Artificial Fantasy

Chapter 80: Reflections

It's been two days since the [Link Ant] incident. Despite our intentions to craft new weapons once our [Death Penalties] expired, we've been forced to continue it later due to various circumstances. For me, it's training with Ol' Wally with some blacksmithing techniques and learning how to forge several kinds of arrowheads. Turns out it's a bit time-consuming and I need to work them on the weekend to get the final product. Surprisingly, Kazuki is okay with the delay, but for a different reason. I've tried to talk to him, wondering if it's anything to do with that Zale guy Ellie mentioned, but he just ignores me as we log out. Normally, I would shrug it off. But I know Kazuki and I know something's up. So once our usual classes are over for today, Zac, Damon, and I decided to pick up Kazuki from school again to get to the bottom of his strange behavior.

As we arrive at his school's entrance though, I noticed that he's not standing near the gates, which is unusual considering he always waits there after school. I look around to see any signs of him, but all I see are random students chatting and hugging their parents who are there to pick them up. So we decide to wait there to see if he leaves.

We wait.

And wait...

And wait for nearly an hour...

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"Are you just going to stare at the gate with your thoughts set on ellipsis all day? It's been almost an hour."

Damon's got a point. Where the hell is he?! He's never been the type to break his promises and be tardy. I try to enter his school, but Zac grabs me by the shoulder and asks, "Are you sure, dude? Maybe he's just cooped up doing PE or something."

"Zac, he's always been bullied since the start of middle school. Plus, he's never the type to leave school without my permission. I can't just leave him be and wait for any horror stories to come out from the school from other teachers."

"But still, Hayate, maybe you're kind of being a bit of... I don't know what to call it... a paranoid freak?"

"Excuse me?!" I quickly grab his collar in anger and growls as I glare into his eyes. "Who are you calling a paranoid..."

"Hayate!"

My eyes widen at the familiar voice and when I turn around, I gasp to see Kazuki running out from the school building. This causes me to release Zac's collar as I run up to him. "Kazuki! You're late! Where have you've been? We've been waiting for almost an hour!"

"Wait, has it been that long?! Dang, I never thought reading would take up so much time at the library." The school library? That's where he's been the whole time?! "I spent a lot of time after school reading up on some stuff like paper-making stuff in the library computer and some books on some history of magic Mr. Cruz happily lent me. Um... Is there something wrong with that?"

I don't say anything at this point. I'm just too shocked to know that all of this time, he was just stuck in the library.

"Oh, I don't know. Maybe someone who has an irrational and paranoid mind thought you were getting bullied again or something?"

Goddammit, Zac! Why did you say that in front of my brother?!

"Bullied? Wait, is it because I was late? Hayate, I can't believe you would think that!" Double dammit! "I thought you promised not to be all snitchy in my daily life again!"

I had promised that after a few weeks of playing [Isekai]. Regardless, I take a deep breath and turn my eyes on him next. "It's because you haven't said anything after we last logged off from the game. What's bothering you lately? If it's about that Zale guy harassing you, I swear I..."