Take a step back, look around. Take a step back, find a safer place to stand. Take a step back, realise that the space was becoming alarmingly more limited as seconds elapsed. The fire was closing in. You had no choice but to back yourself into a corner.

What to do, what to do. There was no way you could dodge the fire and escape. How in the world are you going to reach help?

Wait, your phone.

That's right, you could contact someone!

Haphazardly, you reached into your pocket and took out the device. Almost dropping it in the process, you opened your contact list and tapped on the first name that caught your attention. Whispering a quick prayer that they'd pick up, you put the device to your ear and waited.

"(Y/n)? Why did you––actually, where are you?"

If it wasn't for the sinister and furious blazing inferno that was monstrously feasting on everything in its sight, the heat that mercilessly sweltered the air, and the flames painting your vision crimson, you would've breathed a sigh of relief at the voice.

"Kashi! Thank god you picked up. Not to alarm you or anything, but you know the fire that broke out in the kitchen? Yeah, I'm currently stuck in it with no way out and there are flames literally everywhere and I can burn at any second now and I'm slowly losing consciousness because of the fog." You paused for a quick breather, your irritatingly sand-dry throat beginning to take a toll on your ability to speak. "Contact a teacher now please."

"What?! How did this happen?!"

"Explanations later!"

"A-ah, sorry. I'll tell a teacher right away. But, don't hang up! Stay on the line and tell me immediately if something happens, okay? Promise me that!"

Your eyes fluttered in surprise, you've never heard the idol so frantic before. "Okay, I'll––"

You cursed under your breath when an unsuspecting flame latched onto your arm, the burning sensation of it tearing through your skin and engraving a painful stinging sensation. The phone dropped from your grip and you just barely heard Kashi's shout of concern before the flames hungrily engulfed the device. You covered the burn mark, bit back a pained cry, and tried not to think about how severe it was. Though your phone was irretrievable, at least there was some hope someone would come and save you.

You gazed at the brilliant illumination of orange that triumphed the kitchen. A colossal wall of flames surrounding you, vision blurring, oxygen barely making its way into your throat, and smoke wrapping itself around your throat and head; the reality of the situation was more than clear to you.

...You weren't going to make it, were you?

You let go of your injured arm and looked at your palms. Your eyes widened when you saw a crimson liquid staining your hands. A nauseating copper scent plagued your senses and a disgustingly warm feeling heated your palms. However, the next time you blinked, it was gone.

Blood? Am I hallucinating because of the smoke?

But, why did you feel an odd sense of familiarity from it?

"Shit," you mumbled, your voice coming out hoarse and barely audible. Stumbling, you tried leaning against the wall to maintain your balance. However, you were slowly slipping as seconds passed. "I can't think...straight..."

The sound of a body collapsing was drowned underneath the clamorous crackling of the flames.

...Am I on the floor...?

No matter how hard you tried to concentrate, you couldn't make out what you were seeing. Everything had turned into a blur and your eyelids were becoming heavier by the second. The vestigial willpower that was once in your body had evaporated into the flames and you closed your eyes.

"..."

Wait...voices...I think I hear––

You heard a crash from a distance and all sorts of shouts flowed into the kitchen. And, before you knew it, your body was lifted off the ground. Your eyes fluttered open and your body jolted in surprise, eliciting a violent cough to erupt from your throat. Doing your best to muster up what little control of your senses left to try and comprehend what was happening, you recognised that someone in a firefighter uniform was carrying you. Their arms were secured around your body in a protective manner.

"You'll be okay. You're in safe hands now."

An unfamiliar voice, a gentle sounding one. He sounded like an adult.

Instead of an excruciatingly searing heat that feasted on your body, a comforting coolness enveloped your skin in a gentle embrace. Instead of a blindly orange inferno that plagued your vision, you were welcomed with the familiar school hallways.

You were saved.

Once you were outside the school, you winced at the onslaught of voices that emeshied rowdily in the air. Students and staff were crowded around and there were several firefighters and firetrucks on sight. Your drowsy state made it difficult to identify anyone. In fact, you were currently battling against the urge to fall unconscious.

