PHASE 62 - JUST LIKE OLD DAYS (OR TIMELINES)

The tenth floor rang the bell of the campus, signaling the end of the classes. It’s been my third day in the Dradecim National High School (at least in this timeline) and I think I haven’t memorized the layout of this school. It took me a year before I could discover the locker rooms on the past timeline, so don’t be surprised if I discover something that is already here all the time.

Macho Steel, errr… I mean, Mister Kent summoned Rikkun and I right after we ended our classes. Mister Kent started this brief conference with a kind smile at me.

“So, how is the tour guide going?” Our macho history and homeroom teacher asked. “Is Mister Eisenhower here still rude to you?”

“I-It’s f-fine, Mister Kent!” I pumped my fists jollily. “Rikkun is a kind-hearted man!”

“That’s good then. I see that you guys are getting along even after that right hook a couple of days ago. Hahaha!” Mister Kent laughed like an old man.

Meanwhile, Rikkun is just there standing as if he’s a background character. He’s observing Mister Kent’s gestures and movements as if he’s a doubting wife. When Mister Kent noticed Rikkun’s stare, he immediately asked.

“What is it, Mister Eisenhower? You don’t like the tour guide job I appointed to you?”

“No, not at all, Mister Kent.” Rikkun shook his head with a smile. “I just want to ask you something.”

“What is it?”

Suddenly, Rikkun muttered under his breath “.” In an instant, Rikkun’s face started to vibrate until it became a pixelated face that immediately erased his handsomeness! He answered our homeroom teacher once again with his echoing vibrating voice. “Does this ring a bell?”

“What the…” Mister Kent was in awe as soon as he saw the spell. He does not seem to be curious about how Rikkun did it though. He sounds like he just discovered something so incoherent. “A-Are you…”

“,” Rikkun said and then the vibration of his face and voice stopped. With a smile, he talked again to our teacher as if they are close. “So you remember, right?”

“O-Of course!” Mister Kent exclaimed. “I may not have the powers like before, but I can remember you! You’re the one who saved me. Wait, that was years ago! How old are you?”

“Great,” Rikkun muttered under his breath once again. Then he turned around and started to walk, completely ignoring Mister Kent’s questions. “Tiara, let’s go.”

“R-Right!” I said. I bowed to our flabbergasted teacher then left the classroom with my boyfriend.

<>

We walked through the corridors until we reached the cafeteria. Rikkun knew that I’m hungry already so we bought egg sandwiches, cheeseburgers, spicy fried Chinese noodles, and a big bottle of soda. While I eat those meals, I noticed that Rikkun was still in deep thought. He looked like that ever since this morning, so I know he’s up to something.

“What’s troubling your mind, Rikkun?” I asked with my adorable puppy stare. "Are you worried about our threesome last night?"

“Tiara, last night is not a threesome... We three just slept together in the same bed, that's all.” Rikkun said with a forced smile. He sighed. Then he transformed his facial expression to a serious one. “I’m just checking the differences of this timeline from those on that last one. I noticed some changes and singularities while I also discovered some interesting happenings in the past.”

“Maybe I’m not a smart person where you can discuss it with me, but I’m curious,” I said before chomping down the egg sandwich.

“Okay, so these are the things I noticed. This timeline is like the very same timeline we had last time. My friends are alive, even the Aether Crusade members in the future are alive. Helena, Kristoff, Naomi, Drex, Benedict, Eliseo, Emily, Diadem, and Francois are very much healthy and kicking. Even the events of the past: the Phoenix Incident where the debut of Aeternos happened is the same as ever. However there are some adjustments this time.”

“Mmm?” I tilted my head. My mouth is full of fried noodles so I don’t want to speak. Now I look like Cthulhu. Rawr!

“The singularities are these: Our first meeting in this timeline happens two years late. We’re already graduating students right now, but during the previous timeline, we met on our first senior high school days. Another thing is Heushac and Jeanne. Heushac enrolled in a school in Heightsburg City while Jeanne stayed in Mirose Grande for her studies. The last thing is Key, in which she does not exist here anymore. The records showed that her blew off in the Nuclear Test Site in Leng City.”

“Oh! I also discovered one of the similarities and differences!” I energetically raised my hand. “In this timeline, Asumi-nee had been missing for months and Ayano is now the head shrine maiden of the Kozukata Shrine!”

“Why is Asumi missing?” Rikkun asked.

“I don’t know…” I shrugged my shoulders. “Miss Ayano said that she went to meet an old friend.”

“That’s weird.” Rikkun held his chin. “Maybe the Fake Outsider incident did and did not happen in some aspects. I tried drawing from your heart but I couldn’t, which means that our Heavenly Blade stays as the Frozen Soul. What would Asumi do to Yohan?”

I don’t have an answer for that so I continued to eat our meal. Man, these cheap burgers are delicious!

“There’s also this singularity about my new friend here named John Casterdyne. He looks and seems like a normal human, but I feel some kind of extraordinary aura from him that is kind of identical to Guinevere Arcaliburn. I guess-”

Rikkun suddenly stopped as he frowned. He looked like a person who just lost his allowance due to a scam. When I looked from behind, I saw a familiar adorable blonde girl in twin ponytails and white ribbon.

“Heya~”

“Jecchan!” I exclaimed.

“What are you doing here, you third-wheeling, blue-balling, moment-breaking bitchy blonde dumb runt?” Rikkun cringed.

“I’m here to present you with good news!” Jecchan raised her chin proudly as she presented a document. “I just transferred from Mirose Grande High School to this school! And in the same class too! We’ll be classmates from now on~”

“Unfortunately, that’s bad news.” Rikkun made a side comment.

“That’s not everything!” Jecchan switched the papers to another one which does not involve our school. Instead, the logo of the Black Cross Legion in the heading immediately surprised us. It has the title of AETHER CRUSADE INVESTIGATION TEAM.

“I will be forming my own Aether Crusade in your universe! And I am the leader! I. AM. THE LEADER. Not you, Alaric Eisenhower! Haha!” Jecchan teasingly laughed. Then she continued while sassily wiping her hair. “Well, no matter what the universe is, it’s a prerogative that Jeannette Amiella Fontaine von Noctis will be the one founding this awesome group, so you can cry now!”

“Tsk.” Rikkun clicked his tongue as he turned away. He couldn’t accept the defeat against the replacement of his childhood friend. “Fine, fine, you win. Are you done flexing? You’re interrupting our date.”

“Ahahaha…” I forced a laugh. I couldn’t call this a date right now since I’m the only one eating the food.

“Tsk. Tsk. Tsk.” Jecchan waved her index finger in front of Rikkun’s eyes. “You’re such an idiot, ‘Rikkun’. I did not come here to brag. I came here for the plan.”

Mad for using the nickname that is exclusive for my use only, Rikkun groaned. “Where are you getting at?”

“Since I’m now authorized to form the Aether Crusade Investigation Team, I can now hire and appoint Gate Guardians who used to be your members on the previous timeline. You said that you have narrowed the suspects down on our members, right? Then we will finally have a chance to catch Necross Hades.”

Rikkun’s face brightened. I was also left in awe. Jecchan is such a genius that she already planned this thing beforehand.

“Sasuga Jecchan-sama!” I cried out loud.

“Yes, good work you runt! It seems that you’re not so useless after all.” Rikkun patted the girl’s head.

However, Jecchan’s not flattered nonetheless. She continued her teasing game with Rikkun.

“But there is one problem. I forgot to add the name Alaric Eisenhower to join the Aether Crusade~”

“YOU MONSTER!!!” Rikkun roared.