A Retrospective View

>move towards the square

>>217528

[If my IP changed, worry not. It’s still me, I just have internet issues].

You sigh, disheartened. You get up and head towards the square. One direction is as good as the other, after all.
Besides, moving towards the crowd increases your chances you will learn something more about your whereabouts.
As you move closer, faces and figures become more easily recognizable.

The people gathered there are indeed students. If they are, the school or university they attend can’t be too far.
Most of them are just exchanging small talk, while others express their concerns over upcoming exams.
‘I sure miss those days’, you bitterly think.

“HEY, YOU!”
A pair of girls calls out to you loudly. “Are you a new student? Are you in a club already? Do you want to join the Tea Club? We are looking for new members, guys especially!”
The flurry of questions leaves you dumbstruck.
Nevertheless, you ought to respond

>No
>Get lost
>Write-in

>>217642
>Well first you have to give me your credentials before I'll consider your request to join? What is the difference between white and green teas? Also are rooibos teas made from camelia sinensis?

>>217773

Pondering over the question a bit, you decide to humor them.
“Oh, the Tea Club? Well, the Tea Ceremony is sure important, but do you have what it takes to officiate it properly? What is the difference between white and green tea? Also, is rooibos tea made from camelia sinensis?”
“Yeah, well…” the girls start to stutter and mumble.

Looks like you caught them off-guard. You mentally pat yourself on the back for that.
“Wait a second, you’re not even a student here!”, one of them remarks. “We have no time to waste! Go bother someone else!”
‘It was actually you who approached me’, you want to respond them, but you decided to let that slip.

As you turn around, a guy rushes full force into you. You fall to the ground, rubbing your head in pain.
Something has tingled the other you inside you. You open your eyes and try to focus on the boy that rammed you over.
There’s nothing unusual about him, yet you can’t shake the feeling that he’s your target.

>Berate him
>Try to befriend him and follow him
>write in

>>217857
>Try to befriend him and follow him.
What does he look like? Try to analyze him and act like whatever clique he belongs too.

Also OP, I may take time but I'll keep your thread going. You aren't a half bad writer.

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>>217955
You get up quickly, then move towards him to help him stand up.
“I am sorry”, he says, bowing his head towards you. “I was in a rush and it looked like you appeared out of thin air. I really have no excuse, except the fact that I am having terrible luck recently”.
“Don’t worry, I know very well it wasn’t on purpose”, you answer, forcing a smile.

“What are you doing Tada, this guy is a faker! He tried to join our Club without being a student!”, one of the girl scolds him.
“Is that so? I find it very hard to believe. After all you’re always aggressively looking for new members”. He then turns to you. “It looks like you’re a freshman like me. I suggest you stay away from them, the Tea Club Girls are crazy”.

“We are not crazy!”, the other girl rebuts. “He is not a student! He is an impostor!”
“Now that I think of it, I think I’ve seen you before”, he continues pulling you away from them. “We’re in the same Business Law class, aren’t we?”

>Lie through your teeth and say yes
>No
>Write-in

>>218013
>No actually I think ive just seen you around. I'm majoring in Botany I'm sure you've seen me outside examining the local flora
-we ain't lying about being in no law class Jesus we don't know anything about business law-

>>218028

“Ah, me? No, you’ve got the wrong man for sure”, you respond, still trying to smile. “I am majoring in Botany”
“Really? Well that explains how you were able to scare the Tea Club away. I bet you outsmarted them with your superior knowledge on herbs and plants. Well done!”, he cheers you on.

“You’ll excuse me, but I have to go now. My girlfriend is waiting for me. See you around!”
He takes his leave waving at you and heading towards a large building, probably the seat of the Law Department.
‘Are you retarded?’, a voice inside complains. ‘That was our occasion. Why did you let him go?’

‘Well first off, we don’t know if he’s our target or if he’s involved at all. Second, I know jack shit about business law. What if the professor had given an assignment?’
‘Who cares? We will never see these people again after our mission is done. We still have a chance if we go now, you know’, he says.