"Miss, you can't go through here. It isn't safe."

"But––I just need to see her! Please! I need to make sure she's safe!"

"Miss, we need to ensure––"

"Just one glimpse! Please!" Desperation latched onto the voice, she sounded like she was on the verge of tears.

A voice...? Who...

You squinted your eyes and tried locating the source of the voice. However, you were unsuccessful as your body and mind had finally reached its limit.



===



...I passed out, huh?

A tired groan escaped your lips and you immediately regretted the action as your throat burned. Slowly, you opened your eyes. It took a few attempts for your vision to adjust properly, it kept fading from clear to blurred like a camera trying to obtain focus. There was a weight on your nondominant arm and you realised that there was a cast wrapped around it.

The sight was the catalyst for memories from before to come flooding back in, rendering you wide awake. That's right, you obtained this injury from a fire that spiraled out of control in the school kitchen. Taking your time, you sat up and winced at the soreness of your body. Your hand caressed the mattress and you recognised that you were in a hospital room. Groggily, you looked outside the window. A captivating blend of orange gold and velvet red painted the sky; it was a beautiful sight, but reminded you of the flames that almost took your life. You tore your eyes away from it and looked down at your lap.

Where should you even start?

Well, for starters, you could've died back then. It was due to sheer luck that someone had come to save you in the nick of time. The game could've ended right then and there. How was it for you when you died in your past life? How did you feel in your moment right before death?

Fearful? Helpless?

Today, when you were about to burn to death, how did you feel? It wasn't exactly fear, it wasn't the anger that came from Hayami pushing you.

It felt...It felt bitter.

You didn't know why. But, that word seemed the most right to you.

You propped the pillow up and leaned back. Honestly, you were down to stare at the wall across you for hours and allow your thoughts to run wild and wreak havoc in your mind. What to think about first...Ah, Hayami. The largest contributor as to why you were in a hospital bed in the first place. Your rational and logical side was pondering over her motives whilst your irrational and emotional side felt an indescribable amount of anger towards the female and contemplated on revenge.

She pushed you, she had almost killed you. Could this be considered as attempted murder? There was no way she could get away with this, right? Why? Why did she push you? Was there something more to her actions? Weren't the male leads supposed to be the one causing the deaths? You were so sure of yourself that Shichirou was the one going to be doing that this chapter.

Being unable to piece together a reasonable response, out of frustration, your uninjured arm weakly slammed against the mattress. If you had almost lost your life when barely a week had gone by in the game, then how in the world were you going to be able to get through the year?

A tsunami of thoughts drowned your mind, each one either causing you to question yourself, or whispered malicious things to you. You desperately wished you had a switch to shut it all off, you desperately wished that you could fall back asleep and escape from it all. This game...it was definitely taking a toll on your mental state.

Actually, was that the end of the chapter?

If you ended up successfully completing the chapter, at least there was one thing you could smile about. Aside from almost losing your life, you did a pretty good job at protecting the other students. You had no idea you were that agile. That only furthered your curiosity of your past life.

[ Progress check ]

Select.

[ Current progress: 50% ]

What?

All of that effort and you were only halfway?

Before you could properly express your frustration, someone suddenly opened the door to your room. And they weren't exactly quiet about it either, causing you to jolt in surprise and frantically turn off the screen.

"(Y/n)! Oh, thank god. You're finally awake!"

Your first name? Who––

A muffled grunt left your lips as someone pulled you into their embrace. Confused, you simply let them hug you, but didn't return the gesture. You then heard another individual enter the room.

"She's still recovering, give her some place."

"Fine, fine."

The person stepped back and you immediately recognised who they were upon seeing their face, especially when you've seen her once in Kashi's past already. She was your mother––well, to be correct, the mother of the (Y/n) of this world. A man was beside her in who you assume to be your father. Well, this was a surprise. For the past week, you hadn't met with them face to face since they've been incredibly busy as of lately with their business. You'd get occasional calls from your mother, but you didn't hear much from your father.

