“He’s sleeping?”

Finally, after two years, or five days, Gin finally resurfaced from the mysterious room where time and gravity accelerates. He managed to survive a gravitational force a hundred times stronger than the force in the Earth. He also came out after living on his own without him seeing any shadow except for his own.

After the doors opened, he quickly went outside but immediately fell into deep slumber in front of Hiroomi and Sean.

Along with a sleeping Gin, the sound of beeping is once again present in the hospital-like room where he was treated five days ago.

***

Huh?

This sound… Good grief, this is nostalgic…

But hey, I finally heard that sound again, which is nice… but not really realistically. I think that means I finally went out of the Room of Reality.

I guess there’s one thing I can only do right now. Just like when I entered that room, and now that I exited it, I shall open my eyes again.

After I opened my eyes, I saw a familiar(?) one’s back washing his hand and another one reading a booklet.

I looked at the digital screen on the wall. It says 8:14 am, September 2, 2017.

Yeah, I am finally back.

“Good morning, you two.”

Hiroomi and Sean turned both of their heads at the same time. Their eyes are wide open after seeing the man lied on the bed finally awake.

“G-Gin… you’re awake…”

“Seriously… You scared us good time…”

I got up regardless of my stiff body and looked at the worried face of the two.

”I… I don’t remember falling asleep…

Did something happen to me?”

“…”

“Uhm… After you went outside, you fell down and quickly fell asleep. After that, you sleep talked.”

“Sleep talked…?”

“So you really don’t remember?

Then… Roses are red, violets are blue…”

“…

Omae wa mou shindeiru!”

“You remember now?”

“No, it was written on one of the journals a few days ago.”

They thought that Gin finally remembered what happened last night but he still did not. Disappointment enveloped them whilst biting their nails.

“Did I really say that?”

“Yep.”

“Hmm…

So it was probably because I didn’t sleep when it was 0827 but why I slept like a log before that day so my body shouldn’t be tired oh wait it’s probably because my body hasn’t adapted faster to the environment of the outside world seeing that I lived in a room with a gravity hundred times stronger than Earth but it doesn’t feel right because I never talked when I sleep or so I thought because of course I haven’t seen myself sleeping but I’m also worried if I go lunatic mode again and lost control of myself but when that time comes I hope I always have a rope next to me so I can tie myself and I think I’ll have temporary phobia to knives… blah, blah, blah…"

“He’s talking too fast! We can’t understand anything!”

“Oh, sorry. Was I talking too fast? I guess I’m not yet that used…”

“Now he read our minds!”

“If you are thinking that I’m reading your mind, you’re wrong. I’m just observing your actions so I can communicate-“

“So he got right through us!”

“-in other words, I guess you could say I got through you?”

“We give up. We give up.”

“Well, I guess it is now a reverse interrogation.”

“But are you really okay now?”

“Hmm… No.

Can I have a cup of coffee?”

~ ~ ~

“Here you go.”

“Thanks.”

Gin took a drink on a mug brimming with hot coffee from the bed where he is sat. But his face displayed a blank expression.

“Oh for apples… The coffee tastes a bit unpleasant for some reason. Was it because I never had a hot drink or coffee for two years?

Hold on a second…

I recognize this blend.”

“The only ones who know my own blend of coffee are of course me and my mom…”

“I remembered asking you to tell everything to my family, and not to get my own blend from mom.”

“Ahahaha… Well, we told them that you shall be back on your home tomorrow and I did tell them everything. But your mother insisted to give it to me when they gave me a cup of coffee. So that’s how I got it.”

“We actually won’t be asking you a lot since you have…

Two bags… full of journals…?”

“And the last one is only for my clothes and such.

I desperately need to take a shower, first of all…

Actually wait, is my phone here?”

“Here, but why did you ask us to bring that here?”

“…”

“So I really did miss a lot of things, my word.”

“S-so I can see my messages quickly… Haha…

I’m aware that they’ll probably be texting me.”

