The morning with mum proceeds uneventfully.
I try my hardest to not make her worried or speak about my sleeping issues.
I think she became much more alert for every bit of unordinary behavior.
Not because she's afraid of me, but for me.
Still, out of consideration I shifted the inhuman features away.
It must weigh hard on her as well that all this happened.

Nonetheless, school is about to start so I should get going.
On the way, I notice that even if the number of ghosts went down compared to last evening, there are certainly more than before.
It is a little unsettling since I have no explanation for this.
Maybe I will ask Zika later.
To my surprise, Chiaki waits at the entrance for me.

"H-hello!" (C)

It was surely not expected on my side.
And you can clearly see that she is a little uneasy.
Not just her demeanor, but also her aura is dimmed.
But maybe it's also scary for her to go in there alone.
Didn't I tell her yesterday that she got targeted?
Maybe not the smartest move on my side to calm her down.

"Hi. Do we want to go in?" (I)

"I think so. But is it okay?" (C)

She fiddles uneasy with the bracelet on her arm.
Was she maybe too afraid to take it off, but at the same time anxious about the stuff she cannot see?
If so then this is quite a dilemma.

"The view is clear if you meant to ask me this." (I)

"S-sorry to bother you. I, I am just a little afraid." (C)

"It's no problem! To be honest, I have more time at hand than I need." (I)

Thanks to my sleeping issues.

"Thank you." (C)

It's really bothering me how meek Chiaki became.
The worst is how her aura darkened.
While she was always hard to bear seeing her like this kinda hurts.

"Ummh, Chiaki?" (I)

"Yes?" (C)

"You look... troubled. Is there anything I could do to help you?" (I)

"N-not the demon thing please!!" (C)

Damnit, people look in our direction.

"Chiaki, not so loud! And no. Not that. Just... anything? Is there anything I can do?" (I)

"I wouldn't know what. It's just... everything is so scary." (C)

"Hmm, how would it be if we talk with Karin later?" (I)

"The, the demon who wants to suck my soul out?" (C)

"It's not exactly that. I mean you know her. She is... Well, actually she is a lot different from when she's playing an act, but she wouldn't harm you. Especially if I am against it. And she can be really helpful. If not completely voluntary. On the other side, I still don't know if I accidentally sold my soul to her. Do I have a soul now? Urgh, that goes in a bad direction. Let's just say I have!" (I)

"I think you are trailing off a little bit." (C)

"Okay, just wanted to say you don't have to be nervous around Karin. And it might help. At least I thought so. Maybe these things aren't that scary if you know more about them." (I)

"I, I'll think about it!" (C)

"Well, ultimately she will attend the same class as us. So one way or another you should get used to her." (I)

Like this, we go in.

Inside everything looks normal.
Makoto sits at his place and glares at Zika, who on her side is on her usual seat, where she can drain the morning depression from the students.
Okay, maybe it isn't this normal when you know the background information, but I take what I can get.

There are also such little things like Zika perking up as soon I enter.
She has a strange expression the way she looks at me.
As if she wants to say something.
Have I again done something wrong?
Never mind, at the moment with Makoto watching it would be too suspicious to directly vent out again with her.
I think I will go when the next break starts.

But when I sit down, Makoto's attention settles on me.
Maybe not too surprising, as I must have behaved pretty unusual from his view.
To my luck class starts before he can approach me.

I think I do well and understand much more than usual.
And if I'm correct I even perfectly remember the subjects we had yesterday.
At least those when I actually paid attention to what our teacher said.
That leads to the unpleasant thought that maybe my head changed in some way.

Oh, what do I think there?
It's absolutely safe that something happened to my head!
As far as I know, I don't even have a normal body, so believing my head would be the only exception is plain stupid.

Despite this, I hope that my thought processes did not change that much.
It is extremely concerning if this might influence my decisions.
I mean, I don't think I act any different from how I used, regarding my personality, but I'm still afraid how such a difference in my very being would influence who I am.
That's maybe a little melodramatic, but like things are, there is the idea that I am just a copy and the old Iori vanished along with her body.

On the other hand, didn't Zika say that souls exist?
Then there is a high probability that this is what defines me so that there is no problem.
At least if I still have a soul.
I will just say yes.
Yes, I have!

So another lesson that turned into an esoteric musing of mine comes to an end.

The first break of the day starts and I have something to attend to.
I stand up to fetch Zika who is now aligned to me as it seems.
That earns me a sharp gaze from Makoto, but it's not like I didn't make my point clear.
Albeit reluctantly she lets me guide her without me having to speak anything out.
So I turn around, walk a bit and pause at Chiaki's desk.

"Would you join us?" (I)

She seems confused, directs an insecure look at Zika, and quickly breaks it again.
Zika on her side is perceptive and like this not confused.
You can honestly see the internal fight display on Chiaki's face.
In the end, she seems to have decided on something.
Then she stands up and nods that she will follow.

Now Makoto really looks unwell at this development.
However, it would be a problem if he chimes in on this talk.
Fortunately, he doesn't seem to want to address it openly.
This might be because even if he knows what Zika is, he fears an open conflict.
As shallow as my experience is, I believe that Zika is at least something greater than those huge demons I've encountered before.
It's obvious what it would imply for the other students to have one of them going havoc here in school.
And if Zika is even more dangerous this could mean a bloodbath.
Reason enough to avoid a confrontation.

So we can head out on the floor for a long necessary talk.