As I walked through the hallway, the distant hum of chatter from other classrooms filled the air. My mind wandered back to Araki's antics, and I couldn't help but shake my head in amusement.

Turning a corner, I spotted Riku coming from the opposite end of the hallway. He was wearing his sports uniform—a short-sleeved shirt and shorts—and had his arms crossed tightly over his chest, shivering. His breath came out in visible puffs in the cold air.

"Riku-san! Oh geez... why are you wearing short sleeves and shorts when it's snowing?" I said, half-laughing.

Riku looked up, a faint grin on his face despite his obvious discomfort. "Yeah, I forgot to bring my long sports clothes," he admitted, rubbing his arms briskly. "PE class right now. They've got us out on the field doing warm-ups in this weather. Can you believe it?"

"Warm-ups? More like freeze-ups," I quipped, glancing at the snow falling lightly outside the window. "Do they seriously expect you to run laps in this?"

He let out a resigned laugh. "Yeah, apparently snow doesn't cancel gym class. 'Builds character,' they said."

I raised an eyebrow. "What kind of character? Frostbite?"

Riku chuckled, his teeth chattering slightly. "Pretty much. I tried to argue, but you know how that goes. Anyway, I'm on my way to grab something warm to drink before heading back out there."

I glanced at the vending machines further down the hall. "Better hurry, or they'll have you doing laps for being late."

"Don't remind me," he groaned, quickening his pace toward the machines. "See you later, Hikaru-kun. And stay warm, man."

"You too," I called after him, watching as he disappeared down the hall. Shaking my head, I continued back to class, feeling grateful I wasn't the one stuck running around in the snow.

I made my way back to Class 1-3, weaving through the bustling hallways. The sound of footsteps, laughter, and chatter echoed around me, blending with the occasional clatter of lockers. Despite the lively atmosphere, the chill from the morning air still lingered.

When I reached the classroom, most of the students were already back at their desks. Some were chatting in small groups, while others scribbled furiously in their notebooks—likely finishing last-minute homework. Sakura was at her desk, gazing out the window as the snow continued to fall softly outside.

I slid into my seat beside her. "Hey," I said, breaking her focus on the window.

She turned to me, blinking as if coming out of a daydream. "Oh, hey. Did Araki-san skip class again?"

"Yep," I replied with a small grin. "Classic Araki, right?"

She let out a soft laugh. "Yeah, it really is."

"Hey, Hikaru-san..." Sakura's voice was soft, almost hesitant.

"Yeah? What is it?" I turned to her, noticing the thoughtful expression on her face.

"About yesterday..." she began, her fingers idly tracing the edge of her notebook.

"Oh, yeah. What's on your mind?"

"I actually... I want to go somewhere," she admitted, her gaze shifting toward the falling snow outside. "Can you take me?"

I tilted my head slightly, curious. "Sure. After school, right?"

"Yeah..." she replied, her voice barely above a whisper.

"What place?" I asked, leaning a bit closer, trying to catch her gaze.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

She hesitated for a moment, then looked back at me. "You'll see. I just... need to be there. It's important."

Her words carried a certain weight, and though I didn't press further, I could tell this wasn't a casual request. "Alright," I said with a reassuring smile. "Let's go after class."

After the final bell rang, Sakura and I packed up our bags and left the classroom. The hallways were alive with the usual buzz of students eager to head home or hang out with friends, but Sakura remained unusually quiet as we walked together. I could sense a subtle tension in her, though she didn't voice it.

We moved through the school, eventually stopping in front of a rarely used storage room. I pushed the door open, revealing a cluttered space filled with old desks, chairs, and forgotten supplies. Dust motes floated lazily in the faint light streaming through a grimy window. In the center of the room stood a full-length mirror with a tarnished, ornate frame.

Sakura followed me inside, her steps hesitant as she glanced around at the disorganized piles of furniture and supplies. "Why are we here?" she asked, her voice laced with curiosity and a hint of suspicion.

