Chapter 365 (Self Edited) – Confused

Chapter 365 (Self Edited) – Confused

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Suddenly, Soma woke up.
What appeared in his field of vision was a white ceiling, adorned with a built-in fluorescent light. Though it was white, it wasn’t like the ceilings in hospitals, and the fluorescent light wasn’t even turned on. It was just the ordinary ceiling of my familiar bedroom in the morning.
Almost simultaneously with this realization, a loud noise erupted next to his ear. Reflexively, he reached out and as soon as he touched it, the noise ceased. With a slight delay, as he turned his gaze, he looked at what was placed beside his pillow. It was an alarm clock. The shorthand pointed at seven and the long hand at twelve.
It was 7 o’clock.
“Hmm?” (Soma)
Soma muttered so and tilted his head slightly. Right after that, the door opened, and a familiar voice reached my ears.
“Soma-san, it’s morning… Oh, you’re awake after all. You’re as difficult to wake up as ever…” (??)
Turning towards the voice, Soma saw a familiar face at the door. However, the clothing this person wore was unfamiliar to him. No… more accurately, it was an unfamiliar combination. Moreover, the question of why this person was here also arose.
“Hmm… Felicia, right?” (Soma)
“Yes? Um… that’s correct… Do I look like someone else to you?” (Felicia)
“No, it’s not that…” (Soma)
“Could it be… Are you still half-asleep? That’s unusual.” (Felicia)
She smiled and her appearance was certainly Felicia, without a doubt. However, this only raised more questions. But before he could continue speaking, Felicia turned away on the spot.
“Well, it was unusual to see something like that, but if we continue to dawdle, we’ll end up being late. I think you understand even without being told, Soma-san, please hurry too, okay?” (Felicia)
“Late for what?” (Soma)
“Huh? Seriously, are you still half-asleep? That’s really unusual…” (Felicia)
Felicia turned back with a puzzled expression. Then…
“Late for what? To school, of course.” (Felicia)
Felicia spoke those words while wearing the uniform of the high school he attended in his previous life.
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—
Despite having many questions, Soma, after waking up, donned a familiar uniform hanging on the wall and left the familiar room behind. Outside the room was also a familiar sight. Ahead and to the left were corridors leading to other rooms, while to the right was a slightly spiraling staircase descending downwards. Although he pondered about the other rooms, he ultimately headed towards the stairs.
After descending about ten steps, he faced the entrance ahead. There were doors on both sides, but he headed left without hesitation. Suddenly, voices filled the air, but no one was in sight yet. He passed by the room ahead and opened the half-open door, revealing three familiar faces.
“Oh, Soma-san, you finally came down. You seemed a bit off earlier… Are you feeling tired?” (Felicia)
“No, it’s not like that…” (Soma)
As he responded to Felicia, one of the three people there, he glanced around. It was indeed a familiar scene. Steamy breakfast was laid out on a long kotatsu table that could seat six people, and the morning news played on the television. One person reading a newspaper looked up—
“Soma, good morning. You are indeed a bit late today.” (Klaus)
“Well, there’s no big issue, but it does seem a bit unusual. Anyway, have a seat, Soma. Let’s have breakfast. Oh, and good morning, Soma.” (Sophia)
“Um, good morning, Father, Mother.” (Soma)
It was Klaus who was there, and Sophia appeared from the kitchen. Soma exhaled a breath as if releasing an inexplicable emotion. It was a bit of a relief mixed with a bit of a disappointment… Well, one thing was certain, his doubts had increased. In any case, it was breakfast. Without much hesitation, he sat down naturally where his feet took him, chuckling wryly, and his breakfast was set before him. Felicia was the one setting it up.
“Um, sorry for the trouble, Felicia.” (Soma)
“No need to apologize. Despite being childhood friends, I’m indebted to you. It’s only natural for me to help out.” (Felicia)
“Hmm…” (Soma)
Although new information seemed to emerge, at this point, it might be quicker to gather all the information first before considering it all. As he pondered this, breakfast was finished setting up on the table, and Felicia and his mother took their seats. Once his father folded the newspaper, everyone almost simultaneously clasped their hands.
“Itadakimasu.” (All)
The four voices overlapping created a strangely surreal sensation. While these were ordinary words, in this lifetime, as far as Soma knew, only Iori had uttered them. Yet now, it was commonplace for these three others to say them too. While not quite discomfort, there was a peculiar feeling about it. Well, considering the situation, a few oddities here and there weren’t much of a surprise now.
“Soma-san? Is something wrong?” (Felicia)
“No, it’s nothing.” (Soma)
Soma reached for his chopsticks amidst the curious gaze of the girl who seemed to be his childhood friend. Come to think of it, it had been quite a while since I last used chopsticks, but it seemed I still remembered how to use them. Maybe it was due to this incomprehensible situation, but regardless, he grabbed what lay before him without issue.
It was a simmered dish in a small bowl, likely leftovers from yesterday given the small portion. The deeply infused color indicated this. But this also meant the flavor was equally infused. As expected, the taste spread across his mouth upon tasting. However, precisely because it was as expected, Soma felt a sense of unease. While the taste was familiar, it shouldn’t have been something Sophia had cooked. Though he idly thought about remembering such things, the unease lingered.
“Hmm…” (Soma)
Casually observing the three, it was as though they felt no sense of unease. They continued their conversation and meal as if it had always been this way. Watching them, Soma muttered ‘Hmm’ once again.
“Now then… what on earth is this situation?” (Soma)
Amidst their conversation and the sounds from the television, his voice faded unheard by anyone. Including that, Soma gazed at the familiar yet now-never-to-be-seen ceiling and exhaled a sigh once more.
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