The hustle and bustle of the room filled my ears. My head turned instinctively, staring at the crowd expressionlessly, devoid of the same emotion as the overwhelming euphoria. Besides, as I recall, I had just fainted in the corner of my shed.
Beside me, girls were laughing and squealing with joy, jumping up and down until the wooden bleachers creaked, pointing at the figure waving from the field below.
Unfortunately, the harsh spotlight shone directly into my face, forcing my weak retinas to squint painfully until a tear welled up in the corner of my eye.
Art performances. School uniforms. Unfamiliar faces with no names in my memory.
"Kyaaa! Ishihara!!"
The girl to my right enthusiastically patted my shoulder, her force far too much for a normal greeting. "Hey, Ishi, look down! He's waving this way, crazy!"
"See! He's clearly looking at Ishi!" the girl next to her exclaimed, giggling as she nudged my arm roughly. "Quickly wave back, Ishi! Don't embarrass us, your face is as stiff as a museum statue!"
My eyes, slowly adjusting to the light, caught sight of a man standing upright in front of the stands, directly under the spotlight.
Our gazes met.
The next second, his smile spread perfectly—his lips lifted into a friendly curve that contrasted with the chill of the night, instantly causing the girls around me to shriek hysterically, covering their mouths with their hands. The hands, that had been resting on my shoulder, were now pushing me forward—urging me on.
"There! He's smiling at you! Go ahead, come over or blow him a kiss!"
But I didn't smile back. My face remained stiff, unmoving, as if my facial muscles had been frozen by the unpredictable weather. My mind was completely blank, and my heart was unmoved until, suddenly, the man spread his arms wide, as if inviting me into a warm embrace.
What were they expecting? What did he expect? Me jumping into his arms?
Those smiling eyes were clearly expecting something, but I couldn't fathom it. I don't understand why the universe suddenly turned its spotlight on me.
Perhaps that was exactly why I stood up and walked away, leaving him behind without a second thought.
⊹
⁛
⊹
My feet wandered aimlessly through the dimly lit hallway. The clock on the wall read 9:30 PM, but its hands remained frozen—no ticking sound broke the silence. That made me quicken my pace until I arrived at a quiet, well-lit courtyard. I looked around, but I couldn't find a way out of this place.
Maybe I'm expecting too much.
Overcome with fatigue, I finally slumped onto a park bench. The profound silence gave me the space to ponder how, exactly, I had ended up in this strange place—not because it was fake, but because it felt so real that I doubted I was dreaming. My sight, my hearing, the chill of the night wind against my skin…
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It seemed I was so utterly lost that I could no longer distinguish between reality and some fabricated world.
"My God... where am I now?" I whispered softly, my fingers gripping the edge of the overly cold wooden bench.
There were neither moon nor stars in the sky when I looked up. Only pitch-black void that felt as hollow as the corners of my heart. I lowered my gaze to my intertwined fingers and realized that my clothes changed. It was no longer a casual home shirt, but the same school uniform as the girls in the stands.
Well, I admit it was nice, but there was still no attachment, as if my body and this uniform were two separate entities.
Step, step…
Quiet footsteps approached from the hallway I'd exited from. My head remained bowed, lost in a hollow trance, until a pair of black shoes stopped just within my peripheral vision.
I watched them for a long moment, but they didn't budge. The hem of his robe fluttered gently, despite the lack of wind.
"You'd rather look at my shoes than my face, wouldn't you?"
The unfamiliar voice sounded soft and warm, yet it felt odd, especially the way he spoke, as if we were close friend. I looked up again lazily, but instead a sweet laugh greeted me as if he was truly happy to see me.
It was him—the same figure. The one who had smiled so brightly and extended his arms toward me earlier. Our gazes met again, with a different feeling in my heart. Yet, even now, I couldn't fathom the meaning behind his smile.
His slender frame—wearing a ankle-length black robe with a hood that had been deliberately pulled down—made him look nothing like a student, although his face could still easily pass among high schoolers.
"I don't mind how long you admire my face, but you need to know that this place will soon collapse," his voice rang out again, carrying a sudden, grim seriousness that caught me off guard.
My brow furrowed instantly. "Collapse?"
He didn't answer or explain further, but the silence was enough to trigger my panic.
My gaze wandered again. The trees, the park lights, the school building, and even the bench beneath me were slowly melting, as if the entire scene were a watercolor painting running in the rain. Thick paint dripped onto the lawn, hissing as it turned into a pool of corrosive water that spewed sharp steam.
I bolted up. The smell of rust immediately hit my nose.
Amidst the chaos, the man remained perfectly still. His smile didn't fade, yet his gaze grew hauntingly intense. His hand, previously hidden beneath his robe, now reached out to me.
After all, what else could I do?
Yet, I hesitated. Despite the sincerity in his gaze and smile—and even as a small corner of my heart urged me to trust him—he was just a stranger I had only now met.
Suddenly, while my mind was still lost in deliberation, those hands pulled me forcefully without permission.
"Hey! What the hell is this?!" I snapped in panic, my hands clenching against his chest as my body stiffened in the sudden embrace.
He chuckled softly, his baritone voice vibrating near my ear. "Calm down, Sweet Lady. You'll ruin your clothes if you keep struggling on that corroded floor."
My forehead and the tip of my nose rested against his soft robe. I could see nothing but darkness, but it felt different—no longer empty. It was calming, filled with a faint rumble that sounded like crashing waves.
WHOOSH!
My body felt like it was floating, pulled up from some unknown depths. A bitting chill rushed through my bones.
"Next time, don't wander off too far."
The echo of his deep baritone whispered directly into my ear, followed by a deafening, high-frequency ringing.
GASP!
My eyes snapped open as my body bolted upright on the hard shed floor.
I gasped for air, greedily inhaling oxygen as if I had just drowned at the bottom of the ocean. My chest heaved erratically, my heart pounding violently against my ribs until it ached.
"Hah... hah..."
The cold sensation of the man's robe still clung tightly to the skin of my face, neck, and chest—so freezing, so tangibly real. My trembling fingers reached up to touch my neck and chest, trying to channel any remaining warmth to dispel the burning frost.
My ears was still ringing. The pungent smell of old dust and decaying paper slowly brought me to my senses.
The shed ceiling. A cell phone with a flickering screen on the floor. A pile of my grandfather's books.
I was back. And I was completely alone.
My fingers tightened around my collar, staring blankly into the shadows of the shed.
Maybe... I would meet that man again.
Him, the Black Robe.