Cold water splashed against Her face, washing away the leftover frustration from the argument earlier in class.
Her usually neat blonde hair, tied up in her signature high ponytail with a blue ribbon, was now messy, sticking to her damp temples.
She looked up and stared at her reflection in the school's worn-out bathroom mirror.
There, she saw the "perfect" Luna: the blonde-haired, blue-eyed girl with naturally rosy lips and a face that always earned compliments. The school's heroine, admired by so many.
But next to that ideal image, the mirror seemed to reveal another Luna—one far from perfect. Her eyes were slightly swollen, her jaw clenched in frustration, and faint lines on her forehead betrayed the anxiety she was trying to hide.
We had just gotten into a huge argument with that brown-haired boy with no face.
That guy—with his calm yet piercing voice—told her straight up that Theo, the popular athlete she had been crushing on for so long, was clueless, dumb, and completely insensitive.
Ivansia had tried so hard to defend Theo. But each word felt empty. Deep down, in the part of her heart she hated to admit even existed… Luna agreed with him.
Theo really could be dense—too focused on his own world to notice what's around him. Guilt and disappointment twisted in her stomach.
She looked down and picked up her open notebook from the sink. As she did, an old photo slipped out and landed on the cold ceramic floor. Luna bent down and picked it up.
It was a photo of her, Theo, and Ivansia in class. Theo was smiling brightly, Ivansia looked calm beside him, and Luna was beaming between the two of them.
A happy memory. One of those cheerful school moments.
But Luna's eyes shifted to a blurry corner of the photo.
There—barely visible on the edge, as if caught by accident—was part of a brown-haired boy sitting by the window, reading a novel.
That faceless boy.
Luna's heart skipped. She didn't remember when this photo was taken… or why that guy was even in it.
Had he always been there? Hiding in the background… unseen, but always watching?
The mirror reflected her face again, but now it felt foreign—like someone else was pulling the strings behind her smile, controlling her heartbeat, and forcing her to say words that weren't even her own.
She frowned and asked herself: Why… Why couldn't I control myself in class?
She let out a long sigh, patting Her cheeks to shake off the overthinking. She fixed Her uniform and hair before walking out of the bathroom.
The moment She stepped out, She was met with a strange sight: people with no facial features filled the hallway. They were just walking aimlessly around the school.
She turned Her face away, trying to ignore them. She just wanted to go to the school rooftop to relax. On Her way there, She passed by Her classroom—2-C. She glanced through the window and saw Ivansia and Theo studying together, probably trying to forget what had just happened.
Suddenly, She felt a weird pressure. It was like something was forcing Her feet to walk into the classroom.
"Ugh!" She gritted Her teeth, trying to fight the strange pressure, turning Her body around with all Her strength. Step by heavy step, She dragged Herself toward the rooftop.
Finally, She made it to the staircase. She reached for the door to the rooftop, but Her hand froze when She heard a loud, creepy laugh.
"Ha… HAHAHAHA!"
Her whole body froze. That laugh… It was the voice of the faceless guy! Could he be some kind of psycho who got his kicks from mocking people?
She started to hesitate. Slowly, She turned around, one step at a time, backing away from the rooftop door.
"Oh… Luna!" a loud voice called my name. She turned Her head slowly.
With a nervous smile, She said, "Ah… I-I won't bother you anymore… S-So please! Just let me go!" She cried out, begging him.
----
I froze. I was honestly confused about what was happening. Just earlier, I had felt the kind of happiness you only feel after surviving thousands of loops.
But now, right in front of me, was the world's heroine—tears in her eyes, begging me not to come closer.
Wait… Was she listening to me from behind the door this whole time?
I rushed down the stairs toward her. "L-Luna! Wait! This is just a misunderstanding—"
"D-Don't come any closer!" she said, her voice shaking. She stepped back… and didn't notice she had no more steps behind her.
She slipped.
