The nauseating stench of iron plagued your senses, causing your eyebrows to furrow in discomfort. You brought your hands up; a crimson liquid dripped down your palm, it caused disgust to churn in your stomach and you wiped it off on your school uniform. Glancing over your shoulders, you gazed at the orange hue that illuminated from the inferno that was devouring the room, steadily drawing closer. A searing heat oppressed the air and you used the back of your hand, where it was a little cleaner, to wipe the beads of sweat that formed on your forehead.

A choked cough captured your attention. You looked down, expression listless and eyes cold, at the individual who was leaning languidly against the wall. Messy blonde hair fell past her shoulders, no longer in their usual pigtails, her lips chapped, and her uniform stained with her own blood, and a knife to her stomach.

She's still going, huh?

You crouched down to meet her blue eyes. Slowly, she lifted her head to meet your gaze. Dry lips curving into a loving smile, she shakily reached to your cheeks and cupped them, drawing your face closer to hers. Your expression didn't change, but you made no efforts to move away from her touch.

"Can you do me a favour?" She glanced over to the blue ribbons on the ground. "Retrieve those for me?"

You followed her gaze. The ribbons she used to tie her hair into pigtails, huh? They were dangerously close to the fire, but you got up and retrieved them regardless. It wasn't difficult avoiding the flames, but you did suffer some minor burns. When you came back, you dropped the ribbons onto her lap. Fatigued and in pain, the girl pitifully tried tying her hair.

"What's the point of that?" you asked.

She ignored your words and focused on the task. She eventually finished, but it was done terribly. The ribbons were loose and there were several bits of her hair that wasn't tied. Usually, her blonde hair would be nealy tied into two cute ponytails, her bangs would frame her youthful features, and she would carry a sense of enthusiasm and amiability. However, now she just looked pathetic in your eyes.

Pathetic...was pathetic the right word for it? Well, whatever.

You sat down next to her, your eyes fixed on the growing flames. Huh, who would've thought school would be the place you'd spend your last moments? Your throat was growing progressively drier and the heat was gradually consuming your sense of clarity. But in an odd way, it was peaceful. The blonde turned over to you, blue eyes widening for a moment before a chuckle escaped her––which instigated a fit of coughs to follow suit and blood began to dribble past her lips. Despite the fact that she was injured, she managed to shuffle closer and lean her head against your shoulder.

"...You're really something, (Y/n)," she said. "But you know...I will find a way."

"Stop talking."

"Don't feel like it."

"Should I take that knife out and plunge it in your heart instead?" It didn't come off as a threat, it didn't come off as a sarcastic comment; your tone was flat. "Well?"

"If you want me to suffer, then you would leave. You're well aware that I'm happy with anything as long as you're here. There's a window and I know you're more than capable of escaping," she said. "Or have you given up?"

You were silent for a moment. "I'm too tired."

The blonde laughed weakly. With what little strength she had left, she made her way in front of you. Then, she settled herself on your lap, her blood staining your uniform. Like before, her hands reached for your cheeks and she pulled your face dangerously close to hers. A wide smile adorned her lips and a twisted look in her round eyes. You could feel her breath on you.

"If you're not going to leave then..." She giggled, her voice sickly sweet. "Let's continue to stay together, okay?"



===



The moment your eyes opened, you remained still on your bed while your mind took a moment to catch up with the information. Once everything came rushing back, you frantically stood up on your bed. Sweat pooled down your forehead and body, which fueled the memory of the fire. Your hands shot to the remote control and your fingers basically smashed the button to turn on the aircon. The cool air enveloped you with a small sense of peace, but your breaths were still uneven and your mind still a tangled mess.

Seiji wasn't lying. I did kill Aimi. Recalling the memory sent a wave of nausea and a headache to contort your mind. You groaned and shut your eyes, burying your head in your palm and you focused on your breathing to calm down.

"And...I'm not sure what this means, but..." Seiji swallowed. "You had a knife in your gasps and blood on your hands. The blood belonged to a female blonde student."

"What?" Your eyes narrowed in disbelief. "So, you're saying I killed someone?"