~ ~ ~

“Ahhh… That’s the first proper bath I had-“

Gin pointed at Hiroomi like Gin is making him say something.

“…since two years.”

“Ding.”

I’m ready if you two are.”

“Then… How was it? Being in that room, I mean.”

“Room of Reality.”

“Hmm?”

“I named that room.”

“Oh, I see…”

“If I’m not mistaken, you first said to me that time accelerates and gravitational pull increases inside. That is correct.

About the time, it’s pretty much the definition of it, nothing more and nothing less.

But regarding the gravity, it’s funky.

If I say 0827, what do you think it is?”

“Uh… August 27?”

“You’re right. I never called years, months and days by their names. I used numbers instead. I didn’t call it 2018 or 2019, and I started the year in 0827 so there are Year 1 and Year 2. I did count the days but I lost track later. It’s also a pain to count day indicators on the wall.

Going back to the point, at the first month, there are no changes to the gravity. But when it hit 0927, the gravity doubles. On 1027, 4 times. On 1127, 8 times. On 1227, 16 times. On 0127, 32 times. And on 0227, it went up to 64 times.

But the following months, it only changed arithmetically by adding 2 every month, and on the third 0827, which is the date where I went back, it reached up to 100 times the gravity of the Earth.

So pardon me if I’m talking really fast oh just like this see and also when I speak too fast punctuations can’t even be present because they can’t keep up and I also think this is a result of the speed of the time so I’m not yet that accustomed to talking normally.”

Hiroomi and Sean didn’t pay attention to Gin when he was talking really fast because they won’t understand it.

“So you’re saying that there is a point where the gravitational changes were geometric then it transitioned to being arithmetic.”

“And gravity changes monthly, huh.”

“I was scared that the room will kill me, but thankfully the increase slowed down.

But that is not the real definition of the room.

You’ll see it on the journal anyways but I’ll tell you…

I lost my sanity three times when I was inside.”

“Huh?!”

I expected their reaction to be like that. Who wouldn’t be surprised if someone said that you lost your rational thinking for three times?

“I guess it’s like a side effect to a human that will enter the room for a long period of time.

But when it was the first time I lost it, I almost killed myself.”

“Huuuuuuhhhh?!”

I showed the lengthy scar from my right shoulder to almost my left pelvis. It was the scar I had from 0215.

“I only based my conclusion to what was present after I woke up from a solid three days of unconsciousness. I stabbed myself with a knife on the right shoulder and slashed myself diagonally. It pretty much covers my torso.”

“This is a scar that takes years to disappear.”

“I’m well aware of that.

I treated it with the right medicines from the kit and it healed after more than a month. It happened on 0215, and I woke up on 0218 where the only thing I saw was literally pitch black.

You probably knew that the inside of the room is white, but when I woke up, the four walls, ceiling and the floor is completely black. No, it was not darkness. I still can see my stuff and myself clearly, but I don’t have a shadow. It looked like an infinity room.

I named that room two times and the second one is ‘Room of Reality’. You can see the first one on the entry on my journal. At 0215, specifically.

The next two times I lost rationality fortunately are safe. And after some time, I realized why the room was still black.

One of the purposes of that room is to realize one’s mistake and atone to their subconscious actions. It made me realize that I was doing some terrible actions that I’m not aware of. I don’t want to specify those because it’s personal.

Then after some realizations, I slept then woke up to a pure white room again. And that is where I asked you to bring me a lot of paint and made the whole room a canvas.

Before I went out, I organized some of my rubbish inside and put some of them to the middle room. I didn’t get all of the things though.”

“Oh, what about the… uhh… you know…”

“They disappear without a trace after 24 hours. Hehe…”

“Why does he even look so proud about it…”

The two noticed something changed in Gin’s face. It was on his right eye, specifically.

“Wait, since you did not mention it just now…

I would assume you are already aware of your right eye?”

Gin gave a nod and pointed his finger below his right eye.

