Chapter 3: First Day of Academy (3)

“Allen Zest? As in the founder of the famous Allen Trading Company? Why would someone like that go out of their way to become a new teacher at the academy…?”

“I thought someone who achieved success at such a young age would be incredibly arrogant, but for such an extraordinary person, he seems kind and likable.”

“Still, his face is just so-so.”

“….”

Somehow, this conversation…

Haven’t I experienced it before?

A terrible sense of déjà vu washed over me as I glanced around the classroom.

Even though this was clearly my first time here today, it somehow felt like I’d been here many times before.

“Now, now, everyone. It seems you’re all a bit nervous since today is Mr. Allen’s first day with us. As you all know, despite his young age, Mr. Allen is an extraordinary figure whose name is renowned throughout all of Hiphnia. And yet, such an incredible person has chosen to become a teacher for the sake of our academy’s students. So, everyone, make sure to follow Mr. Allen’s instructions well for the next year.”

Even Lydia’s words beside me carried a strange sense of familiarity, as if I’d heard them many times before.

What’s going on?

What’s happening?

Before I knew it, the morning assembly had ended, and I was being led by Teacher Lydia to the faculty office.

Even as I walked there, the déjà vu persisted—it felt like I’d lived through this moment countless times.

If this wasn’t just my imagination…

Upon entering the faculty office, I deliberately stayed still, pretending to be lost in thought to test my senses.

After a few minutes of this, just as I expected, Lydia spoke to me.

“U-um, Allen… why did you come to Everlight Academy?”

Just as I thought.

Even Lydia’s cautious question carried an intense sense of dissonance.

No—more than that, I had already predicted she would ask me this the moment I stepped into the faculty office.

“….”

“Uh, Allen?”

“Ah, it’s nothing. You were asking why I came to the academy, right?”

I responded to Lydia’s question while grappling with the uncanny feeling, and even the reactions of Lydia and the other teachers around me matched exactly what I had anticipated.

“…I’ll step out for a bit to look around. Since it’s my first day, I should familiarize myself with the surroundings.”

“Oh, in that case, I can come with—”

“Don’t you have to prepare for your next class, Teacher Lydia? I’ll go alone. I appreciate the thought.”

Could this sense of dissonance be related to the academy’s main story?

Had I unknowingly become involved in the main storyline without realizing it?

If so, then there’s only one thing I need to do.

First—I need to figure out the nature of this déjà vu.

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Leaving the faculty office, I slowly scanned the first main building of the academy, guided by the sense of dissonance.

From the first floor to the fifth.

From one end of the hallway to the other.

The result was an intense déjà vu.

It wasn’t just because the layout of educational facilities tends to be similar—this was an inexplicable familiarity that washed over me.

What is this? This déjà vu that’s been haunting me all day.

Then, if I follow where this dissonance leads…

Surely, the next step would be to go to the snack bar.

And before that, someone by the wall…

Did I meet them? Or didn’t I?

It was an almost precognitive sense of dissonance that had been relentlessly following me since morning assembly, but the moment I tried to recall anything about the wall, the guiding premonition suddenly grew hazy, as if shrouded in fog.

What’s going on?

Why does this dissonance vanish the moment I try to remember something about the wall?

Am I missing something?

Ding— dong— dang— dong—

Just then, the bell signaling the start of break time began to ring.

…For now, I should move.

If I follow the dissonance, I should be heading to the snack bar right now.

At the very least, I should act in a way that aligns with this feeling.

The moment I tried to take a step, students flooded the hallway all at once as break time began.

And the students who recognized me all bowed their heads and greeted me as they passed.

“Hello Sir, Good morning.”

“…Yes, hello. Good morning.”

As I brushed past the girl who had greeted me and walked toward the snack bar, I suddenly felt a chill run down my spine.

“Hey, what did you just—!”

I turned my head to look for the girl who had just greeted me, but she had already disappeared into the crowd.

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Though something deeply unsettling had just happened, I continued toward the school store as the feeling guided me.

There, I bought a chocolate madeleine.

The bittersweet cocoa and the sweet pastry blended perfectly, creating a delicious synergy of flavors.

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Afterward, I wandered around trying to uncover the source of this strange sensation.

But in the end, I failed to figure it out and had no choice but to return to the faculty dormitory and go to sleep.

As I drifted off…

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The first day at the academy.

Standing at the lectern, I smiled leisurely at the students.

“Good morning. Starting today, I’ll be the homeroom teacher for Class A. My name is Allen Zest… Huh?!”

Midway through my introduction, my mind snapped awake.

This wasn’t a mistake.

I could tell now—I was repeating this day.

Again.

“What? Did he just trail off?”

“He’s kinda cute for a new teacher. Hehe.”

“Wait, did he just say Allen Zest? The Allen Zest?”

Some students giggled as I stumbled over my words, but I had no time to care about trivial things like that.

What the hell was happening?

Was I stuck in a time loop?

And worse—until now, I hadn’t even realized it was repeating.

How many times had I lived through this day?

“E-everyone! Mr. Allen must be a little nervous since it’s his first day teaching! But as you all know, despite his youth, he’s an extraordinary figure whose name is renowned across the entire Hyphnia continent. Such an incredible person has chosen to become a teacher for the sake of the academy’s students, so I expect you all to follow his instructions well. Understood?”

Lydia smoothly covered for me and wrapped up the morning assembly.

Then, as before, we returned to the faculty office together.

“It’s okay. I was even more nervous than you when I first stood at the lectern.”

“…Ah, don’t worry about me. I’m fine.”

Of course, I wasn’t fine.

But not for the trivial reason she assumed.

Still, she didn’t seem convinced and, perhaps to give me time to collect myself, didn’t press further.

Thanks to that, I had time to gather my thoughts, but…

What the hell was causing this?

A time-looping ability user?

But this world doesn’t have supernatural powers like that.

Could I have been wrong?

Was there some hidden underworld of superhumans that ordinary people didn’t know about?

No—first, I needed to figure out the cause of this loop.

If I didn’t solve this, I’d be trapped in it forever without even knowing why.

Was the cause a person?

An object? Or maybe a natural phenomenon unrelated to either?

How was I supposed to stop this?

Hell, what even was this?

I spent an hour in the faculty office agonizing over it but still couldn’t find an answer.

No good. I don’t have enough information.

If only I knew the title of whatever story this world was from…

Then—

Ding-dong-dang-dong—

The bell signaling break time rang.

And in that moment, something flashed in my mind.

Right. That girl I met during break yesterday.

She had acted strangely.

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Remembering the only possible clue, I immediately left the faculty office and headed toward the hallway where I’d encountered her.

Fortunately, I arrived just in time.

Had she not come out yet? As I waited anxiously, the same girl from before soon appeared.

“Good morning, sir.”

“…Good morning.”

Just like before, she was clearly off.

“…S’there a pie at the store that’s s’posed to be real good?”

“Really? But wouldn’t eating bread now make lunch kinda awkward?”

How had I ever thought she was just an ordinary student?

Her words were complete gibberish.

Even worse—the way everyone around her acted as if she were speaking normally.

Definitely suspicious.

“Hold on. Student, sorry to bother you during break, but could we talk for a moment—?”

“¿Yes?”

I froze.

It was like cold water had been dumped over my head, snapping me back to reality.

Why had I ever thought she was just a slightly odd student?

For a moment, I couldn’t even remember what I’d been about to say.

Because she was looking at me.

Her body remained facing forward, but her head had turned 180 degrees to stare directly at me.

“…”

No—she wasn’t the only one.

Mixed among the flood of students pouring into the hallway were things—silently watching me.

Mimicking humans.

Mimicking students.