Flag 6.1

I was once looking bleakly at the ceiling. The next thing I knew, everything faded and was slowly enveloped with darkness.

In that darkness, there was nothing but this immense silence. I looked around but there was nothing else to see but this endless void. It was as if time stood still. It was very pitch black. And I was alone. There was nothing to keep me company…

.. Except a tune.

In the midst of this nothingness, I can feel my ears ringing. I can hear the gentle sounds of a piano and it was playing a slow and melancholic tune. It was a beautiful song. A work of art, I can say. The perfect lullaby.

Then soon, it wasn't only the music. I was starting to feel something lightweight and familiar against my palm. And if it wasn't the wind that I am feeling against my skin now, I must have been imagining things.

Before long I realized what the problem was.

My eyes were closed the whole time.

And when I opened it, everything was very different. It was neither the ceiling nor the immense darkness anymore. It was now my empty classroom back in Maijima Private Academy. And in my hands lay a shimmering white PFP.

What am I doing here?

"Wait a minute."

I was startled to hear a voice come from behind me.

I turned around to see who it was. Then I paused for a second to take one good look at this person.

She had long black hair which fell down to the sides of her check. She had blue eyes which were partially hidden by her thin-rimmed glasses. She had fair, alabaster-like skin. She was looking at me intently, and it was making me uneasy.

"I believe you are playing the game 'Destiny', right?" The girl said.

I looked at my PFP. Asora, the heroine from a game I played before, was indeed on the screen showing the part where you would be giving her the silver pendant.

I felt my pulse racing faster.

Doki-doki.

What the heck is happening?

In the midst of all this confusion, I tried playing the game. With a little analytical thinking, I tried the Asora Combo 3.

She continued talking. "And if I heard right, you are going to use the Asora Combo 3. Well, if you used that combo it will lead you to rejection. Why don't you just try saying yes two times to Asora?"

How did she know that I was going to use the Asora Combo 3? And why did she just give me advice?

That angered me so much.

I managed to regain my composure. I stood up straight and with an air of pride, I started to talk to her.

"If you would mind, I believe I am the one playing the game. And if you have not known, I am the capturing god. You are just a worthless 3D girl whom I believe knows nothing of the gaming world. So if you would excuse me, I have a game to finish."

I pressed a few buttons. And by the last action, I finally reached the end.

I hate you. I hate you.

Wait. Why is she saying those words? I double-checked again, but the screen otherwise showed a very angry Asora.

I hate you. I hate you.

What have gone wrong?

As I was thinking, the girl behind me suddenly came and leaned closer. She pressed a few buttons on my PFP then sighed. Soon, I watched her leave for the door.

There was complete silence except for the sounds coming from my PFP.

Conquest Successful, it read across the screen.

My heart was beating loudly. It timed with the tune that was playing in the background.

Ja mata ne

[See you later]

Te wo futta

[We waved our hands]

The melancholic tune played, filling the silence.

Ushiro sugata anna ni mou

[The figure of your back is enough]

Slowly everything dimmed again. And before I could even think, the lights went up again.

This time, surprisingly, I was in a video game store.

Before me was a long isle of gal games. And right in front of me, the section of the newly released gal games displayed a copy of the game Fate. It seemed to be a new version. Happy as I have always been with these chances despite the weird circumstances, I reached out my hand to claim it.

Suddenly another hand reached for the same copy. I felt the soft-skinned hand at my palm. I jumped in surprise. But I was even more surprised to see that the person beside me was the girl I saw a while ago.

I stood there, still in shock. Embarrassed like I am, she held her arm back and looked down to the floor. She pushed her eyeglasses to the bridge of her nose and whispered an apology. I was about to say sorry, too, but my mouth ran dry for a second. I felt my face getting hotter and my pulse getting faster, and yet again, the melody resounded in my head.

Yuugure no hitonami ni

[Within the evening crowds]

Yuurenagara chisaku naru

[Your faint flicker beomes small]

Then all of a sudden, I didn't know what was happening to me right at the moment. It took a good fifteen seconds to realize what was happening around me.

Unknowingly, I was talking and laughing with her the whole time. We were having a normal and carefree conversation. More surprisingly, we were smiling at each other.

A sudden wave of shock struck me.

What was happening?

Before I knew it, I was dashing through the door.