"I'm not trying to accuse you of anything! Besides, it was a dream, so maybe––"

You didn't let Seiji finish talking and exited the flower shop. You were going to use the feature as soon as possible. You didn't want to be drowned with a pool of questions regarding who you were anymore.

Just as you expected, you passed out using the feature. At least this time it was on your bed in the security of your home, unlike last time. You stole a glance at the time. From the looks of it, you were out for about an hour.

You looked at your palms. Clean, no signs of blood. Yet, you felt the immediate urge to go wash them furiously. What the hell was that? Just...what did you do? Why...Why did you kill Aimi? In fact, what was your relationship with her? She didn't display any signs of animosity despite the fact that you had stabbed her. She was very comfortable with getting close to your face and her actions were so much more different than the Aimi you were currently familiar with

And, on the other hand, you...the you from the past was...

"Shit...My mind is such a mess. I can barely get my thoughts together..." You took in a deep breath and gently exhaled. "I should freshen up."

You dragged yourself out of bed and went to splash some water on your face. It helped clear your mind a little and you remembered that your parents had left food on the table. You should probably have some dinner and try to take your mind off things.

Well, that was easier said than done. The house was quiet, which only made your thoughts wander furiously. You avoided anything related to the kind of person you were from the past. For some reason, recalling it made you feel incredibly bitter. Instead, Seiji came to mind again. Was he someone from your past, too? That would explain a few things. You needed to get things straight with him and finally get some direct answers. Even if most of the time when you finally get an answer, you were returned with more questions.

When you sat down on the dinner table and began to eat, you saw that there were a few pastries prepared. Attached to it was a sweet message from your mother. Normally, you would've smiled and expressed your excitement, but you barely had an appetite. The main reason why you were eating is so that your body doesn't grow weak and to avoid worrying your parents about the untouched food.

"I wonder how they would react if they found out that their child got replaced with a murderer?"

You mentally scolded yourself. Don't think like that, (Y/n). There was too little context to your past, don't jump to conclusions just yet. But you really couldn't help but assume the absolute worst.

You decided to idly scroll through your phone as you ate. When you checked the lock screen, you winced at the missed texts from Kai. You didn't feel like responding at the moment because you knew the moment you texted back you'd get a phone call. That was the last thing you needed right now.

Then, you received a text notification from Seiji and grimaced. Right, you had his number.

Seiji:

Hey, are you doing okay?

"What is he up to now..." you mumbled.

Whether you wanted to trust Seiji or not, one thing's for sure is that you definitely shouldn't shut him out. For now, you'll play along and get your answers. Instead of replying to his text, you called him. It's easier to pick up his intention through hearing his voice.

"(L/n)-san! I didn't expect you to call, not that I mind. Uhm, I know I asked through text already, but are you feeling okay––wait sorry, that's kind of a dumb question––oh, speaking of questions. Do you want to ask me anything? I'll answer honestly, promise."

His voice was frantic, but genuine.

"I think it'll be better if we save the questions for when we meet in person," you responded. "But I do want to ask one thing."

"What is it?"

"The person who hit me on the back of the head. Was that you?"

There was a brief silence.

"(L/n)-san, I promise it wasn't me," he said. "Though, I won't blame you if you doubted me."

You mentally tsked. Were you just bad at analysing people? You couldn't tell if he was lying at all. In fact, a part of you really wanted to believe he was telling the truth. You didn't want to be suspicious of him at all. It frustrated you.

"When we meet face to face, I'll explain everything in detail." Seiji chuckled lightheartedly. "I don't want any tension between us, but that's difficult considering everything, huh?"

There it was, that carefree laughter.

"...Seiji-san, why are you nice to me?"

"Sorry?"

"I murdered someone," you said. "C'mon, you must have some doubts about me."

"There's hardly any context, judging you will just be unfair. Plus, I'm aware that you don't have memories of your past, so what happened there doesn't define the person I decided to be friends with." There was no hesitation in his words and you could imagine his reassuring smile. "(L/n)-san, I believe you're a good person. And whatever happens, I'll be on your side."