I gestured toward the mirror in the center of the room. "There's a big enough mirror here for us to use. It's quiet, and no one's likely to interrupt us."

She stared at the mirror for a moment, then gave a small nod. "Alright..." she said simply, accepting my explanation without further question.

I stepped up to the mirror and placed my hand against it. The surface rippled as my hand passed through. I turned to Sakura, holding out my other hand.

"Hold on, like before," I said.

She hesitated but nodded, gripping my hand firmly. Without saying more, I guided her through.

Crossing over felt strange, like stepping through a curtain of water. We landed in the mirrored version of the storage room.

"Alright," she said, glancing around. "I just want to go somewhere I've been thinking about."

"And where's that?"

"A five-star restaurant."

I raised an eyebrow, slightly amused. "A five-star restaurant, huh? In the mirror world?"

Sakura nodded, a small smile tugging at her lips. "Why not? If we're here, might as well make the most of it."

I chuckled and started walking toward the door. "Fair enough. Lead the way."

Sakura stepped ahead, and we left the storage room, heading toward the school gate. As we walked, she opened her phone, checking online maps for the nearest five-star restaurant.

"It's going to take a while..." she murmured, then looked up. "Hey, Hikaru-san, can you drive a bike or a car?"

"I'm pretty sure I can," I replied. "Want to borrow a nearby car with the keys in it?"

"Is there one?"

"Well, if you look on the road, there might be a car stopped in the middle of it. In the real world, someone would be driving it, but here, they're just stuck in place."

"Alright, let's go search for it then," I said, following her as we made our way outside. The stillness of the mirror world made everything feel strangely surreal, but with Sakura leading the way, I felt a bit more at ease.

As we reached the main road, I looked around and spotted a few cars abandoned, their engines silent. "Looks like we found one," I said, pointing to a car parked in the middle of the road.

Sakura raised an eyebrow. "Is this really safe?"

"Well, we don't exactly have a lot of options," I replied with a grin. Then, an idea popped into my head. "How about we go to a car dealership?"

"...You want to take a car?"

"A supercar," I nodded with a smile.

"Yeah, but it won't affect the real world, right?"

"Well, nothing weird has happened so far," I said. "Let's just take one car and head to the dealership."

Sakura hesitated for a moment, then shrugged. "Alright, I guess if nothing weird has happened yet, we might as well go all in."

We made our way to the car I had pointed out, and I quickly slid into the driver's seat. I turned the key, but there was no engine sound—just an eerie silence. Despite that, I figured the car would work fine in this world, so I gave it a try.

To my surprise, the car's engine roared to life. "Looks like it's good to go," I said, glancing at Sakura, who was still a little unsure.

"Alright," she said, taking a deep breath as she slid into the passenger seat. "Let's go before I change my mind."

I grinned, putting the car into gear and pulling out onto the road. The streets of the mirror world were oddly empty, giving us an open path to the car dealership. We drove in silence for a while, the only sound being the hum of the engine.

As we approached the dealership, I couldn't help but feel a mix of excitement and disbelief.

When we finally arrived, we parked the car outside. The dealership stood before us, empty but well-lit, like it was waiting for us to make our choice.

"Well," I said, glancing at Sakura, "Lets Pick a supercar."

Sakura glanced around the dealership, her eyes wide with curiosity. "I never thought I'd be in a car dealership in the mirror world," she muttered, her voice a mix of amusement and wonder.

I chuckled. "Well, since we're here, might as well make it interesting." I stepped out of the car and walked toward the entrance. "Pick whatever catches your eye."

She hesitated for a moment, then followed me inside. As soon as we entered, the stillness of the place struck me. It felt like time had stopped, with the cars sitting quietly in their display spots. Everything seemed frozen in this space, like a showroom from some parallel world.

"I don't know much about cars," Sakura said with a shrug. "You pick."

To Be Continue.