You Look Familiar

People...

...People fill their minds with illusions.

Illusions of people they love. People they hate.

People who yet live. People now dead.

Every time they meet someone new, or go their separate ways, those illusions multiply.

At times, these illusions may blend. They may intersect with our own egos, or alter egos.

The possible combinations are endless.

As such, the human heartthe human mindcan be said to be a world unto itself, where countless personalities intermingle.

To borrow a term used by the great scholars and philosophers of old, this inner world can be called...

...a microcosmos.

I see.

It's true. People do contain worlds within themselves.

It's how they can live on even within the confines of eternal imprisonment.

Conversely, without that inner world, no one could possibly endure eternal solitude.

Nor could one bide one's time waiting for a guiding lightfor the stars.

Yes...you may well be right. I admit I am ill-equipped to speak on that matter.

If the physical world ruled by time and space is a macrocosmos...

...then a truly boundless celestial body freed from the unyielding bonds of time and space...

...would be a true microcosmos.

You have one. And so does he.

Yes... I suppose we do.

I just got home myself.

I thought we were out of mild curry roux, so I stopped by the supermarket on my way home.

Yeah.

Exactly!

？！

I'll be helping Auntie in the kitchen, so please, have as much as you like.

Hi, Fujimaru!

Oh, hi, Kyrie. Did you walk home with my brother again?

？！

Huh? What're you talking about? Hehe, you can be so weird sometimes, Fujimaru.

Hey, Kyrie. We're having curry for dinner today, right?

That's right!

Yay! Hehe, you almost always join us on Curry Day. That's why I love it.

You love it too, right, Fujimaru?

Hehehe. Do I?

Yeah!

...Wait. Were you gonna use her full name? How come you're being all weird?

Hehe. Gee, which part could you be talking about?

？！

... ...

A-Auntie's in the kitchen now, right? I-I-I'd better hurry and bring her the roux.

Ooh, you got mild! Yay!

Of course. I'd never forget that's the one you prefer.

You still had some medium spicy roux here, but were all out of mild.

Thanks, Kyrie! You're the best!

I can't wait! Curry, curry♪ Today is Curry Day♪

Hey, where're you going, Fujimaru?

You can't go in that room.

We're supposed to stay out of Daddy's study, remember?

？！

Uh-huh!

Now c'mon! Mommy's been waiting for you to get home!

Fujimaru's back, Mommy! And he brought Kyrie, too!

She got mild roux for us! Isn't that great!?

...Welcome home.

？！

You got mild roux for us, Kyrie? My goodness, thank you. You didn't have to do that, you know.

It's no problem! You're always letting me join you for dinner, so this is the least I could do.

Let me borrow an apron, and I'll help cook.

Borrow? Don't be silly. How many times have I told you the pink apron is yours?

...Right. I'm sorry, Auntie.

Teehee, that's quite all right. But please, don't ever think twice about using it.

As far as we're concerned, you're family.

...Thank you, Auntie.

Hmm, maybe I'll help out, too.

Well then, would you please wipe and set the table?

'Kaaay.

Oh, don't you worry. Just go change out of your uniform.

It'll still be a little while until dinner, so why don't you go change out of your uniform?

？！

...

？！

I'm sorry. We're still cooking, so I'll be heading right back to the kitchen in a moment.

But first, um...

...there's something I wanted to tell you.

... ...

I had a dream.

Yes. Just a dream.

And yet...even now, I can still see it as though it were burned into my eyes.

...Can I tell you what happened in my dream?

？！

In my dream...

...everything in the worldyou, me, everyone we know...

...had all turned to pure white...

Morning, Fujimaru! Do you want toast or rice with your breakfast?

We've also got piping hot sunny-side up eggs and sausage!

Two slices sound good? Okay, then you'll probably want corn soup instead of miso.

Corn soup? I'll have toast too, then.

Fine, fine. Go on, you two, have a seat. You can butter the toast yourselves, okay?

Can I have mine with jam or peanut butter instead? Pleeease?

Sorry, but no.

Hmph.

Got it. It's already cooked, so can you serve yourself? As for the miso soup

I'll serve that! Ew, this miso soup has mushrooms in it? Blech.

Hey, none of that. That's bad manners.

Hmph.

Anyway, if you're having rice, would you like some natto to go with it? It's in the fridge if you want it.

I'll get it for you!

？！

...Man, I wish Kyrie would have breakfast with us, too.

