Classroom of the Elite: Stalemate

Vol.2 : Chapter 5.4-From Violet Eyes

Arisu's POV.

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As I opened my eyes, I found myself in a strange place. Though my head slightly hurt, I looked around and understood that it was a dream.

"Father, w-why did they ask him to do this?"

I was currently observing my much younger self seated near my father in the black car that drove us from the horrific place called The White Room.

I recall this conversation painfully well, as well as the whole day.

While these are the most painful memories of mine, I never wanted to forget them as they're the only thing that makes me move forward.

"Arisu," my father started with sorrow in his eyes, "It shouldn't have been done. No one has the right to force a child to perform such an act."

"But why did they do this then?"

On this, my father turned to my younger self and said, "Because in pursuit of foolish ideals, those people lost all their humanity and compassion."

After this, I looked at my younger self, starting to cry, and my father doing his best not to show his emotions in front of me.

With a bitter smile on my lips, I asked myself, "What time is it, huh? How long will I see this dream?"

I just stood there and looked at the moving picture of my past self and my father until some noise breached through everything. As the noise intensified, it started to drag me out of my dream.

It continued, and I started hearing this monotone voice which I would never confuse in a million years.

"Arisu, you have to wake up right now. It's already 6 in the morning."

As I slowly opened my eyes, I saw beautiful golden brown eyes right before me.

'Kiyotaka? What's he doing in my room, of all people? What's happening?'

In pursuit of understanding the situation I was in, I lazily looked around.

And the more I continued doing so, the more I understood that this was certainly not my room but Kiyotaka's.

With me now remembering our late evening meeting in his flat, it was incredibly awkward to look into his golden-brown eyes.

"Good morning, Kiyotaka. I'm terribly sorry for the inconvenience; it must've been very uncomfortable sleeping on the futon."

To this, he looked at me with a glint of slight confusion floating in his eyes.

"What do you mean by this? I was sleeping on the bed as well as you?"

"Oh, that's how it was. Sorry for the confusion... Wait, what?"

"What's your question?"

"We both slept here, right?"

"Yeah, first I tried to wake you up, but you didn't wake up, and after this, you started crying in your sleep. When I tried to wake you up again, you just started unconsciously clinging to me."

"Oh, so you saw me crying in my sleep. Again, sorry. I can imagine how uncomfortable it might've been for you."

To this, he just shrugged his shoulders and got up from the bed.

"On the contrary, actually, you and your father are the only people who know my story. While I could have woken you up if I tried, I just thought that this little thing is the least I could do to repay you."