As I stepped outside, a bright light flashed before my very eyes. It left me blind. I couldn't see anything. A few seconds later, though, I was already able to see a figure.

And when my vision cleared up again, I noticed I was in a different place now. I was on the streets of Maijima.

But I wasn't alone. Five feet beside me, the girl from a while ago came into view.

"How do you fix your hair in the morning, Katsuragi-san?" The girl suddenly asked, breaking the silence.

I winced. How did she know my name?

"Gomenasai," she suddenly whispered. "It's just that-"she paused for a second. "You have weird hair. It looks like it hasn't been combed for years. And what's up with your face?"

She then started to giggle.

I was really annoyed. I was in the middle of all this confusion then suddenly this girl makes fun of how I look.

Then she suddenly stopped laughing. She leaned towards me and looked straight at me with those blue eyes.

"Your eyes, they are beautiful."

It caught me off guard.

I can feel my chest tightening. I had that unusual feeling again.

I pushed my way ahead of her, trying to run away. I cannot take any more of this.

But she grabbed my hand before I can walk any further.

The melody in my head grew louder.

Anata ga kureta kotoba wo

[The one word you give me]

Hitotsuzutsu omoidashi me wo tojita

[Stocks up my feelings as I close my eyes]

And suddenly by a blink of an eye, everything suddenly changed.

I looked around and wondered where I was. There were so many people. I looked up and I spotted a banner hung in front of us.

I was surprised.

It read Welcome to the Annual Gamers Convention and Festival.

I was completely surprised. Did I say that?

"Well, are we just going to stand here or are we going in?" A voice suddenly said.

Then I realized I was with the same girl again.

She took me by the hand, and I felt butterflies in my stomach.

Shiawase na omoi dake, Koko ni aru hazu nanoni

[Though right here, I only had happy feelings]

This feeling was surreal. Words can't even describe how I feel right now.

I found myself in the midst of all of the festivities. I was happily moving from one store to another, seeing the most popular games in the whole world, including galge. I looked around exhibits and joined gamers from all across the country. It was an overwhelming scene.

But soon, I realized that the girl was still with me. She had a radiant smile on her face. She brought me to one place to another. And surprisingly, I had so much fun. The girl didn't annoy or disturb me anymore.

But when we headed to one bazaar, I had the strangest feeling. She threw stuff at me, one after another. She wore them in a goofy fashion. And I don't know what got into me but I joined her. She laughed at how hysterical I looked.

Fuan ni naru

[I become uneasy]

Doushitenano kokoro ga furueteru no

[I wonder why my heart is trembling]

Soon, it seemed that the day was about to end. I found myself now on a bench overlooking the lake. The water turned into different shades of yellow, orange and red.

The girl was sitting right beside me and for the first time, I saw the stranger without the glasses. The girl looked even more- I thought of the word- beautiful.

Now I was wondering again to myself what has gotten into me.

I stood up. The cold wind blew.

She smiled at me again.

What was happening?

When I turned around, I felt something grasping my hand. I turned back. The girl was there, and she was so close.

I felt my heart racing and my chest tightening.

"I have one more question for you," the girl asked.

The melody in my head was stronger than ever this time. My ears were ringing.

Tsutaetai motto sou

[I want these overflowing feelings]

"Will you ever fall in love?"

Afureteru kono kimochi

[I want to tell them all to you]

I didn't know what she was saying and I didn't know what she meant by it.

Then my mind went back to the first time I met this strange girl who appeared out of nowhere.

Just say yes resounded in my head over and over.

I took a deep breath.

Suki dakara

[Because I love you]

It was something I had never imagined to do for the real. I took her hand.

Then all I can remember is the feeling of pulling the girl closer.

Suki Dakara

[Because I love you]

And then everything went blank again. Everything was disappearing.

The crowd, the festivities, the setting sun, and the beautiful blue eyed stranger; all of them disappeared.

And now all I am seeing now is the same ceiling I saw from the beginning of this confusion.

Zettai suki dakara.

[Because I absolutely love you]

It had all been just a dream.

….

….

DISCLAIMER: The song presented in this chapter of the fanfic (entitled Suki Dakara, originally performed by Katou Izumi for the soundtrack of the anime Bokura Ga Ita) does not belong to the author of this fanfic.