I've been telling her the same thing, but she insists that dinner is more than enough.

Why don't you encourage her to join us for breakfast too, Fujimaru?

？！

Great, thank you.

Now come on, you two, hurry up. You need to leave for school soon!

'Kaaay!

Good morning, Senpai.

It looks like we won't have the best weather today, but at least they aren't saying it should rain.

See you later! Oh, hi, Kyrie.

Good morning. Would you like to walk to school together, at least part of the way?

Yeah!

Okay. My pleasure. Here, why don't you hold my hand?

Are you sure?

Yes, of course. W-would you like to join us, Senpai?

(Staaare)

Gotcha!

Aah! D-did you just grab Senpai's hand without asking!?

Now I'll just hold on to you with my other hand, and... Hehe, it's like I'm a captured alien!

Ooh, you're gonna hold my hand too, Fujimaru? Yay!

Okay, now that I've got Kyrie's hand in my right and Fujimaru's in my left...

Ahaha, I feel like a captured alien!

？！

???

So this is what you three were up to out by the front door. Teehee, you're all adorable.

But make sure you stay out of the street, okay? You don't want to get run over.

Yes, Auntie.

'Kaaay.

All right, you three, off you go. Be careful, okay?

？！

Morning! You make it back home okay last night?

Mornin'.

Morning, Himeko! Morning, Ricardo!

Good morning! Thank you so much for passing on my message to Senpai yesterday.

Thanks to you, he made it to Curry Day without problem.

Yeah?

It was yummy! I love Curry Day curry!

So, what did you think of your childhood friend's homemade curry?

Oh? That blushing... Does that mean your childhood friend's homemade curry was just that good?

？！

Well!? How was it!?

Damn, don't scare me like that. I swear, you always get so worked up.

How could I NOT be worked up about this!? Your childhood friend making you curry is a REALLY big deal!

Having that in your high school life makes it a totally different thing than if you didn't!

Hmm, I think I know what you mean.

Really? 'Cause I've never had much homemade curry, let alone any from a friend.

Then you're wasting your youth!

Do you WANT me to cry? Is that it?

U-um, if you like, I'd be happy to make curry for all of you sometime!

!!!

A-are you sure!? I mean, I'd love that, but...

Kyrie's homemade curry made with a heaping helping of love? I-I-I'd love to try that, but, I don't know...

I don't think I could let myself get in the way of my biggest ship...

Ship? You're shipping your classmate and kouhai now?

Not important! Shipping is deep in my soul. It cannotnay, WILL NOT be controlled!

I-if you say so.

...Oh, my school's off that way, so I'm gonna go.

See you tonight, Fujimaru and Kyrie!

'Kaaay.

Bye-bye!

？！

...There she goes. Your sister sure is a fast runner.

I'll say. Look at her go.

...Ah, crap, we'd better hurry, too. We're cutting it really close.

Aw, we'll be fine, no? Here, look at the time.

See? It's fi

Hm? Th-that's strange. It says it's 8:25, which means...

We'll all be marked tardy if we're not there by 8:30! C'mon!

Let's run, Senpai!

？！

Let's go!

Phew! Just made it!

Good grief. Surely you can come to school with a bit more time to spare than this.

I'm sorry, Mr. Salieri! We'll be more careful in the future!

I would expect this sort of close call from Andou Ricardo and Osakabe Himeko, but an honor student like you, Kyrie?

Oh well. These things happen when you're spending time with friends. Just try not to get so caught up in enjoying yourselves that you lose track of time.

Hm?

Senpai? Is something wrong?

Huh? Why do you look so freaked out by Mr. Salieri, Fujimaru?

Hm?

S-Senpai!?

Yikes, you scared me again. What's going on with you today, Fujimaru?

？！

？！

Ha ha ha. Haaa ha ha ha ha! You've got potential, reacting to Mr. Salieri's face like that!

Th-that voice!

I'd recognize it anywhere! That voice belongs to the eccentric prince of the music world... Amatsuka-senpai from the senior class!

Hup!

Goood morning, Mr. Salieri. Thanks so much for taking gate duty again this morning!

Eeek! Amatsuka-senpai looks amazing today! Like always!

Why thank you, everyone. It's true, of course, but it's still kind of you to say so!

？！

？！

Oh, it's you, Amatsuka.

!!!

There it is! Even though Mr. Salieri is one of the few true gentlemen at this school...