You’re torn on what to do.
>Follow him stealthily
>Follow him openly, prepare excuses in case he questions you
>Write-in

>>218263
>Follow him Stealthily but prepare and excuse if he catches you somehow.
-tell him you have feel a bromance coming on and you wanted to get to know more about him but you are bad at making friends-

>>218337
>>218263
Second

>>218337
>>218409

Reluctantly, you try to follow him without being noticed.
There are enough people in the crowd that it’d be a miracle for him to catch a glimpse of you. Considering he even lamented bad luck, you can safely claim the odds are in your favor.

The boy called Tada bursts through the door, and joining a small group of students headed in the same direction, you enter the room as well.
He’s sitting rather close to the front, so you quickly head for the back. The classroom is large, therefore you have good chances of concealing yourself. The teacher isn’t there yet, so the students are just idly chatting with each other.

From your position, you can see him clearly. He is speaking with a blonde-haired guy, most likely a friend of his.
In the midst of this confusion, there’s no way people would notice you using your powers. You’ll determine if he’s the reason you were sent here with a glance, yet you’re somewhat hesitant.

>use your powers
>wait for another moment
>Write-in

>>218479
>Use dem powers
-this should be fun-

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>>218490
You close your eyes. When you reopen them, the scenery has changed entirely.
Everything around you, from the desks to the students is withering and collapsing. Mystic Eyes of Death Perception, a power and a curse in equal measure.

Your alter ego is definitely more adjusted to the sight, but for you it’s not as pleasant.
You glance left and right, and eventually you see him. He looks exactly like the boy you met earlier, but he’s wearing a green jacket.
He emanates an ominous aura, filled with resentment and rage.
You close your eyes once more, and everything returns to normal. Almost immediately, you start coughing, and blood comes out of your mouth.
Somebody notices it and rushes to you.

“Are you alright? Do you want me to call a doctor?”
You wave your hand in front of you to signal that you’re fine. This is a great opportunity to get out.
“Very well, if you need the bathroom, it’s the third door to the left”, the considerate student tells you.

You nod in assent, thanking him, and head for the door.
Almost immediately, a girl gets up and follows you.
You think it’s a coincidence at the beginning, yet the girl seems intent on following you no matter how nonsensical the pattern you’re following is.

>Head for the guys’ bathroom. She can’t follow you there
>Confront her here and now
>Write-in

>>218606
>Go to the men's room, turn around and glare at her before entering. See how she reacts.

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>>218621
You head to the men’s restroom, fed up with this travesty.
The bathroom is now further away than it originally was because of your dumb twists and turns to dodge the girl, which frustrates you even though you’re not exactly in a hurry.

Reaching for the knob of the door, you turn around to glare at her, but she looks at you with a gentle smile.
Slamming the door behind you, you slowly realize that she was actually cute. Her childish appearance seemed to be enhanced by her choice of clothes.

‘What now, boss?’, the other you inquires. ‘She’ll be waiting outside’.
You cough up more blood. Your power allows you to see things that shouldn’t or couldn’t be seen. This is the price you have to pay. That ‘spirit clone’ you saw was certainly an aberration of the highest order.
‘Boss? Can you hear me?’

You hate him when he’s like that, but he makes a point.

>Get out and ignore the girl
>Get out and confront the girl
>Write in

>clean the blood up and regain your composure. Then go out and confront her politely. You don't want to cough up blood in front of her and you don't want to blow your cover by becoming too aggressive with someone for following you

>>218763

You wash your face and clean your mouth from the residual blood. You want to confront the girl strictly yet politely, but you have not to look like a vampire to do that.
You gaze at yourself in the mirror. Your crystalline blue eyes have a hint of sadness, and contrast with the bright red jacket you’re wearing.

No time to be a fashionista. You regain your composure and open the door. The girl is still there, looking at you with a kind smile.
An awkward silence falls between the two of you, and you clear your throat to invite her to speak up. It doesn’t seem to work however, so you decide to take a more direct approach.

“Excuse me miss, you seem to be lost. This is the men’s bathroom”.
“I know that, but I was looking for you”, she candidly responds.
“Very well, here I am. Is there anything you want to say?”
“Hm, well…. I don’t know how to explain what I mean, but I will try, ok?”
“Sure. Give it your best shot”, you spur her without too much enthusiasm.
“Could you, like, do that scary thing with the eyes again? I would like to register it on my camera”, she asks, producing a videocamera from her bag.

