As Kagura walked into the classroom, she felt as though something were off. It was the same classroom as before, but the colors were all wrong. The desks were the right color, as was the floor. The sky was a little brighter than usual, the walls a little bit greener. The writing on the blackboard was familiar yet illegible. She felt herself walking at a normal pace, yet felt like she was moving at a hundred miles per hour. As she approached Sakaki, she noticed Kaorin was already there. "Kagura." Sakaki said, looking at Kaorin. A black aura began to form around Sakaki and Kagura felt physcially removed from the room. She stared on as Sakaki and Kaorin talked, and then found herself walking down to the cafeteria. Osaka sat across from her eating a large loaf of melon bread, gently gnawing away at it. Kagura looked around and saw Sakaki at a table with Kaorin, Chihiro, Yomi, and the others. "What are they doing over there?" Kagura asked Osaka. "The melon breads gone." answered the Osakan. Kagura saw the melon bread still in her hand. She was whisked away once more, this time to the path where Kagura and Sakaki normally walked home. The tomboy looked on as she saw her best friend walking home alone with Kaorin. As Kagura tried to run towards them, her surroundings shifted again and she found herself in a large barn. Unsure of where to go, she tried to climb up a ladder next to her, but she lost her footing and fell into a hole in the ground. "Take my hand!" Yomi said as she reached down, but Kagura was unable to reach her, for her arms were already being consumed by the hole.
Kagura's eyes burst open and she sat up in her bed. Her eyes darted around the room and her hand gripped the bedsheets. She panted for a moment, then slowed her breaths. Kagura fell back on her bed and checked her watch.
3:23 am.
She dropped her arms down, then rubbed her eyes. Kagura reminisced about the dream she just had, thinking about what she had seen and what she had felt, the physical sensation of entrapment still present in her mind, causing her to cringe every time it entered into her train of thought. After getting past the barn part of her dream, she began to focus on the Sakaki and Kaorin aspect. Her mind wandered about what it meant, whether it was just a manifestation of her future or a vision of things to come. A strong feeling of dread engulfed the girl, dragging her emotions down considerably. Kagura got up from her bed and crouched down, reaching beneath her bed. She grasped onto a soft, squishy object and pulled it out. It was the plush Sakaki had given her. Kagura crawled back under the covers and held the gift close to her. She closed her eyes and hoped that what she had seen was nothing more than a dream.
Meanwhile, at Kaorin's house, Kaorin found herself lying in bed awake. Chihiro slept peacefully next to her on the floor, nestled comfortably under the covers. Kaorin laid in her bed and thought a bit about Sakaki, how she had enjoyed spending time with her, and how nice it felt to be around her. For every thought she had about the tall dark haired girl, she had another about her faith. One the inside, she knew that she could never realistically obtain a real relationship with Sakaki. She knew that it would be impossible to live two lives at once, one honoring unto God and one following her hearts desires. Kaorin wrestled with these contradicting ideas in her head, constantly seeking a middle ground, but never finding any. Being careful not to wake her friend, Kaorin stepped out of bed and snuck past her, silently opening the door just a crack and sliding through it. She made her way to the kitchen, being careful not to wake her mother or friend. Reaching up, she opened the cabinet and took out a glass, bringing it over to the sink to fill it up with water. Kaorin took frequent sips of the water, thinking more and more about her predicament. When she was done with her drink, she carefully placed the glass in the sink and quietly made her way back to the room. She slipped back through to door and closed it quietly, without disturbing her sleeping friend. The girl tip toed over to the bed and climbed back under the covers. Her hand reached out to the wall and grasped onto the stuffed penguin she slept with. She held it tight next to her and closed her eyes, trying her best to fall asleep. "Why me, Lord?" She thought. "Why does it have to be me?"