...he's always seemed to have it in for Amatsuka-senpai! It's just as if...as if...

Dehehehehe, as if...!

Please calm down, Osakabe-senpai! Stay with us!

Uh, never mind me! It's Mr. Salieri! He's the one who needs to calm down!

I assure you, Osakabe Himeko, I am perfectly calm. I ask that you try to be as well.

Ahahahaha! You guys always know how to put on a good show!

Oh, don't worry, Mr. Salieri, that includes you, too. I'd never do anything to exclude you.

That's quite all right. I wasn't worried.

Hahahaha, so curt!

Oh well, that's nothing new. Anyway, how about you guys? Have you considered joining the school band!?

You do know we're almost seniors ourselves, right?

Oh, that doesn't matter. Music cares nothing for your age.

...That is true, yes.

Eee! They're agreeing! I ship them so hard!

You've got a lot of ships, don't you?

I-I guess, but...love is a great source of power, you know?

So when you love lots of things, it's like having multiple engines working together.

？！

Wh-when you love...lots of things...

Oho, what's this? It looks like somebody's making the most of their youth.

Sure, youth, whatever.

Youth is all well and good, but now is neither the time nor the place to be discussing it.

Enough dawdling. Get to your homerooms.

Yes, sir!

Hahahahahaha! Then farewell for now, my young friends!

Oh. Hey, Fujimaru.

？！

No sweat. Just don't go wandering into more back alleys, yeah?

Next time, you might not be so lucky.

Y-you went into a back alley, Senpai?

Damn, seriously? That's way too reckless.

Yeah, you were really playing with fire. Who knows what kind of bad guys could be lurking around places like that?

Okay, everyone, no more chatting in the hallway. Get to your classes before homeroom starts!

You're a freshman, right, Kyrie? You should know your class is on the floor below!

Y-yes, ma'am. See you at lunch then, Senpai.

Bye, Kyrie. Morning, Fuka.

Don't call me that. You really should be calling me Ms. Katsume.

Not that I mind, personally. It just sets a bad example for the other teachers, you know?

Yeah, yeah.

You mean, "Yes, ma'am"! Now seriously, go on, everyone. Get to your classrooms.

...Hm?

Is something wrong, Fujimaru? Did you forget which desk is yours?

Well, we did just change our seating arrangement, so I can't blame you. You're in the front row, second from my left.

？！

Very good.

Now then, before we begin, I have an announcement to make.

Some of you may already know this, but today...we're getting a transfer student!

Oh man. A new kid, at this point in the school year?

An out of season transfer student... I sense more youthful encounters!

Keep it down, you two.

The assistant homeroom teacher just brought him here now, so let me introduce him.

Come on in.

... ...

？！

Okay, everyone, quiet, please. Yes, the new member of our class is an exchange student from overseas.

Can you tell us a little about yourself?

...Sure.

I'm not from Japan. My name's Hassan-i Sabbah.

...Call me Hassan.

？！

Man, you sure drew the short straw, huh, Fujimaru.

Of all the people Ms. Fuka could've picked to show the new guy around, she had to choose you.

...No, wait. This could actually be your lucky break.

？！

Well hey, it's all in how you look at it! Maybe you two'll end up being great friends, right!?

Besides, we can help with the tour and stuff.

Absolutely! I'd be happy to help too, Senpai.

？！

Anyway, Kyrie, I see you're more than prepared for lunch break, as always.

I mean, you brought a box lunch just for Fujimaru yet again, right?

W-well, yes, I did.

Yeah, you bring one pretty much every day. You even make them yourself and everything.

I-I do...

But only because Auntie asked me to make sure he always eats everything!

Oh man. If that's not the power of childhood friendship, I don't know what is.

(Sigh) This must be what it's like to be popular...

Aaargh!

...Ahem.

Y-you think? Is that all this is?

？！

Well, anyway, you'd better eat up so you have the energy to show him around after school.

I saw he was kinda glaring at you, so you've gotta make sure he knows you're not someone to mess with.

(Suddenly fired up)

Wh-whoa, whoa, easy there, Kyrie. Just take it easy, okay?

Then I'll have to make sure I'm extra ready when school gets out!

Hmph!

All right, let's get this school tour started. Wooo.

... ...

Come on, new kid.

...Okay.

Come ooon, could you be any more low-key!? Come on, Ricardo, pick up the energy!