“About that, a few months ago before I left, my right eye started to hurt. Sometimes it took some hours to recover and sometimes it took days before the pain is gone.

I hadn’t looked at a mirror for two years that I don’t even know how I look right now and my hair is really long that’s why I’m tying it up.

More importantly, I never had a chance to see my right eye if it was red or something because it hurts.”

Sean took the mirror that was lying on the table, but he did not give it to Gin yet. He listened to what will Hiroomi say instead.

“I guess that makes sense that you don’t know about it…”

“About what?”

“Gin, does your right eye hurt right now?”

“Hmm? No, it’s just fine.”

“Well, it’s very noticeable that your eye turned to completely black now instead of the dark brown a few days ago.

But we noticed it earlier.

The point is… No, just have a look at yourself.”

Sean gave the mirror to me and for the first time in two years, I finally saw what I look like right now. I removed my hair band that was keeping my hair in one place and I also saw that my hair has grown down to my shoulders.

But what surprised me more is my right eye. It was a different color from my left eye. It is pale blue.

“What the… My right eye… is blue…?”

Conflicted if I should be fascinated, confused, or worried, I took a closer look to my right eye by placing the mirror close to it.

“Actually, I’ll worry about these later. Is there anyone in the base that can cut my hair? I have a picture of myself where my hair is still short. I want to see myself in the usual look that I had. It’s really long again after I trimmed it with a knife inside. It’s almost the same length as Rin’s-

…“

“Eh~ Ms. Akanami…? What is this? I’m sensing something…”

“Oi, I have a feeling like you’re shipping us. Quit it.”

“This’ll be a bit awkward to look at her now…”

“Alright, alright. Hahaha…”

“Hey~! Steve, can you come up here? Someone needs a haircut here!”

“Oh, is it Mr. Sakato? Coming right up!”

Huh… I sure did become famous in this underground base all of a sudden.

▪ ▪ ▪

12:00 pm.

My hair is back to its original length like how it was normally. The residences of the underground base suddenly got busy preparing all sorts of things.

“Since you safely got out of the room, we prepared a feast for lunch!”

Sean shouted from the second floor of the underground base to invite other people who are staying in the base.

“Hey! Just one second, we will bring down all of the food there!”

“Oh thanks, Hiro! We’ll help out if we can! I think there are lots up there!”

“Ha, you bet!”

All of the residents of the underground base came down to the biggest room. The population underground is about 150 people.

“Woah, seriously…

Just how much do all of you want me to eat?!”

Right in front of me is a whole load of dishes (just for me). It’s not something you could eat in one go. It will probably take one person a day to finish them all.

“I doubt that you could even eat all of that by yourself.”

An hour later…

“Oh man! I’m stuffed!”

“Just how big is your appetite?!”

Gin finished all the food prepared for him in an hour.

~ ~ ~

“Hiro, can I borrow one training room here?”

“You can. There is another room almost as big as the room we had a feast but it is taller because it covers three floors of a building.”

“Oh, Gin. There you are.

Here are the results of your examination and X-rays. Your height increased by a whopping 13 centimeters in just two years, it means that you are now at 180cm. That’s really unusual how you grew that quickly.

And to your body, you are in a very good condition right now and your skeletal system doesn’t have anything for us to be worried about. No cracks or anything, it’s as good as new. The bones in your right arm are also fine but I guess that’s one miscalculation in our side that we didn’t think that you have more severely torn muscles in your right arm. But don’t worry, they are completely intact now so it’s just minor pains you are experiencing.”

“Oh, thanks. So can I be accompanied to the said room? I want to test out something.

Wait, you will probably need to check my vitals and such in the process.”

▪ ▪ ▪

Training Room.

“Alright we are here. So what do you need to test out?”

“My body, of course. That’s why I need you to check my status once I move.”

“Well, seeing that you survived a hundred times of gravity, that may just be something I also want to see.”

“Someone set a world record of withstanding 18 times of gravity, then it became a little common to withstand. But you broke through 100 times. That’s unreal.”