Your mother took a box out of your father's hand. "How are you feeling, sweetie? I brought you some pastries! You must be hungry. C'mon, eat up!"

She didn't have to tell you twice. At how well each one was decorated and presented, choosing one felt like deciding on a piece of jewelry. You chose the one that was most appealing to you and took a bite. Delicious. You definitely understood why the business was so successful.

"She's not a child, you don't need to baby her like that." Your father sighed, unlike your mother, he seemed stern and strict. Maybe he didn't care about you as much––"Anyway, (Y/n). I bought you a new phone, do you need anything else? I'll make sure to get it as soon as possible. Don't worry about the costs."

You swallowed the pastry. Nevermind.

Your mother laughed heartily, the sound was pleasant and comforting. She grinned and elbowed your father. "Hypocrite. You already got her a phone?"

"Communication is essential––"

"You could've just given her the old one. Oh! So that's why you were asking me what type of phone cases teenage girls liked these days. "

"..."

You finished the last of the pastry and a small smile graced your lips, your mood lifted a little at the company. Your parents were both wearing business suits. Your father? Clean and professional. Your mother? Makeup on point, uniform also on point. However, she radiated a friendly and approachable demeanour. The (Y/n) of this world seemed to have good parents, you wondered if yours were the same.

"Ha! She's smiling. Gosh, I'm such a wonderful mother," the woman said cheerfully.

"Your arm will be in the cast for a few weeks. Thankfully, you didn't sustain any additional injuries. Although, the doctor did say you take measures to tend to your throat. You'll be discharged later today," your father said. "You're very lucky, it could've been much worse."

"Normally this is where I pester you about what happened back there, but I know you're tired as it is so I'll leave you be for now. Actually, we have someone we'd like you to meet! Believe it or not, we got in contact with the fireman that saved you. Did you know he has a son?" Your mother winked. "They agreed to come and visit you when they could."

"A son?" Woah, your voice came out hella raspy. You tried clearing your throat, but that only ended up hurting it.

"Woah, woah. Take it easy, sweetie." Your mother handed you a glass of water. "I get that you're excited for a potential boyfriend––ahem, I mean friend. But, I'm sure you'll catch his attention!"

You and your father both exchanged confused looks.

A knock came from the door and your mother excused herself. When she opened it, her face brightened and she chirpily said, "Come in! My daughter is awake."

A man with short black hair, a gentle expression but intimidating build, and familiar midnight blue eyes walked into the room. He gave off the impression that he could lift three million houses but could also tend to a flower garden with delicate hands. When he met your eyes, he smiled kindly and you returned the gesture with a probably lopsided version.

"This is Seiji Aito, the fireman who carried you out of the kitchen."

Seiji? That name seems familiar...Ah, the flower shop! When you went to buy flowers for Kasumi, you met a boy of your age there. Seiji was his last name, right? Was the fireman his dad? Talk about coincidence.

Setting aside the surprise from the connection, you showed the man a grateful smile. "Thank you for saving. I could've died back there."

The man chuckled, a humble expression on his face. "I was just doing my job," he said. "In fact, I believe you were the real hero in this case."

Your parents exchanged confused looks.

"What do you mean?" Your mother asked.

"It's all over the news. The students interviewed all went on about how your daughter was trying to get everyone to safety," the fireman explained. "Well, that was the gist of it. A quick internet search will give you more details."

News? You supposed you shouldn't have been surprised that this had gotten into the media. The idea of your actions being known to the public didn't come across your mind at all, you just hope it wouldn't cause any problems down the road.

Your mother seemed deep in thought. "I had no idea that was the case." She smiled proudly at you. "Wow, my daughter is a hero now? Who would've thought you'd change so quickly. Or were you hiding it from us this whole time," she said playfully.

...Changed, huh? The only time you were able to catch a glimpse of the previous (Y/n)'s personality was when she was a child. What kind of person was she in her teenage years? Was your personality off in comparison to hers?Well, my parents being suspicious of my change in personality is the least of my problems.

Not too long after, a knock came from the door and your mother went to get it. Upon opening it, her lips curved up into an excited smile.