How's the new kid supposed to get excited if we're not!?

But...this is what I'm always like...

？！

Don't worry, Senpai. I'll stay excited enough for everyone!

Come on, let's go! Wooo!

...Okay.

By the way, Hassan-senpai, I noticed that your armband says "Weekly Duty" on it.

But we don't have anything like that at this school, do we?

I, uh, don't think so?

...I see.

So then...does that mean it's from the last school you went to!?

...Maybe.

Deadpan to a fault...

This is the hallway. Though I guess that's pretty obvious...

This is the music room.

And this is, well, the area behind the school.

I guess it's not really part of the tour, but it's a good shortcut to the gym and clubhouse.

This is the gym, and

Oh, looks like someone's here. Is there a club practicing today?

Oh, hello.

I'm so sorry. Are you on the boys basketball team?

We're holding a student council meeting in the gym, so you can't practice here today. Maybe you missed the announcement?

I know, I'll talk to your captain directly. Or maybe you'd prefer I talk to your faculty advisor?

...We're not on the basketball team.

Hm?

Oh, I'm sorry, Student Council President! Y-you misunderstand. We

Uh, no, we're not on the basketball team. We're showing a new transfer student around the school.

Oh, is that all?

Yes, that's me. I'm Towano Marie. And, um...

Please, just Marie. I won't be the student council president forever, you know.

And, I believe your name was...

？！

？！

Oh yes, I know. You're the "Senpai" Kyrie's always talking about, right?

I don't think we've ever spoken in person before.

It's nice to officially meet you, Fujimaru.

Kyrie was right. You DO have beautiful eyes.

Hehe. It's a pleasure.

？！

I wish we could talk more, but I'm afraid I have a meeting with the vice-principal.

See you later, everyone! I hope you have a lovely time at our school!

Ahh. President Marie is so awesome...

Now that I've been blasted with Marie Particles, I should be a full-blown nobilité for at least a week. Ehehe.

Particles? Also, I don't think your French is all that great.

... ...

I have no idea what you're talking about.

Do you, Fujimaru?

？！

Really? Impressive.

Oh, someone just texted me. Let's see...

...Oh, yeah, right. Kyrie, the freshman geography teacher's looking for you.

Something about tomorrow's lesson materials first thing in the morning?

Oh, right! The projector! Got it.

Well, I'll see you later, Senpai. I'm sorry I have to leave early.

I'm sorry to you too, Hassan-senpai.

It's fine. You have a job to do, right? Go do it, then.

Thank you!

Hold on. The geography projector's pretty heavy on its own, but there's also a lot of equipment and film to go with it, right?

And she shouldn't have to carry it all on her own, right? Yeah, yeah, I see where this is going.

Okay, I'll help you. I know my way around the projector and all that, anyway. Come on, Ricardo, you too.

Yeah, okay. The only thing left to show Hassan's the clubhouse...

...and I think you can handle that by yourself.

？！

？！

Thank you both. Okay, Senpai, see you later.

I wish we could walk home together today, but...

...I'm afraid I have to stop somewhere kind of far away on my way back. I'm really, really sorry.

？！

All right... Well, I'll at least see you tonight then!

...They're gone.

... ...

Now I get it. So this is what it feels like.

I couldn't tell with those other people around, but now that it's just the two of us, I can tell exactly what kind of place this is.

It's especially bad here. All shadows, no people.

？！

You mean you haven't noticed?

Something's coming.

Wolves? Or maybe stray dogs?

Whatever they are, they're almost on us. Watch yourself!

？！

The ravenous dogs will be here soon, too. Stand back. I'll deal with them.

Take this!

？！

？！

... ...

...Huh.

I've been wondering what you'd be like. You're more experienced than I expected.

I've never heard of anyone summoning shadows of Heroic Spirits to fight for them before. Interesting.

？！

Isn't it obvious? No human could have survived those flames.

So, what do you make of that?

？！

Never mind the pack animals. They might not be ordinary stray dogs, but they're still fodder.

I'm talking about the thing that looked like fire.

I have no idea what it could be.

All I know for sure is, I'd really rather not let it burn me.

It kind of felt like...an illusion that reached all the way down to the depths of my Spirit Origin.

Have you got any idea what it was?

？！

"Yet," huh.

？！

So that's how you're going to approach this, huh. ...Fine. We'll do this your way.

You don't have to show me around anymore. Let's end things here.

...And next time, be more careful.