Harem of Side Characters [Rewrite]

??? - Home

A familiar hallway appears in my vision.

The scent of old textbooks lingers through the corridor like the ghosts of the children that used to wander, stuck endlessly traversing these white halls in hopes of uncovering some sort of escape route.

I recall a time when I was younger and tried to break down these walls.

I spent the entire day sending blow after blow to the same spot, but I was unable to even make a dent. The sheer force and the amount of times I kicked that same spot injured my ankle badly. It was difficult for me to walk for at least two weeks.

During that time, I came to terms with the fact that escaping is impossible.

Now, everytime I look out the window-

Or down at my hands-

Or look at anything really.

I have to remind myself to forget.

I think that same reason is why the ghosts of this hall are stuck, looping around in circles for the rest of eternity.

...In actuality, I don't even believe in ghosts.

But, I think the idea of this place being devoid of anything other than the scent of stale textbooks is far too lonely even for someone who's already given up on the world.

So I will pretend.

I'll pretend that this bleak white hallway is full of life.

And as I make my way towards the end of it and back to the world I call home-

I will wave at every spirit along the way.

...The same brown haired girl from before appears.

She limps into one of the rooms. A room I have somewhat fond memories of.

Without much thought, I decide to follow her. There's something about her that intrigues me.

She exudes a sense of familiarity, as if I knew her my whole life. But I didn't recognize her at all.

There's not much else to do in this place anyway.

Even if I were to roam around, everything would be the same as before. I doubt I would find anything of value.

I've memorized everything there is to see in this place. Every security camera. Every facility in every room. Every letter in every book. Every speck of dust.

As my legs carry me to the room, the girl has already found her spot sitting behind the grand piano in this room. Her fingers elegantly dance along the keys, playing a somber song, sending waves of nostalgia towards me. The song she's playing is a song I recognize far too well. It was the same one I played all those years ago.

She keeps her eyes closed as she effortlessly hits every note and chord perfectly.

There's a chair next to her. Completely empty, just like everything else in this place. I feel compelled to sit down next to her, even if I know it's probably not a good idea. But it's not like there's much else to do.

As I make my way to the chair and sit down, the scent of the girl hits my nose. It's a metallic smell, and while I don't particularly dislike it...it makes me want to vomit.

"...Oh." The girl notices me.

"..."

"...Are you...real?" She asks.

"I..."

Are you?

"...Yeah." I eventually decide.