this and I am NOT going through another time reversal again."
"Let's go then." He said. And I nodded.
But just as we were about to run out of the rooftop, a ticking sound from a clock reverberated loudly, and I began to experience another piercing headache.
"Ah fuck...! Not again...!" I exclaimed as I crutched my head; the world changed again just like earlier; the process of time reversal was surreal, and it made my head feel like it was about to explode.
A few moments later, the world turned to normal. But there was something strange.
"Let's go then," Haru said. Repeating what he had said a few seconds ago.
He's not aware of the reversal anymore.
"Haru... Haa..." I panted, "H-How many times has... time reversed?" I asked. Forcing the words out of my mouth.
"Huh? Two right?" He tilted his head, "Don't tell me... I'm not aware anymore?"
"That's right..." I said breaking the news to him.
The ticking of a clock reverberated loudly again, and the world became surreal, giving me another piercing headache; such was the process of time being reversed and the experience for me who could perceive it and not be displaced by it.
"Let's go then," Haru said. Time has reversed four times now.
Why is time being reversed by only a few seconds? Simple. Mayuri was getting desperate, and because of that desperation, she was starting to go down the path of insanity.
Repeating the same thing over and over again, yet expecting a different result is the definition of insanity.
"I have to... Get to Mayuri..." I said, crutching my head and forcing my body to move against the reversal.
"Let's go then," Haru said. Time has reversed five times now.
I forced a step closer towards Haru.
"Let's go then," Haru said. Time has reversed six times now.
And closer...
"Let's go then," Haru said. Time has reversed seven times now.
Until I can reach him...
"Let's go then--? You look disheveled, did something happen?" Haru said. Time has reversed eight times now.
"Finally... Got you... Bastard..." I grabbed his hand, even when my head felt like it was about to explode, there was only one thing I could think of:
Save Mayuri.
"If my... theory is right then..." I said; the ticking of the clock interrupted me, but...
The theory is that earlier, when time looped for the second time, I wasn't returned to my old location like how Haru was. Instead, I perceived the reversal and stayed in my current location, along with my things, with the drawback of having a really painful headache. If so, theoretically, I could have a person perceive the reversal and become immune to the displacement so long as I have contact with them.
"Huh? What's this?" Haru asked, finally becoming aware of the reversal again, and even perceiving what happens in between. "Is this... What you were talking about earlier, Ayaka? The process of time reversal?"
"That's... Right..." Time is reversing, for the ninth time now. But this time, Haru is aware again and has become immune to the displacement of the reversal. It's now possible to reach Mayuri.
"Don't let go... Bastard..." I explained, "I don't think that you'd continue to be immune to the displacement and perceive the time reversal if we lose contact..."
Time is reversing for the tenth time now.
My knees gave out, and the headache that felt like a ticking bomb in my head became twice as painful; perhaps it was the payment for making another person perceive the reversal.
"Ayaka! Are you okay!?" Haru panicked. His voice was full of concern. "Your head is bleeding..."
Time is reversing for the eleventh time.
"Shut up, idiot..." I said, "We have to reach Mayuri and stop her... as soon as possible, it'll be game over for me if we don't make it in time..."
"Right away." Haru's poker face was barely intact.
"Don't lose contact with me..." I said, tightening the grip on his hand.
Time is reversing for the twelfth time.
"Hold on tight, Ayaka," Haru said, as he had me on a bridal carry.
Time is reversing for the thirteenth time.
"Hurry... Get to Mayuri..." I forced a few more words out of my throat.
I couldn't speak or move anymore; it was like three fucking metal rods were getting drilled into my head.
Mayuri Aikawa's POV
"I love you..." I said. Tears fall out of my eyes.
"I'm sorry." He replied. I turned back the time again.
"I love you..." I said. Tears won't stop coming out of my eyes.
"I'm sorry." He replied. So I turned back the time again.
"I love you."
"I'm sorry."
"I really love you."
"I'm sorry."
"Why won't you love me?"
"I'm sorry."
"Please love me."
"I'm sorry."
"Is there anything wrong with me?"
"I'm sorry."
"I love you."
"I'm sorry."
I remember how I first met you... It was when I sat on the cold hard dirt on the school garden, when my lunch was spilled on my head, and my salty tears couldn't stop falling. You arrived like a white knight in shining armor, the ray of light at the end of a dark tunnel, the exit to a deep dark forest, or a hand reaching out to me when I've dumbly fallen into a deep hole.
