Alternate Dimension (Part 56)
The new year has started, and I'm approaching my graduation from Kamisugi High. Knowing that my endless life would go on like a never-ending loop, I stopped caring about what year it is now, other than this feeling that Kotomi would be back from her college studies in America and hopefully side with me to deal with my annoying other self. I haven't seen her for at least three years. With the duration of not seeing a person exceeds the time between meeting that person for the first time and the last you see them, there's an increased chance that the other person might not recall you.
The school that I will be headed to after Kamisugi High is Mizuho Girls' Academy. They have officially dropped "High School" from the name due to the confusion with the other departments it has there and office areas within its grounds. They have also introduced an optional 4th year where they could graduate with a master's degree, making Mizuho look like a shortcut for Middle School graduates to enter post-graduate education institute. They have also announced internally about the new uniform designs that is to be introduced from the weekend after the graduation day of the previous academic year.
There are several different designs for students, teachers, non-teaching staff, and visitors, with the one I worked with Itsuki the other day being for students. I heard students of other high schools would be in their respective (female) school uniforms instead, and, except students, seem deliberately designed to make it hard to run in them with high-heeled shoes that oddly seemed to be part of your leg but strangely does not develop health problems that are associated with prolonged wearing. I also notice that all versions have only pencil skirts for the bottom with the hemline above the knee level. Although all are a lot nicer than others, the nicest design are the non-teaching staff's uniforms that looks like a smart casual office attire that uses only white and pink colours. It wouldn't look out of place in office environments, but the category "non-teaching staff" the uniform is for also include janitors and the cafeteria people, which makes them seem out of place.
To outsiders, you might think that Mizuho is a beautiful place filled with only young, elegant and smart beautiful girls, that is completely void of males, but if you step into the grounds, you would see why as you would become one yourself. There also seem to have some measures that this phenomenon is relatively unknown to the outside world. It seems quite effective since it moved to the current campus many years ago when it was implemented and nobody seems to know about it.
Itsuki never liked working there for personal reasons, but the Hatsuya Institute had transferred him from a branch near my parent's house to inside Mizuho after I was sniped for reasons unknown other than me being more likely being a target than him and he was supposed to go instead of me anyway. Officially, though, he was sent there "because of his ability" to work with the "equipment" there and be able to develop "invisible, yet very effective" security solutions. By the looks of it, he could be working there for a long time. I wonder what would Kotomi think of it? Her reaction seem rather negative when she first saw me in that other dimension.
Itsuki: "That was one of the other designs they made me wear during the test after you left. Since the first day, our mother was shocked to see me in a Mizuho uniform. Since I was transferred to Mizuho, my way of thinking is messed up since my body's gender keeps changing, which determines whether I would be able take things seriously, or have dirty thoughts in the way."
Me: "Yeah, I noticed that you didn't make fun of me and quite serious when you are in your female form, but you are planning to marry Kotomi, aren't you?"
Itsuki seemed troubled on being asked of this question. He does have feelings for her, and she loves him back, but the idea of marriage never occurred to him.
Itsuki: "Well, I don't really have anyone else in my life..."
He looked away from me as he said that with a sign of embarrassment from his voice before he turned back to me.
[Author's note: In reference to Part 23 of 3rd story]
Itsuki: "Either way, she wants me to pick her up from the airport around summer, but could only confirm the exact date and time when she's about to board the plane at the San Fransisco airport. If she arrives during office hours, I would need you to come along to help me to buy time to let me change out of the Mizuho uniform as she would only give me ten minutes from when she has cleared immigration to pick her up."
At that moment, I heard a beep. It's from the messaging system used within Powell staff. It only beeps when a message is addressed to everyone or me specifically. Yes, we are at my office there now.
Me: "It just a notice for some staff event... Anyway, Itsuki, that's my body you are marrying Kotomi with, but it was me who first met her and continued the relationship. If you had not occupied my body when I tried to return from the other dimension, I wouldn't have been stuck in this body, have all this unnecessary wealth that came with it, and a different way of doing things to what I was already used to. Also, fingerprint scanners or any unique body identification can't tell us apart unless it is vocally or visually."
Itsuki: "We have the same fingerprints? Don't even twins have different patterns?"
Seem that Itsuki was listening only to my last sentence.
Me: "You didn't know? If not, then how did you enter my room here and attempt brainwash me on my birthday the year before last? The one where you made me behave like your cute younger sister, calling you 'Onii-chan'. I never liked you, and even more when I'm forced to. I'm only hanging around only because I'm "some project of yours" and "a property of the Hatsuya Institute". Just to let you know, my mind is a real human mind and not an artificial intelligence."