“That’s why I need to test my body out. I built up my body for a few months before leaving, you know. After I got out, my body felt extremely light since the shackles were removed from me.

I need you to analyze and measure things. Vertical leap, sprinting, reaction time and more.

Every experiment, I will try my best to keep it on a stable output.”

“Got it.”

~ ~ ~

“Alright, Gin. Everything is ready.”

“We’ll first measure your vertical leaping.”

“Hai.”

If I’m going to leap really high from the very start, I need to position myself properly. There are no head starts, so I will be jumping at a y-axis.

“I guess one thing to do is to jump!”

***

Hey there, this is Hiro.

Gin is about to jump. I will be observing him and then Sean will be measuring the height and checking his body status if there will be any issues.

He took the stance… And he finally jumped!

…

Never in my life have I thought that there can be a human that can jump… that high…

***

“Is this serious…”

I myself am very surprised too. I finally landed on the same spot but it took me some time to get down because I almost hit my head on the ceiling of the training room.

“Phew. That was a close call.”

“What in the world did you do… To jump the height of 10 meters…”

“Woah, seriously?! I really jumped that high?”

“Don’t even bother asking… My head can’t process this. Let’s just move on to sprinting.”

~ ~ ~

“No surprise, you can easily outrun an F1…”

“Next… Hahh…”

~ ~ ~

“I just saw them on the movies… But you really did dodge a pellet with the same speed of a bullet of a 45…”

Hiroomi and Sean were petrified into statues afterwards.

▪ ▪ ▪

9:35 pm.

“Gin, goodnight.

We will be leaving early tomorrow for you to get home early.

Hmm… I guess this is your first proper sleep in our base, huh.”

“Yeah, you could say that.

Goodnight too. I’ll be sure to eat at Giotto’s again next time.”

“So he remembered that…”

“Oh, wait. Don’t sleep yet.”

“Hm? Why?”

“Just let me tell you one thing. I finally found him when you were inside. You won’t believe where the leader currently dwells at. You will be extremely surprised.”

“Eh. Now you’re leaving me hanging…”

▪ ▪ ▪

September 3, one week after the incident.

6:15 am.

I can finally see my family today.

~ ~ ~

Inside the household of Sakato family, Senna and Amano are having a conversation very early in the morning and Kei is just eating his breakfast leisurely.

“Otō, did Sean say that Gin will return today?”

“He did say something like that, Okā. They didn’t notify us, but they said that Gin will be back today.”

“Ah, Kei. If you’re finish with your breakfast, could you briefly check Gin’s room?”

“Alright.”

After Kei finished, he slowly opened the door of Gin’s room. It was still dark inside because the sunlight doesn’t pass through quickly when it is early in the morning. The only light is from the hallway that entered the room.

Before he opened the door, he noticed that the door was slightly opened and because it doesn’t make a sound when opened or closed, he suspiciously opened it.

With the faint light present, he saw a leg covered with a pair of jeans and as he opened the door more, he saw someone who is lying on Gin’s bed.

“Ossu.”

That person waved at him but Kei’s eyes widened out as he saw the person inside the room. The lights are still off so he can only see through the light from outside.”

“AAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!!”

He fell down on the hallway out of shock and was followed with his parents running to where he is.

“Kei! Are you alright? What happened?”

He pointed his finger to where the bed is at inside Gin’s room. His whole body started shaking and failed to speak because of how much he stuttered.

His father entered the room and turned on the lights.

“G-Gin…? Is… is this really you?

Wait, how did you even get inside in the first place?!”

“Yep, this is really me, Dad. Your son—Gin.

I just entered through the back door. I guess you just didn’t hear me entering my room since my door doesn’t make any sound.”

“Geez, Gin. Don’t scare me like that! If you didn’t return after two years, I would’ve kicked you in the face!

Well I guess you got back safe after suffering critical injuries.”

“Gin… you’re finally back…”

“Now, now. Let’s not cry over this, Mom. We’re not a family who easily cries with just that.