If the comfort Seiji brought were delicate flower petals, you wanted to crush them. You hated it. You hated how much you wanted to accept his words without hesitation. You hated how much you wanted to throw all suspicions out the window and just put all your trust in him.

"A good person, huh? I hope so as well." You paused for a moment. "...I should get going."

"Of course! Eat something delicious and get some well needed rest. I'll text you a time where we can meet up since I need to check when my parents aren't home," he said. "I'll see you soon, then!"

"Yup, I'll see you soon as well."

The call ended and you quickly finished up your dinner. As you were about to stand up and wash the dishes, you looked at the pastries your mother left for you. Eat something delicious, huh? You grabbed a pastries and took a bite, the sweetness of the food was comforting. Guess you'll have dessert as well.

After you finished eating, you prepared to head to bed, hoping to sleep it all off and not get any nightmares. It was still early in the night, but staying awake will only create more apprehension and you were too drained to be productive. Dressed in your pyjamas and about to call it a night, the holographic screen flashed.

[ Heyyy, is this a good time to drop by? ]

Immediately, you glared at the screen. If it weren't for the fact that it wasn't tangible, you would've punched it out of frustration.

"What do you want?"

[ Woah, woah. This is where we're supposed to greet each other first! ]

"Are you kidding me right now?" You groaned, stress returning to you. "Answer me this, what are you trying to do with this game?"

[ Alright, alright~ Relax! I forgot how intense and complicated human emotions can be, how exciting! Anyways, to answer your question, it's for my own personal entertainment ]

"That answer pissess me off," you spat. "But I know there's more to it."

[ Oh? Are you saying you've figured me out? Haha, I'd love to hear what you have to say about me. I'm a lil shy, so go easy ]

You ignored his words. "Who is Seiji? Was he someone I knew in my past life?"

[ Dear, you already know that if you want to learn more about the past you're supposed to play the game. But I'll say this because I like you! He's someone I suggest you keep close ]

No shit. This was a massive waste of energy and time.

[ Welp, just wanted to check in! Seems like you have a lot of emotions to sort out. Good luck ☆⌒(≧▽° ) ]

The screen disappeared. You heaved an exhausted sigh as you turned off the lights and climbed onto your bed.

"..."

...Honestly, if only you could erase everything and live a normal life. Would getting all your memories back do you any good? You were afraid, afraid to learn who you truly were, afraid to find out a truth you didn't want to know, afraid to go into conflict in who you were currently and who you were in the past. You just wanted to live a normal life so badly.

...

"I'll finish this damned game," you muttered. "And whatever happens will happen. I don't want to think about complicated things anymore."



===



The phone call ended and Seiji let out a soft sigh. It was a little nerve wreaking considering he wasn't on good terms with you, but he was glad the call went well.

"I hope she's taking care of herself..." he mumbled. "I can't imagine how she's feeling right now."

From a distance, he heard the door to the flower shop open. He quickly exited his room and went to greet his parents. Hopefully, they don't notice anything wrong with the shop. He did his best to clean up and ensured things looked the same as they did before. Seiji wholeheartedly appreciated your assistance and reminded himself to do something as thanks.

"Welcome back! How was your date?" Seiji asked, a bright smile on his complexion.

His parents greeted him back with just as much enthusiasm.

"It was wonderful!" His mother exclaimed.

His father nodded. "We had a lovely time."

Their expressions were cheerful, but it wasn't long before it morphed into concern. They noticed the bruises on him and rushed to inspect closer.

"Are you okay?" His mother asked frantically. "What happened?"

"It's fine," he said with a smile. "A few things happened in school, that's all."

"That's all? Don't brush this off like that!"She glanced over to her husband. "Darling, can you––"

"Way ahead of you."

Seiji didn't protest, his parents were stubborn people––in a good way, of course. They were only worried for him and he was thankful for that, but he didn't want to worry them. They had enough on their plate as it was. Though it wouldn't change much, if reporting gave his parents a sense of peace then so be it. At least they didn't know what really happened, that would've caused more panic.