Itsuki: "I thought you had allowed me to go through since the thumbprint and eye scanner let me in easily..."
Me: "Anyways, has there been news about the time where everyone seem to have vanished shortly after? You know, the one where I was cut into pieces by a chainsaw."
I was referring to a long time rival of the Hatsuya Institute came up with a machine that had everyone to vanish except them, me, and, curiously, a handful of Hatsuya and Powell staff. It is unknown what the range is, but the news reported that people as far as across the Pacific Ocean are affected too, according to the news, but it happened while they were sleeping. The rival company itself has been forced to dissolve due to strong evidence of crimes associated with them against Hatsuya staff, with the incident incident in question apparently being the last. To the few who weren't affected, you could see clothes and items on the ground. Machines that required attention during that period had something happened. Transportation vehicles that were moving at the time of the disappearance crashed into something as there was nobody steer or apply the brakes. To the majority that were affected, the whole event, from their point of view, passed by in a millisecond and found themselves in a mysterious crash and being on top of their belongings instead of wearing them.
Itsuki: "I can't believe that you, as the victim they had ever brutally attacked on, could pass it off as though it was nothing. Oh, that machine and those that the police didn't take away is now in in Hatsuya's possession to be studied on.
Me: "Is that all?"
Itsuki: "The rest is being taken care of by the police, but we don't know what exactly is going on their side. As for the general public, well, they don't know who to complain to for the damages and embarrassment since it happened to everyone around the world at the same time. As for the escaped leader of theirs, we only that he's laying low somewhere in Hong Kong, and alerted about him in the Interpol, but the land density there are making things harder to search for him."
Hong Kong?
Me: "Say... do you think that me being shot there the other day is related?"
Itsuki: "Now that you mentioned it...yeah. I've never thought of that before. I'll inform the higher ups about it. Anyways, you're going to enjoy your time in Mizuho... Saeko?"
Itsuki is making me sad again. Please, let me do whatever I want with myself. Even now, I am still scared to look at myself because I look completely different from my mental self.
Itsuki: "Hello? Why are you squatting down at a corner crying?"
Even my own body: it's not mine, but it seems that I'm permanently stuck in it. I had experienced at first hand of me being killed to the extent of even seeing parts of my body, lying all over, but my immortality means that I would be back to normal. I might even see Itsuki's children as grandparents while my body is still the same. I might be left behind when the people I know now has passed away as part of this cruel fate of being immortal, but I don't want immortality. I never even asked for it. And then there's hnnnnnnn?!
Itsuki kissed me at the lips and touched me. There was this sensation that I have that I had never experienced before and found myself blushing excessively beyond control. Curiously, my body quickly gave in and allowed anything he was doing to me.
Itsuki: "Sorry. It's been a while since I last kissed a girl, and you look more attractive than all the other girls I know, including Kotomi."
Me: "As the witness and my position as the founder of the Powell Institute on top of being the victim, I can charge you for... and call the... and send you to..."
I tried to use my authority to stop him, but the feelings I developed from his actions cause a mix of hating what he's doing, but at the same time, wanting more of it. I was born as the guy in front of me, but what I'm feeling now is something only females could experience, which is sending me mixed reactions to my mind about this and flashbacks of the time I enjoyed being with him I didn't know I had. I don't like him, but I don't really have anyone else who would understand me deeply. As for Kotomi, she doesn't know about me being here since I narrowly missed her 3 years ago.
According to descriptions by her family and Itsuki, she did came with me to the other dimension 5-6 years ago, but returned back by herself about a year later, avoiding the train incident that had happened there. It was that part that made me wonder why she could return as herself with no time lags while it doesn't work with me. Was it because of me having larger differences between myself of the two dimensions, complicated by being in the cloned body of myself in that dimension (who was born a female). That large time difference could be caused by me being in a body that never existed when returning back, probably processing how my existance would fit in, and the cause & effect of me owning properties and businesses. After all, my Powell employees could be working as something else, and have everything relating to it, looked as though it has been that way before I came back. I clearly remember it was completely different. Another possibility that I could think of is that Hatsuya would know what is happening with its counterparts of other dimensions, so they knew about the conditions that came with the (unknowingly and accidentally) cloning myself and prevented me from entering my original body, and had me continue being their test subject. Of course, they won't tell me that if it's true anyway.
Either way, my new existence created upon coming back means that I'm now seen as a different person from my original and can't return back even if I undo the conditions that made me what I am now. I don't know who to blame: myself for playing with unknown machines and trespassing, Kotomi for even making that machine, Hatsuya Institute for having that condition in place that doesn't omit their own employees, or Mihara Academy for having the place so accessible. Somehow, I am developing feelings towards my former male self, and less interested over Kotomi in recent times. I don't know why myself.