You gulp. If she’s seen you, you’ve been compromised

>Make up an excuse
>Grant her request
>Kill her
>Write in

>>218901
>No
>Book it

>>218901
Tell her she needs to believe really hard for it to work.
>Say she has to close her eyes and cover her ears and count to 50 then she can get her picture.
>when she does just run away.

>>219128
>Book it

What did he mean by this?

>>219160
Run like hell

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>>219236
>>219150

The girl looks young and stupid enough to believe pretty much anything you’d tell her.
You laugh nervously and prepare an excuse.
“O-oh! You mean that thing with my eyes, right? That’s not a magic trick I’ve learned online or from a book, that’s a real mystical power I have!”

That's just an half lie, yet the girl looks at you with her mouth agape. She’s buying it.
“But! To make it work you need to believe really hard in it, and I need some preparation. It’s a secret power, so if you want to see it again, close your eyes and cover your ears, then count to 50!”
The girl hesitantly obliges, then starts counting out loud.

It’s your time to go: you rush through the hallway like a madman. You sigh in relief. You thought you ran into troubles, but there’s no way a simpleton like that girl will ever pose a threat
You complained earlier about the heat, but it’s getting colder and wetter around you, and a strange haze is invading the corridors. You react instinctively, activating your Mystic Eyes.
The spirit you saw earlier stands in front of you, blocking the path

>Talk with him [roll for Resistence] [Can write-in what to ask]
>Assault him [Get one additional SHIKI point]

=========

A few words on SHIKI points: they work like an obstacle you have to surpass. When rolling a d20, if the result is higher than your SHIKI points, you succeed and your alter ego doesn’t take control. Think of it as a Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde thing. A failed roll causes you to lose a SHIKI point, making subsequent rolls easier.
On the other hand, getting a SHIKI point can sometimes be used as an alternative to a roll, or a way to unlock a more convenient and powerful option

>>220592
>Assault him

>>221716
SHIKI points: 11

You notice that you’re standing in a different environment altogether. It’s a wooden bridge suspended above the lake, and the haze that surrounds you seems to define the borders between this illusion and reality.

Handing over control to your murderous alter ego, you sit at the back of your mind. You feel your hand grabbing the handle of a knife, and your eyes focusing on the Spirit’s death lines.
“Who are you?”, he asks “What are you doing here? Get out!”

SHIKI lunges forwards, aiming at one of the weak points of the Spirit, who dodges the blow and passes through you.
A wound on your hip opens and you start bleeding.
It’s a wound you received some times ago, but he opened it again just with his powers.

“I won’t say it again. Stay out of this!”
SHIKI turns around and gives the spirit a final glance filled with murderous intent, then passes away.
When you wake up, a couple of familiar faces are standing next to you: the boy you talked with earlier this morning and whose ‘spirit’ you just fought and the girl who was following you around.

The smell of alcohol and antiseptic fills the air.
“Hello, mister? Are you ok?”, the pink-haired girl asks

>Where am I?
>Sure, now help me get up
>[write-in]

>>221865
>Where am I?

>>222167

“Ugh… Where am I?”, you ask, wincing in pain.
“We carried you to the infirmary. You collapsed on the ground and started bleeding, so we got worried”, the boy explains.
“Well I guess I owe you then. By the way, I think I didn’t catch your name”

“I am Tada Banri. You can call me just Banri, if you want”, he introduces himself.
“Nice to meet you Banri. I am Hikari Shiki. Much in the same way, you can call me just Shiki”.
“The pleasure is mine, Shiki. Can you tell us what happened? We really didn’t know what to tell the nurse”

“Yeah, you left me behind after telling me you’d show me the magic trick!”, the salmon haired girl interjects. “I guess you ran away because you were hurt, isn’t it so?”
You don’t mind making up excuses, but when the people you have to fool do the job for you, you’re more than grateful.
“Indeed. I had a recent wound that didn’t quite heal yet, and when it started bleeding I instinctively ran away and towards this place. Sorry for leaving you hanging”, you apologize, not meaning a single word of it.