I quickly grabbed her arm to stop her from falling. Without thinking, I pulled her up and brought her to the rooftop with me.
"L-Let go of me! You're crazy! Let go or I'll scream!" she yelled, trying to pull away.
I released her arm and looked at her. "Tch, calm down. I just need a minute, okay? There's something I need to tell you." I ran a hand through my hair.
She rubbed her arm where I'd accidentally gripped too hard. She frowned and stared at me sharply.
"So… what do you want to say?"
I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself.
I reached out and placed my hand on her shoulder. "Luna—"
"Can you not touch me?" she said, brushing off my hand.
"Ah, sorry."
"Ahem… Luna! You're a hero—" Just before I could finish the sentence, it felt like a stone got stuck in my throat. I dropped to the ground, coughing and gasping.
"Ugh… Cough, cough… Luna, you… Cough, ugh!" My throat burned like it was being stabbed by needles.
Luna's face tightened with worry. She knelt down and reached out to me.
"Hey, are you okay? Do you have some kind of illness? Maybe we should talk later," she said, clearly confused and concerned.
Damn it! This cursed world won't let me tell her the truth…
Crap… What now? What should I do next? How can I protect Luna from the danger she's going to face?
I held onto my knee and slowly stood up again, looking her in the eye.
"Luna, don't leave your house tonight."
"Hah?! What the hell do you mean by that?! You've been acting super weird—laughing like a lunatic, grabbing me, coughing like you're dying—"
"Please! Just this once, trust me!" I stepped closer to her.
"How am I supposed to trust you?! You insulted my friends, I don't even know you! I don't even know your name! What could possibly happen if I go out tonight?!" Luna shouted.
"YOU'LL GET KIDNAPPED!" I yelled back.
Luna's face went pale. Her mouth opened slightly.
"…."
"W-Wait… I need to ask you something." Her voice trembled.
"What is it?"
"Have you… ever had the same dream as me?" Luna took a deep breath before continuing. "A dream where… I was in a dark, damp alley, surrounded by three terrifying thugs and… a brown-haired boy, who looked just like you." Her breath was shaky.
"He… He protected me with everything he had. And then… I saw the world end. The sky shattered like glass. Purple and blood-red light spilled out from those cracks. That! That—!"
"Hey, hey, calm down, Luna!"
Her breathing was a mess. She was starting to sweat.
"The dream felt so real. No… It wasn't a dream. It felt more like a memory. D-Do you know anything about it?"
Wait! Could it be?! Luna is remembering fragments of her memories from the previous loop?! Holy crap! If that's true, maybe—just maybe—she can break free from her role as a 'Heroine'!
I took a deep breath. "Yes, Luna! That dream is actually—Cough, cough!" I started coughing again.
What the hell?! I can't even give her a single clue?!
"Hey, did you forget to take your cough medicine or something?"
"No, I just choked on my spit."
Luna raised an eyebrow, clearly confused by my answer.
"So… do you know something about my dream?"
"Hah… You still believe in dreams at a time like this?"
Luna's face turned red. Maybe she was mad. "Hah?! Then why did you tell me not to go out tonight, idiot!"
I pulled out my phone from my pocket and showed her a news article on the screen. "Look at this. Some gangsters have been roaming the area near your neighborhood."
Her eyes widened as she read the article. "Why didn't you just show me this in the first place, dumbass?!"
"Well, because you wouldn't stop talking about your nightmare!" I shouted.
"That's your fault! Also, how the hell do you know where I live?! Don't tell me… you're stalking me?!" Luna backed away, heading toward the rooftop door.
I laughed a little. "Haha! If I really were your stalker, then why are you only realizing it now?" I started walking slowly toward her.
Luna's eyes filled with fear. "Hiekk! Stay away from me, you creep!" she screamed and bolted down the stairs.
I burst into laughter watching her run away in fear. Honestly, seeing her all flustered like that… is kinda cute.