At school, the day started the same as always.
Daiki walked through the hallway with his head down, pretending not to hear the whispers.
"Look at his face…"
"He's so ugly, it hurts to look at him."
"How does he even come to school like that?"
A group of girls was standing by the lockers, laughing loudly. One of them, a girl with long dark hair and sharp eyes, noticed Daiki passing by and nudged her friends.
"Hey, Daiki," she said, her voice carrying across the hallway. "Did you forget to look in the mirror today?"
The girls burst into laughter, pointing at his hair, his uniform, and his face. Usually, this would have made Daiki speed up, ducking his head further into his jacket. But today, he didn't. Somehow, he just… stopped.
"Why do you care?" he asked quietly, stopping a few steps in front of her. His voice trembled slightly, but it was enough to make her pause.
The girl blinked, surprised. "What? I'm just telling the truth."
Daiki's heart beat fast. He felt like he could faint. But he didn't back down.
"Does it make you feel better?" he asked, looking her in the eye. "Talking about me like that? Hurting someone doesn't make you happy, you know."
The hallway grew quiet for a moment. Some students nearby stopped to watch. The girl frowned, rolling her eyes and scoffing. "Whatever. Freak."
She turned away, dragging the other girls with her. Their laughter slowly faded down the hallway.
Daiki stayed where he was for a moment, breathing hard, staring at the floor. I don't care, he told himself. I really don't.
For the first time in a long time, he felt a small spark of… something. Not pride. Not happiness. But… control. He didn't run, and they didn't get to see him break.
The rest of the school day passed slowly, with classes blending together. Daiki listened quietly, taking notes that probably wouldn't help him get higher than a C. But today, that didn't matter. He survived. That was enough.
After school, Daiki went to his part-time job.
He changed into his uniform at the small pizza shop downtown. The smell of grease and hot cheese hit him immediately. It was the same every day, a mix of comfort and dread. He hated it. The uniform itched. The shoes pinched. But he had no choice. He needed money.
"Delivery," his boss said flatly, not even looking at him.
Daiki nodded and took the first pizza box, checking the address. Apartment 203.
The first customer opened the door slowly, glaring at him.
"Took you long enough," the man said sharply. "Pizza's probably cold."
Daiki forced a small smile. "It's still warm, sir."
The man snorted and shoved a few coins into Daiki's hand, slamming the door behind him.
The second delivery was worse. A woman opened the door, looking him up and down with disdain.
"They send kids like you now? No wonder the service is trash."
Daiki kept his voice steady. "I'm sorry it took a bit longer."
She scoffed and slammed the door without leaving a tip.
By the time Daiki finished his last delivery, he felt hollow. His legs ached, his back burned, and his stomach twisted with hunger. Walking home under the flickering streetlights, he felt every step weigh on him.
Another day survived, he thought. Just one more, and I can play the game tonight.
That night, Daiki didn't hesitate.
He turned on his PC and started the game.
"Mio's Mirror World."
The loading screen felt familiar, comforting almost. The small sound of the progress bar filling up made him breathe a little easier.
Mio appeared on the screen, smiling as if nothing in the real world mattered.
"Welcome back, Daiki!" she said brightly. "You came just in time!"
Her house appeared in 2D, exactly the same as before. The furniture looked almost alive in its colorful, pixelated way.
"My house got dirty today," Mio said cheerfully. "Can you help me clean?"
Small dirt particles appeared across the floor, on tables, and even on the furniture.
Task: Clean the house – click the dirt.
Daiki moved his mouse and clicked each dark spot one by one. With every click, the dirt disappeared with a soft, satisfying sound. Mio clapped her hands happily each time a row was completed.
"Good job!" she said. "You're always so helpful."
Daiki kept clicking. For the first time in a long while, he felt useful. Then, he noticed it.
The oven in the kitchen area had some dirt too—but it looked darker. Almost… wrong.
He moved the cursor toward it.
Suddenly, Mio's voice changed slightly. Her usual cheerful tone was still there, but something underneath it… sharp, strange.
"Don't open the oven," she said quickly.
Daiki froze, his cursor hovering.
"I already cleaned it," Mio added, smiling, but it wasn't the same warm smile. "There's no need to check."
Daiki swallowed hard. "…Okay," he said quietly, moving the cursor away.
"Thank you," Mio said softly. "I knew I could trust you."
The last dirt particle disappeared. The room looked perfect. Too perfect.
Daiki stared at the oven for a long moment. His stomach felt tight. Why did she say that?
The music in the game continued to play. Nothing else moved. But something about Mio's sudden warning… about the oven… made him feel uneasy.
He logged out shortly after, shutting down the PC and heading to bed.
But as he lay in the dark, one thought lingered, repeating itself over and over.
I didn't open the oven.
And somehow… that bothered him more than if he had.