Reality Glitch

Chapter 6: A Strange Encounter (Reality)

Maru was currently lying on his back on top of the school's rooftop with Teho on his chest. It was after school hours, and our brunette protagonist wasn't ready to head home quite yet. The duo looked at the vast, clear blue sky above them and silently marveled at the serene image just so far out of reach yet so close; it was almost surreal.

All that was on his mind was how real his latest fantasy felt, it was really strange. Usually, whenever he daydreams, the people in it are different yet similar versions of people he already know, even if it were to be someone he just so happened to glance at on the street or at a store somewhere. Yet... He was sure he would remember someone like Amekage or a kid like Haku anywhere, no matter how annoying they were.

Things were getting too weird for his taste.

Creak

He blinked once before tilting his head back and looked towards the door, grimacing when he saw Sheiji and Lucy watching him through the slightly cracked open door with awkward, perverse grins on their faces.

The very look caused a shiver down his spine and a twitch to his eyebrow. What the hell are those idiots doing?

Said idiots slowly began to open the doors a with a weird giggle emitting from them.

"Kufufufu~" another shiver ran down his spine before the sound of clicking could be heard. Maru looked around confused before his eyes rested on a figure sitting on top of the fence surrounding the ledge of the roof.

His hazel eyes widened slightly in shock. How did I not notice him before?

The boy had pin straight hair as black as coal that barley reached his shoulders, his bangs were straight cut right above his obsidian eyes, and his skin was as white as paper though his cheeks had a healthy glow. Across the ridge of his nose were freckles that seemed to add to his oddly attractive self. If he was standing, he would be 5'5" which was rather short for a boy of 17.

With his uniform impressively pressed and not a hair out of place, this boy was none other than the financially privileged 3rd year, Gyomatara Hozoki.

"Good evening, Amakaze-kun, Hano-kun, and Garcia-Chan. It's a pleasure to see you all this evening, no?" He said in his aristocratic yet monotone voice. Sheiji and Lucy, having fully shown themselves, nodded their heads uneasily while Maru just stared at him indifferently.

It's not like he had a problem with the older boy, it's just that he didn't really care about him.

Gyomatara noticed the lack of a greeting from the boy and chuckled lightly before glancing down at his cellphone. He was singlehandedly typing at an almost inhuman speed, something he is always seen doing, when he looked up at the younger trio.

"Amakaze-kun, I believe that you are needed at the old boxing arena. Perhaps a secret admirer has gathered the courage to confess?" He added the last part teasingly as his eyes shifted back to the screen of his phone, mischief glinting in his eyes momentarily.

Maru, having caught the look, narrowed his eyes slightly before nodding. He stretched his body a bit before bending his body back some and quickly jumping to his feet, his arms stretched in front of his body in a dramatic pose. He then stood to his full height and rolled his shoulders some to release the tension. Teho had fallen safely into the pouch pocket of Maru's hoodie.

"Alright, guess I gotta get going, yeah?" He asked rhetorically before looking at Sheiji and Lucy and giving them a two fingers salute. "Catch you guys later."

"Maru-Maru, you're just gonna go like that!? WHAT IF SENPAI IS TRICKING YOU!? WHAT IF YOU DIE BY GOING THERE!?!? PLEASE DON'T GO!" Sheiji screeched with crocodile tears running down his face in rivers. Lucy threw herself onto Maru, clutching his midsection like a lifeline.