I Went Back to Being a High School Student Again, but I Was Rejected by My Childhood Friend, Whom I Thought Was In Love With Me, So I tried to Suicide With the Most Beautiful Girl In the School. - Chapter 2

Volume 1: A Promise　

Reunion

　A week had passed since I confessed my feelings to my childhood friend Koyoi and was rejected.

　After school, I looked at my classmates, who were happily chatting and laughing, and I frowned at the noisy voices.

　….They say that when you die, your memories come back to you. It’s called a Sōmatō (Flashback).

　Unfortunately, I, who thought I had died in my former world, don’t seem to be seeing it.

　There is an unmistakable sense of reality in this world, in everything I see with my eyes, hear with my ears, and touch with my skin.

　Then, if this is not a world of memories, what is this unreal phenomenon that I, who was around 30 years old, back as a high school boy?

　This is――I guess it is what people called [Time Leap].

　I have no idea what this means or why this unrealistic thing happened to me.

　I let out a deep sigh.

　I have never had any major regrets in my life.

　My only regret is that I could not express my feelings to Koyoi.

　Now that I’ve gotten rid of that, being asked to start my life over and be a high school student again seemed like a hassle to me.

　Besides, this time, my high school life had a handicap that I did not have in my previous high school life.

“You’re still feeling down? Come on, cheer up!”

“Yes-yes, there are many girls in this world besides your childhood friend Koyoi.”

“Besides, if you make that cool confession again, there won’t be any girl who won’t fall in love with you next time!”

　They look worried but also wear a half-smile to make fun of me, my classmates.

　I was so convinced that it was a revolving lantern of memories that I confessed my feelings to Koyoi in front of my classmates in the class without thinking about the time and place.

　By the way, I was summoned to the teacher’s office and ordered to submit a letter of remorse to the teacher and given a severe warning. The reason why I was not suspended maybe because I was rejected and the teacher felt sorry for me.

　So now I’m under the curious eyes of my classmates, and they’ve been teasing me about her rejection.

　To top it off, even the guys from other classes, whom I have never talked to before, have started to make fun of me.

　――I was annoyed, but it was just a temporary teasing by a bunch of country kids.

　They will soon get tired of it, and I know getting overly annoyed is only making me tired.

　The first semester is almost over.

　Most of us will study hard for the entrance examinations in the summer of the third year of high school.

　In the second semester, my confession will disappear from their minds.

　Even though I know that in my head… I can’t stop my annoyance.

　I leave my seat in silence.

　I want to go home quickly, but there is a high possibility that various people will accost me on my way home.

　I should wait for a while before going home.

　I left my bag and decided to leave the classroom for now.

　However, I bumped into a girl who was entering the classroom at an unlucky moment.

“Sorry.”

　I apologize to the girl who bumped into me and backed away.

“I’m sorry too! Ah, Akira…”

　The girl I bumped into was, of course, Koyoi.

　She looked at me and called my name with an awkward expression.

　I avoided her gaze and started to walk down the hallway.

　I took this as a chance to confess my feelings to her without any regret, but I still felt awkward.

　Koyoi was calling me again from behind, but I ignored her voice and went up the stairs.

　I finished climbing the stairs and arrived at the door leading to the rooftop.

　The door to the rooftop is always locked, and most of the students do not come up here.

　Even now, as usual, there was no one.

　I decided to stay here for a while, and then I leaned my body on the railing.

　To pass the time, I try to take out my old cell phone, which makes me feel nostalgic, from my pocket while the sound of heavy rain reaches my ears through the rooftop door.

　There has never been a sunny day since I came to the past. I know it was the rainy season, but such continuous rain was depressing for me.

　I naturally turned my eyes to the door. And now I realized something.

　The padlock, usually used to lock the door is not there and is open.

　I wondered if there was someone on the roof…　

　Curious, I slowly open the door.

　Although the visibility was not good due to the pouring rain, I found a student on the rooftop.

　She was wearing a girl’s uniform, but I couldn’t make out her face because of her back view.

　I was curious about who was on the rooftop and why, but I honestly did not want to walk in this rain without an umbrella…

　I tried to close the door, pretending that I didn’t see anything, but…

　Just before the door was about to close, I saw something that made me change my mind.

　That female student climbed over the railing.

　…Instantly, my mind is filled with bad premonitions.

　If she jumps and I miss her, I’ll feel terrible. I open the door again and hurry to walk up behind her.

　In no time, I was drenched all over.

　But the rain was a blessing in disguise because I reached behind her without being noticed.

　Slowly I put my hand on her shoulder so as not to startle her.

　――And at that moment, I remembered.

　In my memory, I had never heard of a student jumping from the roof of the school before the summer vacation.

　This girl, at least, would not have jumped today.

　I was relieved inside.

　But――

“…hands, let go of me.”

　She turned her head, and my memories came flooding back.

　Her expression seemed to be grim, not because her rain-soaked hair was sticking to her cheeks and annoying her.

　I could see a strong sense of caution in the way she looked at me.

“…Natsuki Mirai “

　Unintentionally, I muttered her name.

　She was a girl who had transferred from a high school in Tokyo in the spring of our second year.

　She is a sophisticated, innocent, beautiful city girl with excellent grades.

　She was said to be the most beautiful girl in this school, but I’m sure those compliments meant nothing to her.

“Hey, will you let go of your hand? “

　She said to me again.

　But I was not sure if I should let go of my hand.

　Because in the future that I know, before she graduates from this school――

　She had ended her life with her own hand.