"Hello! You must be Seiji-san's son, right? Come right on in!"

You leaned forward a little to catch an earlier glimpse of the male. Holding a beautiful bouquet of roses in both hands, a tall and lean figure, tousled fluffy white hair, a beauty mark under his prepossessing dark blue eyes, and presence eliciting a carefree and approachable charm entered the room. You instantly recognised who he was.

The male politely thanked your mum and greeted everyone in the room before he looked over to you and smiled.

"Yo! It's been a while, huh?"

Oh my god, is it physically possible for someone other than Shin to have such a bright smile?

"Wanna call this a coincidence or fate?"

Seiji chuckled and approached your hospital bed before presenting the flowers and replied with, "fate sounds more romantic. Here, I have a gift for you. Think of it as a wish for a speedy recovery."

You laughed under your breath before thanking him and accepting the flowers, your heart warm at the kind gesture. You took a moment to admire how gorgeous it was. "I see that you're already falling for me."

"Aw, was it too obvious? I didn't get to confess yet."

"Don't worry, I'll feign ignorance for your sake."

You heard your mother whisper under her breath 'oh my god, they're such love birds' and saw your father roll his eyes in response.

"Oh, have you two met before?" Seiji's father asked.

Seiji nodded. "Last week she came to buy flowers. We got to know each other then."

Your mother crossed her arms and whistled. "Flowers? Who were they for––"

"Not another guy if that's what you're thinking," you quickly intercepted.

"Ah, sticking to one guy, huh? I respect that," she said. "Anyways! We shall leave you two to your own devices. C'mon, everyone out. They need their alone time. Out!"

Your mother ushered the two men out. She then winked at you and whispered 'go get em' before waving goodbye and closing the door. You sighed and motioned for Seiji to sit on the chair beside your bed.

As the male settled down, he asked, "does your mum want you to seduce me or something?"

"Probably, but I'm not exactly in the best condition to do so. A shame. Unless you're into girls with raspy voices on the brink of collapsing."

"Hey, I like to think I'm opened minded."

You laughed. "We haven't seen each other in a week and we're already like this. Should I be concerned or impressed?"

The male shrugged. "We naturally get along. I don't banter like this with a lot of people."

"Same, it's usually one sided for me."

The Kasumi siblings, you're the one doing the teasing. And with the mysterious texter, they're the one teasing you. Shichirou just makes you want to throw him off a cliff.

"Sorry for not texting you at all despite asking for your number," you apologised. "Life got really hectic."

"That's fine, we can make up for it here," he said. "I'll keep you company so you don't get bored. Aren't I nice?"

"Yes," you replied. "Wait, that sounded sarcastic."

Talking to Seiji now was just as refreshing as the last time. Though your worries and overwhelming thoughts didn't go away, you felt less oppressed by them. Was it because you were having a conversation with someone with no involvement in the game? Or was it because of how well you got along with him? Maybe both? Well, either way, you were more than glad to have him as company.

"Hey, question. Do you have your phone on you?"

"Yup, why?"

"You know how the media is talking about the fire at my school? Did they say anything that...well could cause controversy?"

"Controversy? Hm, I don't think so? Unless you're talking about the teacher that left the class unsupervised."

Ah, so she did face consequences. Good.

"What about a student?"

"A student?" A contemplative look reflected in the male's eyes. "Actually, there was one student who was given a lot of screen time on the news when she was interviewed."

"Did she have orange eyes and short wavy orange hair?"

Seiji nodded. "Yup. Why? Did something happen?"

You remained silent for a moment, a pensive look on your expression. Hayami was interview, huh? For some reason, you felt like you weren't going to like what you were about to see. No controversy around her? Then, what did she say during it? Did no one see her push you? Were there no security cameras that caught onto that?

"Can I see that interview please?" Questions flooded your mind and you were desperate to find answers.

"Are you going to explain or do I need to play detective?" he asked playfully. He turned on his phone, pulled up the interview and handed the device to you.

You took the device. "...Well, it depends on what I find."

A/n: Flower boy is back!! Missed writing him.