Echoes of Fractured Realities: The Convergence Beyond Worlds

Ep 2 : A Quiet Connection

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Tuesday – the second day of school. I arrived at school at the same time as yesterday, and once again, I saw her—the same teacher from before.

"Morning, E.S.," she greeted me with that same unreadable smile as she unlocked the gate.

As I walked down the hallway, I noticed a boy with green hair struggling to carry a stack of books. Feeling a little braver today, I approached him.

"Need any help with those?" I offered.

He glanced at me briefly before shaking his head. "I'm fine, thanks."

I gave him a small smile, waved goodbye, and continued to my classroom. Once I found my seat, I took out my book and started reading to pass the time. A few minutes later, I felt a light tap on my shoulder. I looked up to see a girl with dark-orange hair and eyes to match. She smiled brightly at me.

"Hi! I'm Shoma Kararu," she said cheerfully. "I'm 14. I've been studying here since I was 10, so if you ever need help with anything, feel free to ask me."

I smiled back, feeling a bit more at ease. "Thanks, I'll keep that in mind."

We chatted for a bit, her energy easing some of the tension I'd been carrying all morning. Before I knew it, the teacher arrived, and I was surprised by how quickly time had flown by.

At lunchtime, I decided to eat near the beach by the gym. There was something about the air there that felt calming and refreshing. I had just started eating when a familiar voice broke through my thoughts.

"The weather is really nice here, isn't it..." Shoma said in a relaxed tone.

Startled, I looked up to see her standing beside me, smiling. I hadn't noticed her approach at all.

"When did you get here?!" I asked, surprised. "I didn't even hear you coming."

She laughed, a soft, carefree sound that made me smile despite myself. "Oh, that? It's just a habit of mine."

"Seriously," I said, curious, "how come you didn't make any noise? I barely felt you coming."

Shoma sat down beside me and explained. "Well, I used to be really noisy, always talking too loudly. It got to the point where people complained about my voice all the time. So, I thought if I could at least lower the noise when I walked, maybe people wouldn't be so annoyed. I tried walking quietly once—and somehow, my voice became quieter too. Now I'm so used to it, I do it without thinking."

"That sounds exhausting, having to do that every time you want to talk to someone," I said, feeling a bit bad for her. "Maybe you could try something different. Instead of holding back your footsteps, why not close your eyes and take a deep breath before speaking? It might help you find a balance."

She nodded thoughtfully. "I'll try that, thanks."

Before we could continue, the bell rang, signaling we had 15 minutes until classes resumed.

"We'd better head back," she said, standing up and brushing the dust off her skirt. "Thanks again! See you later."

She waved and ran off toward the building. I quickly gathered my things and hurried to my class, setting a timer on my phone to make sure I didn't lose track of time again. As I focused on what the teacher was writing on the board, I couldn't help but think about our conversation. Shoma was... different, but in a good way.

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After school, the teacher asked me to bring some papers to her desk. I did as I was told, said goodbye, and walked out of the building. Checking my watch, I saw that it was only 4:06 p.m., so I decided to explore the library since I hadn't had a chance to visit it yet.

I wandered around the library for a few minutes, scanning the shelves. Then, out of the corner of my eye, I noticed the boy with green hair from earlier, sitting quietly and reading. I thought about approaching him but decided against it. He seemed so absorbed in his book that I didn't want to disturb him. So, I quietly slipped out of the library as quickly as possible, thinking the faster, the better.

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3rd Person POV

I heard footsteps approaching the front of the library. I didn't bother to turn around, assuming it was just a teacher. But when the footsteps came closer, they stopped. Then, they moved away again. Someone must be exploring the library, I thought, returning to my book.

After a while, I heard the steps again. This time, they came closer and then stopped suddenly, only to turn back toward the exit. Confused, I glanced over my shoulder and saw her—the girl from this morning, the one who had approached me with that beautiful smile. I hadn't expected to see her again. I was too shy to ask her name earlier, and now, I found myself unable to say anything. I'm such a coward. Next time, I'll ask her name for sure, I thought to myself, turning back to my book.

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My POV

I was relieved he didn't follow me. That meant I hadn't disturbed him after all. I made my way home and, once there, sat on the cool floor, enjoying the feeling of the cold tiles beneath me.

Ding! My phone buzzed with a notification. I checked it to find a text from Mom.

Hey, sweetheart. How's everything going? All fine here. Miss you!

I smiled, quickly texting back, I'm doing fine here too. Miss you too, Mom!

After replying, I set my phone aside and got back to my usual routine—cooking, taking a shower, cleaning up, finishing some homework, and reading a bit before bed. When I checked my phone again, it was 7:59 p.m.

I closed my eyes and thought, It's still a bit early to sleep, but today has been exhausting. The thought of doing anything else felt overwhelming. Laziness crept over me, and before I knew it, I drifted off to sleep.

My day ended with a familiar routine—cleaning, learning, eating, reading, and sleeping.

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