The school that I will be headed to after Kamisugi High is Mizuho Girls' Academy. They have officially dropped "High School" from the name due to the confusion with the other departments it has there and office areas within its grounds. They have also introduced an optional 4th year where they could graduate with a master's degree, making Mizuho look like a shortcut for Middle School graduates to enter post-graduate education institute. They have also announced internally about the new uniform designs that is to be introduced from the weekend after the graduation day of the previous academic year.There are several different designs for students, teachers, non-teaching staff, and visitors, with the one I worked with Itsuki the other day being for students. I heard students of other high schools would be in their respective (female) school uniforms instead, and, except students, seem deliberately designed to make it hard to run in them with high-heeled shoes that oddly seemed to be part of your leg but strangely does not develop health problems that are associated with prolonged wearing. I also notice that all versions have only pencil skirts for the bottom with the hemline above the knee level. Although all are a lot nicer than others, the nicest design are the non-teaching staff's uniforms that looks like a smart casual office attire that uses only white and pink colours. It wouldn't look out of place in office environments, but the category "non-teaching staff" the uniform is for also include janitors and the cafeteria people, which makes them seem out of place.
To outsiders, you might think that Mizuho is a beautiful place filled with only young, elegant and smart beautiful girls, that is completely void of males, but if you step into the grounds, you would see why as you would become one yourself. There also seem to have some measures that this phenomenon is relatively unknown to the outside world. It seems quite effective since it moved to the current campus many years ago when it was implemented and nobody seems to know about it.
Itsuki never liked working there for personal reasons, but the Hatsuya Institute had transferred him from a branch near my parent's house to inside Mizuho after I was sniped for reasons unknown other than me being more likely being a target than him and he was supposed to go instead of me anyway. Officially, though, he was sent there "because of his ability" to work with the "equipment" there and be able to develop "invisible, yet very effective" security solutions. By the looks of it, he could be working there for a long time. I wonder what would Kotomi think of it? Her reaction seem rather negative when she first saw me in that other dimension.
Itsuki: "That was one of the other designs they made me wear during the test after you left. Since the first day, our mother was shocked to see me in a Mizuho uniform. Since I was transferred to Mizuho, my way of thinking is messed up since my body's gender keeps changing, which determines whether I would be able take things seriously, or have dirty thoughts in the way."
Me: "Yeah, I noticed that you didn't make fun of me and quite serious when you are in your female form, but you are planning to marry Kotomi, aren't you?"
Itsuki seemed troubled on being asked of this question. He does have feelings for her, and she loves him back, but the idea of marriage never occurred to him.
Itsuki: "Well, I don't really have anyone else in my life..."
He looked away from me as he said that with a sign of embarrassment from his voice before he turned back to me.
[Author's note: In reference to Part 23 of 3rd story]
Itsuki: "Either way, she wants me to pick her up from the airport around summer, but could only confirm the exact date and time when she's about to board the plane at the San Fransisco airport. If she arrives during office hours, I would need you to come along to help me to buy time to let me change out of the Mizuho uniform as she would only give me ten minutes from when she has cleared immigration to pick her up."
At that moment, I heard a beep. It's from the messaging system used within Powell staff. It only beeps when a message is addressed to everyone or me specifically. Yes, we are at my office there now.
Me: "It just a notice for some staff event... Anyway, Itsuki, that's my body you are marrying Kotomi with, but it was me who first met her and continued the relationship. If you had not occupied my body when I tried to return from the other dimension, I wouldn't have been stuck in this body, have all this unnecessary wealth that came with it, and a different way of doing things to what I was already used to. Also, fingerprint scanners or any unique body identification can't tell us apart unless it is vocally or visually."
Itsuki: "We have the same fingerprints? Don't even twins have different patterns?"
Seem that Itsuki was listening only to my last sentence.
Me: "You didn't know? If not, then how did you enter my room here and attempt brainwash me on my birthday the year before last? The one where you made me behave like your cute younger sister, calling you 'Onii-chan'. I never liked you, and even more when I'm forced to. I'm only hanging around only because I'm "some project of yours" and "a property of the Hatsuya Institute". Just to let you know, my mind is a real human mind and not an artificial intelligence."
Itsuki: "I thought you had allowed me to go through since the thumbprint and eye scanner let me in easily..."
Me: "Anyways, has there been news about the time where everyone seem to have vanished shortly after? You know, the one where I was cut into pieces by a chainsaw."