“It’s ok”, she replies, smiling once again.
Now, the situation isn’t the best. Banri is surely involved with this spirit business, but you can’t let the girl go around and spread rumors about your powers. The person you need to speak with the most right now is:

>The girl
>The boy

>>222605
>The Girl

>>222605
The boy

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>>222721
>>223019

>>222605
>>The girl

Derby could be required attire.

Definitely the girl. She must be convinced that you have no supernatural powers, lest your mission is severely compromised.
“Hm, Banri, sorry for the abruptness of my question, but could you leave me and… huh…”
You realize you have no idea what the girl’s name is, but she understands your intentions and introduces herself.

“You can call me Oka, if you wish”
“Right, could you leave me and Oka alone for a moment?”
Banri nods, looking somewhat puzzled, but leaving the room as agreed.

“About my powers…”
“Oh, there’s no need to show me now. We can do it when you feel better”.
“Well you see the thing is, it’s nothing special. It’s just a trick involving redirecting the light to make your eyes look a different color. I might not be able to replicate the trick anytime soon, so I felt I at least owed you an explanation”.

You’re not entirely sure of the scientific soundness of what you said, but Oka nods understandingly. That’s good enough for you. Onto the next question.
“Hey, Oka, is Banri your friend?”
“Yeah, he is. Why?”
“Have you noticed anything strange about him recently?”
“Hmmm… no, not really. Why?”
“Oh it’s just a hunch that I have”.

“I see”, Oka replies pensively. “Well why don’t you have lunch with the rest of us, today? So you can find out for yourself”

>Sure, why not?
>No, I have other plans. But thanks for the offer
>Write-in

>>224575
>>Sure, why not?

>>224556
I repeat myself, but

What did he mean by this?

>>224575
>Sure, why not?

>>224989
>>224611

“Hm… That’s an excellent idea. If you don’t mind, then…”
You slowly get up from the bed you were lying upon, massaging your left flank.
She grabs your arm and pulls it around her shoulders.
“Is this fine? Can you walk?”
“Sure, don’t worry about it. Now please, lead the way”.

There are six people at the table, you included.
You move your gaze from left to right trying to identify the others.
Banri is sitting next to his loud and obnoxious girlfriend, Koko. Another guy, who goes by the nickname of ‘2D-kun’ is staring at you with open hostility.

Oka, on the other hand, is talking with a blonde, handsome guy. Partway through the conversation she introduces him to you.
“Shiki, this is Mitsuo. He’s in the Movie Club just like me, and he’s a good friend of Banri”.
“Nice to meet you, Shiki”, he greets you

“Oh no, the pleasure is all mine”.
Oka isn’t as dumb as she looks like. She’s probably trying to give you a few hints on what might be going on with Banri. After all, his male friend and his girlfriend might know more about him than her.

>The guy friend probably knows more
>The girlfriend probably knows more
>Write-in

>>225759
>>The girlfriend probably knows more

>>225759
>The girlfriend probably knows more

>>225955
>>225940
What?

>>225962
Is this a posting error?

>>225969
I do believe so. I only remember posting and doing the stupid ocean captcha once.

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>>225981
You look intently at your shoes all through lunch. After all you didn’t bring any food with you, and even if others generously offered to share, you politely declined.
‘Others shouldn’t pay for my stupidity. Well, no more than they already have’.

Oka and Mitsuo stand up and bid you farewell, saying that they have club activities to attend to. This leaves you alone with 2D-kun, since Koko and Banri are still acting all lovey-dovey, almost as if they were in a space that is far removed from the rest of the world. You know that, you’ve been in love too. 2D-kun still looks positively upset or distressed, you can’t tell. You figure that it must be unpleasant for a shut in to share personal space with other people.

He diverts his attention to Banri and notifies him that class is starting for them.
Banri kisses his girlfriend, exchanges more sweet nothings with her then follows his friend, who’s rushing through the corridor, possibly in fear of being late.

This leaves you and Koko alone. She’s definitely beautiful, and her refined manners of speaking hint to a wealthy upbringing.
It’s time to start your inquiry.

>Attempt to do some chit-chat first
>Ask about Banri heads-on
>Write-in

>>226848
Attempt to do some chit-chat first. Introduce yourself, be polite, all that. It's easier to get information out of someone if you're friendly with them first.

>>226943
>>226848
Second