"How many times do I need to tell you to say something?" his mother scolded, her voice breaking a little. "Please, don't hide things like this. I...It hurts me to think..."

"Don't worry, it really wasn't that bad," he quickly reassured. "Besides, I was going to tell you later."

His parents exchanged worrying glances.

"Also, (L/n)-san helped tend to my wounds."

Well, more so you helped him clean up the shop and offered a bandage, but it still stands that you had helped him. Seiji smiled warmly to himself at the memory of it. Thankfully, mentioning you seemed to ease the worries of his parents. He talked about you on several occasions, so they were familiar with who you were.

His father sighed. "Well, I'm glad there was someone to help. But next time––"

"I know, I know. You two should get some rest now." He walked behind his parents and gently pushed them forward. "Mum, you shouldn't push yourself if you're tired. Dad you need to get up early for work tomorrow."

After a lot of convincing, Seiji managed to get his parents to go and rest. Then, he entered his room and closed the door. He sighed in relief, conflict was avoided. That was good.

[ Phew, almost came at a bad time. Didn't want to intervene on familial problems. Way too boring for me ]

Seiji jumped at the holographic screen that suddenly flashed before him. It still baffled him how such a thing he saw in manga and video games could occur in real life. For a moment, there was silence before the screen disintegrated into little pixels and formed an individual; a tall male with lime green hair and eyes. The young adult grinned and adjusted the green tinted glasses that sat on top of his hair.

"Don't worry, your parents won't see or hear me."

Seiji took a deep breath. "I should probably skip the part where I'm terrified and alarmed that a random person appeared out of nowhere in my room, right?"

"An attractive random person, but yes. Please do." He laughed and folded his arms, amusement twinkling in his eyes. "So, how does it feel to join the game?"

A game... A part of this still felt fictional, so Seiji couldn't offer an immediate response. He was just a normal student living out a normal life, so for something like this to happen... How was he supposed to react?

"It's still hard to wrap my head around everything..." He trailed off for a moment. "But I don't regret it."

"I see~ Well, if it weren't for your intervention she would've failed the game. Aw, what a nice guy you are, or maybe just stupidly reckless. Or a hopeless romantic. Whichever you prefer, I guess."

Seiji smiled to himself. "She's a friend, so of course I had to intervene."

"Someone you barely know, you mean." The system sighed and shook his head. "Oh dear, I'm worried for you. I feel like you're the type to easily fall for scams."

Seiji ignored the system's words. "Hey, do I resemble someone from her past?"

"Nope~ That girl had no proper friends besides a stubborn blonde."

Was he referring to the student you had stabbed? Seiji admitted, he was a little apprehensive when he first met you because of that dream he had. But when he got to know you, all that apprehensive melted in the blink of an eye. You weren't a bad person. And the more he got to know you, the more he was sure of it. If he could help you, then he won't turn away at the opportunity. You may distrust him, but he was determined to regain the trust again. You were a dear friend to him and he didn't want to let go of that friendship. He felt safe with you, he laughed and smiled around you.

"So, what's the point of letting me in on all of this?" Seiji asked.

"Well, that depends on you. What do you want to do?"

"Help her," Seiji said. "I'll do whatever it takes."

The system seemed pleased. "You're going through a lot for her, huh?"

He chuckled. "I guess I am."

Seiji wondered how much stress you were under right now. Guilt twisted his heart at the knowledge that he was probably a factor that added more to that stress. A game to get your memories back, preventing deaths and being rewarded with out of context bits of your past. Not only were you alone in an unfamiliar world, you had to be cautious everyday, be forced into dangerous situations, face an absurd amount of emotional conflict; there was always something to worry about. It was cruel.

Seiji knew there was no point in expressing his anger at the system for making you go through such a thing. The system couldn't care less and would only find his anger amusing. So, he might as well cooperate and find a way to alleviate some of your burden.

"You know, the more she remembers, the more she'll resemble her former self." The system tilted his head and brought a hand to his lips, his voice low and cunning. "I wonder, if she were to go too far, will you be there to stop her?"