Chapter 16: Hole in the Ceiling

Lying on the bed, Hikaru's eyes wandered to the ceiling of the room, taking in the details of the cracks and the peeling paint. "Why is there a hole in the ceiling?" she wondered, her mouth agape, while she jangled her legs in anticipation. "I mean, did someone just come here and dig a hole there...?" But she quickly dismissed her questions, realizing they were a distraction from the more pressing issues at hand. "Forget about it," she said with determination, sitting up on her butt. "Let's think about everything that's happened so far." She placed her hand on her cheek, deep in thought. "If I understand what Kurumi told me, I have only one point of existence. No past, but no future?... I'm in impact with the flow of time. That means I have a future. I think she means ." Her thoughts wandered to the one thing that seemed to contradict Kurumi's theory: her own identity. "Anyway, she said that it was just a theory, and it explains so much," Hikaru continued, her voice rising with excitement. "But there was one thing it failed to explain - why when I woke up for the first time in this world, I knew who I was... I was without memories, but I knew what my name was and also my real gender." She fell back onto the bed, feeling frustrated and confused. "If I didn't have a past, I shouldn't know anything," she mused aloud. "My knowledge would be as that of a newborn child... Does that have anything to do with my angel? Could it be that all that I'm going through is because I became a spirit? That would fill the hole in the theory." She let out a heavy sigh, the weight of the unknown bearing down on her. "There are so many questions and no answers," she lamented. "There's no point in trying to explain my situation right now. It's better to focus on a way out of this mess." She paused, taking a deep breath to collect her thoughts. "If my angel is the cause of this, maybe if I get rid of it, I would be safe. But how? Would sealing it count? I would try, but that would be risky. If I was wrong, and the boy gained my power, that would cause so much impact, and the would know about me." Hikaru racked her brain for another solution. "There's another idea that would work, but it's way riskier than the first one, and more cursed for me" she finally admitted, the weight of the plan heavy on her heart. "What would happen if I got pregnant? The future and past form with the born of a new life, so if I borrow a child, what would happen? The would know about me, there's no doubt about it. But how would it react? Would it erase me and the child, or give me and the child a new identity in its world?" Overwhelmed by the gravity of her thoughts, Hikaru decided to let her mind rest for the night. "I was thinking of getting a child as a 9, but now as a 6. What a change in the event," she murmured, dragging her head into the pillow. ... The morning sun rose, casting its warm glow on the streets as Tohka, Shido, and Hikaru strolled to their school. Shido appeared preoccupied, chattering away on his communication device, while Tohka and Hikaru chatted merrily. Despite the pleasant weather, Tohka's smile seemed forced, and Hikaru noticed a hint of worry in her eyes. As they approached the school, Shido broke their conversation, "You guys can go to class before me, I have something to do." Hikaru and Tohka exchanged a concerned glance, "Okay, but don't be late, the class is about to start," Hikaru replied. "Let's go, Nee-san," she said to Tohka, who nodded in agreement and waved goodbye to Shido. As Shido waved back, he muttered, "Good, now let's start the work." ... Hikaru settled into her seat in the classroom, noticing Tohka's troubled expression once again. She glanced at the class clock and realized that there was still some time before the class began. Hikaru decided to approach Tohka to see if everything was alright. As she drew closer, she noticed three unfamiliar girls surrounding Tohka. 'Those are the weird girls from before,' Hikaru thought to herself. "Is there something wrong?" Hikaru asked as she approached them. "Is there something wrong?" Hikaru asked as she approached them The girls turned, surprised by the sudden interruption. "Hmm? You know her?" the girl with yellow hair asked her friends. They both shook their heads, and the yellow-haired girl asked, "Who are you?" Hikaru just glanced at them, thinking to herself. "What are you talking about, guys? She's Hikaru, she transferred to this school on the same day as I did," Tohka cut in, answering for Hikaru. The girls exchanged glances, confused. "She did?" they said in unison. "Don't worry, it's not the first time. People usually forget about me because I don't talk too much," Hikaru said, giving them a small smile. "Oh, is that so?" they said, feeling bad. "Anyway, what's the news here? It seems you guys suddenly approached my sister." "Sister!?" they shouted in surprise. "Yeah, sister. Can you guys please answer me?" Hikaru asked, her eyes narrowing. "Oh! Yes, of course. You see, we saw Tohka-san feeling down, and we tried to help," the girl with brown hair answered. Hikaru took a long glance at Tohka, who avoided her gaze. "Shido," Hikaru muttered, and Tohka blushed, nodding in agreement. Hikaru kept her gaze on Tohka for a moment before saying, "I'm out of here. You guys can help her." She turned to leave, returning to her seat. ... The sound of the class bell echoed throughout the room, marking the end of another school day. The teacher cleared her throat and spoke in a monotone voice, "Okay, students, that's all for today. Don't forget your homework, and I'll see you after the weekend." Hikaru let out a sigh of relief as she stood up, her muscles sore from sitting in the uncomfortable chair for so long. Despite the discomfort, she knew that enduring it was worth it too. She glanced over at Shido and Tohka and noticed that they seemed lost in thought. "What's on their minds?" she wondered as she made her way over to Shido. "Boy, I'm going first. I want to borrow some books from the library," she said, grabbing Shido's attention. "Oh, sure. Just be careful on your way there. And also..." Shido hesitated, his voice trailing off. Hikaru knew exactly what he was referring to. "Don't worry, I'll keep my end of the deal," she assured him before turning to Tohka. "Good luck," she said with a nod. Tohka looked confused, not understanding the reference. Hikaru shook her head and chuckled. "They overthink things, especially for their age," she thought to herself as she left the classroom. .... Hikaru stepped out of the library as the sun began to set, clutching onto a pile of books about light theory. She felt a sense of urgency to absorb as much knowledge as she could about her powers, hoping to reach her full potential. The warm hues of the sun's descent illuminated the sky in a stunning display of colors. Hikaru paused on a small bridge, gazing at the beauty before her. The thought that this could be her last time witnessing such a sight weighed heavy on her heart. The thought that this could be her last time witnessing such a sight weighed heavy on her heart A sig. h escaped her lips as she continued her journey. "I mustn't be so dramatic," she reminded herself. "I wonder what the boy is cooking for dinner... I hope it's a juicy hamburger." ... Upon arriving home, Hikaru fished the key out of her skirt pocket, " I didn't know a skirt could have a pocket in it" she thought as she pushed open the door and was immediately met with a heavy silence that hung in the air. "They haven't come back yet?" she wondered, making her way through the dimly lit house. She was about to head to her room when she heard a familiar voice scream in the living room. "Shido!" Hikaru ran toward the source of the sound, only to stop short upon witnessing what was happening. Tohka was on her knees, exposing her chest, with something in her mouth. Shido was standing nearby, looking like he was trying to run away, his face red with embarrassment. Hikaru's gaze flickered between the two of them. Hikaru was momentarily speechless, her eyes shifting between the two. But her silence was short-lived as Shido suddenly spoke up. "Wait! Hikaru, it's not what it looks like!" he protested, his embarrassment evident. Hikaru let out a sigh and made to leave. "Just clean up the mess when you're done, and don't do it on the food staples," she said "no wait you got the wrong ID-" and before shido finished his sentence hikaru closed the door behind him. "Am I just imagining things, or does he always seem to find himself in these kinds of situations" she muttered to herself. "Poor guy, he must be under some kind of curse."

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