I was referring to a long time rival of the Hatsuya Institute came up with a machine that had everyone to vanish except them, me, and, curiously, a handful of Hatsuya and Powell staff. It is unknown what the range is, but the news reported that people as far as across the Pacific Ocean are affected too, according to the news, but it happened while they were sleeping. The rival company itself has been forced to dissolve due to strong evidence of crimes associated with them against Hatsuya staff, with the incident incident in question apparently being the last. To the few who weren't affected, you could see clothes and items on the ground. Machines that required attention during that period had something happened. Transportation vehicles that were moving at the time of the disappearance crashed into something as there was nobody steer or apply the brakes. To the majority that were affected, the whole event, from their point of view, passed by in a millisecond and found themselves in a mysterious crash and being on top of their belongings instead of wearing them.
Itsuki: "I can't believe that you, as the victim they had ever brutally attacked on, could pass it off as though it was nothing. Oh, that machine and those that the police didn't take away is now in in Hatsuya's possession to be studied on.
Me: "Is that all?"
Itsuki: "The rest is being taken care of by the police, but we don't know what exactly is going on their side. As for the general public, well, they don't know who to complain to for the damages and embarrassment since it happened to everyone around the world at the same time. As for the escaped leader of theirs, we only that he's laying low somewhere in Hong Kong, and alerted about him in the Interpol, but the land density there are making things harder to search for him."
Hong Kong?
Me: "Say... do you think that me being shot there the other day is related?"
Itsuki: "Now that you mentioned it...yeah. I've never thought of that before. I'll inform the higher ups about it. Anyways, you're going to enjoy your time in Mizuho... Saeko?"
Itsuki is making me sad again. Please, let me do whatever I want with myself. Even now, I am still scared to look at myself because I look completely different from my mental self.
Itsuki: "Hello? Why are you squatting down at a corner crying?"
Even my own body: it's not mine, but it seems that I'm permanently stuck in it. I had experienced at first hand of me being killed to the extent of even seeing parts of my body, lying all over, but my immortality means that I would be back to normal. I might even see Itsuki's children as grandparents while my body is still the same. I might be left behind when the people I know now has passed away as part of this cruel fate of being immortal, but I don't want immortality. I never even asked for it. And then there's hnnnnnnn?!
Itsuki kissed me at the lips and touched me. There was this sensation that I have that I had never experienced before and found myself blushing excessively beyond control. Curiously, my body quickly gave in and allowed anything he was doing to me.
Itsuki: "Sorry. It's been a while since I last kissed a girl, and you look more attractive than all the other girls I know, including Kotomi."
Me: "As the witness and my position as the founder of the Powell Institute on top of being the victim, I can charge you for... and call the... and send you to..."
I tried to use my authority to stop him, but the feelings I developed from his actions cause a mix of hating what he's doing, but at the same time, wanting more of it. I was born as the guy in front of me, but what I'm feeling now is something only females could experience, which is sending me mixed reactions to my mind about this and flashbacks of the time I enjoyed being with him I didn't know I had. I don't like him, but I don't really have anyone else who would understand me deeply. As for Kotomi, she doesn't know about me being here since I narrowly missed her 3 years ago.
According to descriptions by her family and Itsuki, she did came with me to the other dimension 5-6 years ago, but returned back by herself about a year later, avoiding the train incident that had happened there. It was that part that made me wonder why she could return as herself with no time lags while it doesn't work with me. Was it because of me having larger differences between myself of the two dimensions, complicated by being in the cloned body of myself in that dimension (who was born a female). That large time difference could be caused by me being in a body that never existed when returning back, probably processing how my existance would fit in, and the cause & effect of me owning properties and businesses. After all, my Powell employees could be working as something else, and have everything relating to it, looked as though it has been that way before I came back. I clearly remember it was completely different. Another possibility that I could think of is that Hatsuya would know what is happening with its counterparts of other dimensions, so they knew about the conditions that came with the (unknowingly and accidentally) cloning myself and prevented me from entering my original body, and had me continue being their test subject. Of course, they won't tell me that if it's true anyway.
Either way, my new existence created upon coming back means that I'm now seen as a different person from my original and can't return back even if I undo the conditions that made me what I am now. I don't know who to blame: myself for playing with unknown machines and trespassing, Kotomi for even making that machine, Hatsuya Institute for having that condition in place that doesn't omit their own employees, or Mihara Academy for having the place so accessible. Somehow, I am developing feelings towards my former male self, and less interested over Kotomi in recent times. I don't know why myself.
Chapter 13
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