You told them off bravely, defended me from them, and made sure they didn't mess with me anymore, you were my hero.
"What are you doing? Now they'll target you too, are you stupid...?" Back then, I asked you.
"And? They were doing the wrong thing, those cowards..." You replied, "Don't worry too much about me, though; I'll be fine." And then you smiled, and it shone as brightly as the sun.
"I love you..." I said.
"I'm sorry." You replied.
When I struggled with those math questions, and you noticed how I was about to tear my paper off in annoyance, you laughed at me and said: "Haha, Mayuri. You don't know how to solve this? It's easy! Here, let me show you." The way you were so eager and focused on explaining it to me made my heart race to the point that it felt like it was gonna run out of my chest.
"I love you..." I confessed for the two hundred seventy-one time.
"I'm sorry..." And you rejected me again.
272
"What am I lacking?"
"Nothing, I'm sorry."
273
"Do you love someone else?"
"No one, I'm sorry."
274
"Why!? Explain to me clearly!!"
"I'm sorry."
"Please! I'm begging you... Explain to me so I can understand, understand what I lack, understand how to make you love me, understand how I'll become the one for you! Please tell me! Please explain to me! Please love me...!"
"I'm sorry..."
"Why, why, why, why!? I don't understand... Why!? Why!?"
I covered my face, I was a mess... Well, it doesn't matter. I'll just repeat as many as I need to...
I began to reverse again.
"Hey, I love you... A lot... You know?"
"I'm sorry..."
"I love you..."
"I'm sorry..."
"Please..."
"I'm sorry..."
No matter how many times I repeated, he won't love me, yet my heart couldn't accept it, so I repeated, and repeated, and repeated... At one point, I reached a myriad of times, but it's okay... At some point, he'll definitely reciprocate my feelings...
"E...nough..." A feminine, struggling voice called out to me, her feminine yet rough hand grabbed my hand. I turned towards the voice, and it was my sister... Ayaka.
"Sister...?"
"That's... E...nough... Ma...yuri..." She was struggling to speak, her head was bleeding, her eyes were red and veiny, and she was in the arms of a guy I didn't know.
I wiped my tears off, "What happened to you...? Why is your head bleeding?"
"I'll explain... Later... Just... Stop..." She said, "All this... it's enough... This... Is insanity..."
"B-but...! I'm close... I'm so close so...!" I said, I'm sure just a little more push and he'll finally love me back!
Ayaka struggled to get out of the guy's arms, but when she finally did, she slowly but surely began to wrap her arms full of love around me.
"Enough... Idiot..." She said, "I'm here... for you so... give up... on... that guy... already... I promise... I'll be a better... sister..."
I hugged her back; tears that I thought had already run out were flowing out again. My sister cared so much about me yet here I am being hung up on some guy.
"I'm sorry that I'm such an idiot!!!" I said. "P-Please forgive me!" I cried out.
What have I been doing? Worrying my sister like this, going insane for some guy while my sister was always by my side, ready to protect me, defend me, and love me.
"It's okay..." Ayaka replied.
I buried my head in her chest, clinging on to her warm hug. Not wanting to let go, my sister was my safe place; she had always tried her best for me ever since our parents left; she was the one I could call home, my dear sister. And before I knew it, the world returned to normal.
"Thank you for being my sister..." I said she gave me a warm and gentle smile; it was then that she became my light on the dark tunnel, my lamp in a dark forest, and my campfire at the pits of despair.
No, she had always been that; I was just so focused on some guy that I became too blind to notice it. From this point on, I feel like I can finally move on from my regret and heartbreak. All thanks to her.
My eyelids became heavy, and my body was starting to feel my tiredness, her struggling, yet warm and gentle smile was the last thing I saw before blacking out.
Ayaka Aikawa's POV
"What a... dumb and foolish sister..." I said as I stared at her sleeping face. Her head rested on my thighs.
"You okay?" Haru asked.
"I'm fine..." I replied.
"You don't look so fine..." He replied, pointing at my bleeding head, "Your eyes are really red too."
"Huh... I guess that's why I... feel like fainting... Hahaha... Crap."
I blacked out, not being able to withstand the pain any longer.