See? I’m back safely! Though I still need to patch up my right arm, but it’s fine now.

I then took the envelope containing my medical results that was placed on top of the shoebox where my phone was originally placed when I was away.

“Here, the medical records and X-ray results when Hiro and Sean did the examinations.

Don’t worry. I didn’t experience the same treatment like in the past. They are all good people. Now I don’t understand why the society trashed them.”

“Have you already taken breakfast? I just prepared it for us. Kei ate his portion already, because he’s going to Sector 280 early.”

“Hah~ Going to meet your girlfriend this early?”

“Oh, shut up. Don’t even ask.”

“Hahaha…

Well, anyways. I’m finally back at home.”

“Aw. Anna isn’t with us right now, sadly.”

“It’s fine. She will be visiting soon, right?”

Mom suddenly whispered something to Dad. I don’t even know what they are talking about.

“I forgot he still doesn’t know, Otō. Should we tell him right now?”

“Nah, let her tell everything. I bet Gin will be really surprised about it.”

“Mom, Dad. Can we just eat our breakfast? I’m getting famished.”

“I’m going now. See you later.”

“Be safe, Kei.”

After they ate breakfast, Gin with his parents hung out from place to place for the whole day.

In that duration, it is very noticeable that Gin was always in full smiles the whole time.

▪ ▪ ▪

The next day at school. 7 in the morning.

Nagi, Jean, Akira, Rin and Shiro are unusually very early today inside the school even if the classes start at 10.

Rin seems to be really excited while the gang is walking on the hallway of the first school building.

“Hey, Ringo… Aren’t you getting too excited about going up?”

“Don’t say that. It’s just once in a year that we can see the sunrise this late in the morning that’s why it’s still a bit dark.

And the rooftop is finally open today.”

“Well, Akira also seems to be excited about this that he can’t be late for this.”

“Shut up, Nacchi. I just want to be the first one to see the rooftop among the other students.”

“Guys, we’re finally up. Who wants to open the door first?”

“Let Ringo do the honors. Her eyes are sparkling in excitement right now. See?”

It was no normal day since sunrise is later than usual. Sunrise normally starts at 6 in the morning but this day is an exception.

Coincidentally, today is the day where the school rooftop will be open after five years of not being used.

It’s really 7 in the morning and the sunrise is very beautiful since the rooftop is the best spot to go sightseeing. The clouds that once gave me misery are now showing its beauty by slightly covering the pale yellow sunlight.

This is the best looking day since the 27th.

“Oh, great! It’s unlocked already.”

“Come on, go already. I want to see the sunrise too.”

“Eh? Someone is already here earlier than us.”

“Nani? This early in the day? Who is it? Who is it?”

“I think I don’t know him. He’s really tall-

Wait, Gin is coming back today right?”

“Yeah, let’s ask him why he was on leave last week if he’ll be early today.”

“I doubt he’ll be up this early. He will probably come to school later.”

“I heard my name.”

After hearing the voice of the person who was earlier than them to be on the rooftop, they all shuddered in surprised and quickly turned around to see that it was Gin who is standing behind them.

“Sup.”

“Gin?! Why are you so early this morning?!”

“Oh? Gin… EEEEEEEEEEEEHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH?!”

“Hey! What the in the world did you do-

“To get that tall! What in the world?!”

“And why aren’t you wearing your school uniform right now? Getting bashful?!”

“Alright, calm down you bunch.

I’m here early because I also want to see the sunrise and be the first student to be up here.

Nani?

The full story is to be told in the right time. Let’s reserve it first.

Isn’t that obvious? Akira already answered before you even asked, Nagi.”

“What the heck… He even answered all of our questions…

Even Ringo’s scream!”

Rin’s face exploded with a puff perhaps after seeing me face to face and turned back away from me so her completely red face can’t be seen.

Well, yeah. My real self finally came back to me after I almost killed myself. One quirk that was left by ‘him’ is I can suppress my emotions and not turning them off completely. I really want to cry right now since I haven’t seen them for two years but I will look like an idiot since I’m technically away for five days.

