The alarm buzzed.
Riku slowly sat up on Mei's small bed, wincing as the pain from the previous day flared in his chest, ribs, and legs.
He stared at the ceiling, exhausted.
Five days left…
He forced himself up. Every movement hurt, but he couldn't stop now.
Morning
Riku shuffled to the bathroom, rubbing the sleep from Mei's eyes.
He sat on the toilet seat, arms crossed tightly across his body, remembering his first mistake in Day 2—trying to use the boy's restroom. He would never forget the shame.
The reflection in the mirror looked broken—eyes swollen, a bruise beneath the chin, and scratches near the shoulder.
Still, he washed his face, brushed his teeth, and tied Mei's hair slowly. It wasn't perfect, but he was getting better.
He walked into the kitchen.
No milk. No bread.
Just a nearly empty rice bag and one egg.
Riku sighed and made a tiny bowl of rice porridge, chewing slowly in silence.
At School
The walk to school felt heavier. Every step reminded him of the weak, bruised body he now lived in.
When he reached the classroom, whispers followed.
"Look at her…"
"She tried to steal Asahi's phone, right?"
"She's insane."
The same students who watched yesterday…
Were now gossiping like they weren't part of the silent crime.
Riku clenched his fists, but he said nothing.
If he exploded now, Mei's body would take the damage.
Asahi walked past him with a smirk, casually throwing his bag on Riku's desk.
"Hey thief, clean my shoes after school."
Riku looked up, his eyes cold.
But Asahi didn't flinch.
Why would he?
He was surrounded by cowards in uniforms.
Lunch Break
Riku sat alone on the rooftop, legs pulled in, arms hugging them. He opened Mei's notebook and reread her story. Her mother. Her grandfather. The betrayal. The silence.
Then he wrote one line under her story:
"You're not alone anymore."
The wind was quiet, but somehow… he felt a soft warmth.
Evening – A Plan Begins
After school, Riku stayed behind, pretending to clean.
He waited.
At 5:42 PM, Asahi returned to the empty classroom to grab something.
Riku watched from the shadows behind the curtain.
Asahi's phone lit up as he pulled it from his bag.
Pattern lock. 6-digit pin.
He memorized the screen movements. The way Asahi's fingers moved.
Right. Down. Tap. Tap. Curve…
"I've got part of it."
But it wasn't enough.
Late Night
At home, Riku carefully removed Mei's school blouse.
Purple bruises. Red marks. Scratches.
He gently applied warm cloth and ointment he bought secretly.
He stared at the mirror again.
A soft wind brushed his skin from the open window.
And he whispered to Mei's reflection:
"I'll get that phone."
"I'll expose that video."
"I'll give them pain… not with fists. But with truth."
4 days left.
The morning light seeped through the curtains, but Riku didn't move.
His body ached.
His pride hurt even more.
The bruises on Mei's skin had darkened overnight. Purple, blue, and blotched red. His body—her body—was falling apart.
But time wasn't waiting.
He had four days left.
He dressed slowly, applied concealer where he could, and limped to school.
First Period
He had a plan.
Riku knew Asahi always went to the back building during first period to meet his gang. That meant, for at least ten minutes, his phone would be left inside his desk.
Riku sat still, waiting for the moment.
At 8:17 AM… Asahi left the classroom.
Riku stood quickly, made sure the teacher's back was turned, and moved to Asahi's bag.
He found the phone.
Pulled it out.
"This time… I'll guess the pattern. I watched yesterday."
He traced the pattern: down, right, curve—error.
Tried again: curve, up, left—error.
One more… please…
He drew the final attempt…
"LOCKED – Try again in 30 minutes."
The screen froze.
"No…" Riku muttered.
Then
"Oi."
The sound of a chair scraping.
The classroom door opened.
Asahi had returned.
"What. Are. You. Doing?"
Gasps filled the room. Again.
Asahi rushed forward.
SLAP.
The sharp crack echoed.
PUNCH.
Riku hit the ground, blood from his nose splattered across the floor.
"You think you're smart? You wanna play spy?" Asahi growled.
He dragged Riku by the collar, throwing him at the blackboard.
"You like touching my stuff?"
"S-Stop…" Riku choked out.
But Asahi didn't.
He grabbed Riku's head and smashed it into the desk.
Laughter.
Mocking.
Phones recording.
Not one soul stopped it.
After School
Riku didn't go to the nurse.
He washed his face in the girls' washroom.
Blood down the drain. Tears in the mirror.
He stared at Mei's reflection.
"I'm sorry… I failed again."
No voice replied.
---
[Night – Mei Appears Again]
In the dream, Riku was standing alone in the rain.
Mei appeared, her eyes red from crying.
"You failed, Riku."
"I know."
"I felt every hit. Every bruise. Just like I did every day before you came."
Riku fell to his knees. "I'm sorry. I tried…"
She knelt in front of him, eyes hollow. "Will you keep trying?"
He looked up, drenched and shivering.
"Yes."
In the Dream World
The rain had stopped. But the cold lingered.
Riku stood beneath a gray sky, the world around him silent like a forgotten memory.
Then—
Footsteps behind.
He turned. Mei stood there.
Her eyes were dim. Heavy. Like she hadn't slept for years.
"You have four days left, Riku."
Her voice was soft, but her words pierced through the silence like a blade.
Riku looked down, clenching his fists.
"I know… I'm trying. I really want to delete that video. But…"
He hesitated.
"Tomorrow… something new is going to happen. I can feel it."
Mei tilted her head slightly, her expression unreadable.
"Hmm…"
Then her voice dropped.
"But you're still avoiding something."
Riku looked up.
"You still haven't stood up to Asahi."
He frowned.
"I wanted to… I really did. But… why me, Mei? Why am I the one in your body? Why am I the center of all this?"
Her answer was immediate.
"Because you are the center."
"Everything began with you."
Riku's eyes widened.
"What do you mean? I never bullied you."
Mei stepped closer.
Her gaze cut deep.
"You forgot."
Her voice trembled.
"But you did."
Riku took a step back, stunned.
"No… that's not true. I never—"
Mei's voice broke into a whisper.
"You didn't hit me. But… you laughed."
"You watched."
"You walked away."
Riku froze.
Images flashed in his mind.
A girl being mocked.
Books thrown.
A faint laugh in the distance—his own?
"No…" he whispered.
His chest tightened.
"That… was me?"
Tears welled up in Mei's eyes.
"You were one of the many."
"Not the worst… but never the one who helped."
Riku dropped to his knees.
His breath shaky.
"I'm… sorry."
Mei knelt in front of him, her voice gentle.
"Then prove it."
"Not with words. With action."
Morning.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
Raindrops hammered against the roof like angry drums, each one louder than the last. The sky was dark, choked with thick clouds that refused to let the light in.
Riku stood in front of the mirror, buttoning the school uniform over Mei's bruised body.
His reflection didn't lie—
Dark circles under the eyes.
Swollen cheek.
A fading bruise near the collarbone.
Everything still ached from yesterday's beating.
He blinked at the girl in the mirror.
No—at himself.
A version of him he still struggled to understand.
He turned to the window.
The streets below were nearly empty. People rushed with umbrellas, fighting the storm. The wind howled like it too wanted to cry.
"Day 7..." Riku whispered.
"Three days left."
He grabbed the umbrella and stepped out.