I really missed these people. I guess the Art Club is complete again.

But seriously… I’m getting a bit awkward just by seeing Rin after two years. My heart…

“Rin…? Are you alright there?”

“Y-y-y-y-y-ye-yes! I’m fine and good!”

She doesn’t want to look at me. I’m just talking literally on her back and she’s shaking for some reason. I can see her getting really red, though.

“…”

I wouldn’t assume ‘that’. No way that is going to happen… Is what I wanted to think, but… Nevermind.

I just saw them again after a long time, I don’t want to spoil the mood here.

“Hey~ Rin, look! The sunrise, see?”

***

I can’t help but turn around even though I’m as red as a tomato right now. It’s smart of Gin to lure me to the sunrise, but when I turned, I unconsciously didn’t look at the sunrise, but on Gin’s silhouette slowly clearing up as the sun brightens.

Seriously, I don’t know what’s wrong with me right now.

***

As Rin finally looked at the sunrise, she heard a whisper from his back. It was Shiro’s voice who whispered to her.

When Rin turned around, she saw Shiro showing a very smug smile.

“Can’t hide it anymore, can’t we.”

“I understood what she meant about that, for some reason.”

“Sigh… I can’t even say ‘it’s nothing like that’ anymore…”

“Eh~”

On the other hand, Gin and Nagi are just standing and looking at the beautiful sunrise, while Jean and Akira are also talking silently.

“Hey, Jean. I ship it.”

“Yeah, count me in. Let’s just see what happens next.”

“If my assumption will be right, would she say it in November?”

“Most likely, since it’s the right time anyways.”

…

“Can I all have your attention, please.

Since we are the first ones to be up here, why don’t we make this our secondary place? Like, when it is breaks except for lunch. Well, we can also eat lunch here. Or maybe we can also draw or paint here too!

We aren’t being territorial of course. We’ll just occupy one corner of the rooftop.

Anyways, who’s up to my proposition?”

“Count me in.”

“I would love to.”

“Oh my word! That sounded like I said it with a double meaning.

I’m just going to cry~!”

“Drawing in natural lighting will be great.”

“Who wouldn’t want that?!”

“Gladly.”

“Alright then… One corner it is!”

▪ ▪ ▪

The next week.

After a few days of the rooftop being open, a few students did come to the rooftop. But there is one time that led the students to never enter the rooftop ever again because they saw droplets of liquid looking like blood and papers with handprints with the same color. So the students made an unwritten rule: “No one enters the school rooftop or something will happen to them otherwise.”

But before the unwritten rule was made, what really happened in the rooftop was—

“Oh, great. We need to clean our mess up here.”

“I think the wind is too strong that’s why the papers with our handprints flew everywhere.”

“Nacchi, is there something we could clean the paint on the floor with?”

“Yeah. We only need water and soap then we’re good.”

“Shiro, Rin. Could you collect all the papers scattered everywhere?”

“Will do.”

“Ryoukai.”

What the students saw are actually just the mess of the Art Club. They mixed a little bit of black to the red paint that’s why it looked like blood. They were doing experiments with their hands with paint and applying it to the paper.

Because of Akira’s comical personality, he wrote ‘GET OUT OF HERE’ on the paper then he was followed by Gin by him writing the word ‘VOID’ on paper because he was reminded of the time when he was still inside the Room of Reality. They went down to wash their hands but they didn’t know that students were going upstairs.

Because of the strong winds, drops of paint scattered on the floor of the rooftop which made it looked like spray of blood.

The misunderstandings were eventually cleared and the Art Club apologized. But the student body got traumatized because some students took a picture of the scene that time. They never went up either way.

After that, whenever students hear the ‘Art Club’, they will throw a panic or shiver in fear. Some other students even imagine them with a vicious image of the members of the Art Club.

From that point on, no one except for the Art Club enters the rooftop.