The School is Under Hypnosis, and I'm the Only One Who Knows (I Was Able To Send The Hypnotist Flying Back Home, but Now I’ve Got The Whole School Under My Hands As My Harem, What Should I Do!?)

Chapter 12: Nagasaki Yuki

The eventful school trip finally came to an end, and we returned to our usual daily lives. Now that I could take a breather, I needed to focus on finding a way to lift the hypnosis at Sakura Minami High School.

After school every day, I went to the clubroom of the Supernatural Research Club, where I, along with Nagasaki-san, searched through news from around the world related to supernatural phenomena. But so far, we hadn’t found anything useful. Well, there were some news stories, but they had nothing to do with hypnosis.

At this rate, would we ever be able to lift the hypnosis…?

“Yuki, what’s with this test?”

“Mom, I got the highest score in my class!”

Smack!

My mother slapped my cheek, causing a sharp pain.

“You got this simple question wrong!”

“But, I was the top in my class…”

“No excuses!”

Smack!

My mother slapped my cheek again, and the pain was intense.

My mother is a perfectionist. She never tolerated any of my mistakes. It didn’t matter to her how hard I tried or what rank I achieved in class. All she cared about was perfection.

So, I tried my best. I kept trying, over and over. But I could never be perfect.

I don’t know when it started, but I began to daydream often. What if there were parallel worlds? Maybe in one of them, there’s a kind mother, close friends, and perhaps even a lover that I had. If I could use superpowers, what would I do? Could I fly? Would aliens invade this planet? I wished this world would be destroyed.

I knew it was just an escape from reality, but I couldn’t stop. Facing reality was too painful, so I kept myself busy by researching various supernatural phenomena worldwide. I hoped they were real.

But it was just an escape. It didn’t change my reality. My mother’s expectations still weighed heavily on my heart.

However, one day during my third year of high school, I suddenly felt a sense of relief. I realized that mornings weren’t so gloomy anymore. It felt like something strange had happened to me. It was just a hunch, but I was certain. That’s why I created the Supernatural Research Club.

When he, Watanabe Watanabe, came to the club, my heart raced. I didn’t want to take my eyes off him for a second or miss a single word he said. I wanted to touch him, to be touched by him. My mind was filled with these thoughts.

So, at first, I didn’t understand what he was saying. I hurriedly took notes, and eventually, I understood. I realized what had happened to me and why I was living apart from my mother.

But none of that mattered. I just wanted to be with him.

He seemed to want to lift the hypnosis, but I didn’t want to. Because right now, I’m so happy. I’m attending the same school as him, and that alone makes me feel happy.

I knew this happiness was fake, but what is real happiness? I’d settle for the fake one. Real happiness is probably unattainable anyway.

So, I pretended not to notice. I ignored the crucial fact that could unlock this hypnotic state.

Today, he came again. He seemed to be searching through news from around the world to find a way to lift the hypnosis. I helped him, but only because I wanted to be with him. Being alone with him was a blissful moment for me, and it passed by in the blink of an eye.

Before I knew it, it was already dark outside. It was time to head home. But he and I shared the same route for part of the way, so I could extend this blissful moment a little longer.

On our way home, we passed by a park where a girl around our age was practicing basketball. She kept shooting the ball towards the basket, one after another. When I saw her, tears welled up in my eyes. Watanabe noticed and became concerned.

“W-What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.”

“It’s not nothing. Do you know her?”

Watanabe said, looking in the direction of my gaze.

“I don’t know.”

I didn’t know… But I felt a sense of familiarity with her. Perhaps she was an acquaintance of mine from before the hypnosis.

“Let’s talk to her. Maybe you’ll remember something. Hey!”

“Umm, what is it?”

“Hey, can we join you? We want to play basketball, too.”

“Sure, but…”

“Come on.”

He called me and gently pushed me forward.

My body remembered. I must have played basketball before. Unconsciously, my body moved, and the shot I took drew a beautiful arc, going straight through the net without touching the rim.

“Nice shot! But I won’t lose, either.”

She said, dribbling the ball and skillfully dribbling past me. She made a layup shot, and it was perfect. She was good.

By the way, Watanabe was outside the court, and he was terrible. He got tired quickly and was currently taking a break.

For now, it was just the two of us playing one-on-one. It was fun.

I must have been a member of the basketball club before. And I think I was in the club with her. My past self must have had happy times and close friends too. I had forgotten all that, and it made me feel incredibly sad.

It might be time to let go of this fake happiness and reclaim the pain and joy of my past.

After a short time of sweating it out, we headed home. As we parted ways, I told him the crucial fact that could unlock the hypnosis.

“There’s one more person.”

“Huh? Who?”

“Another hypnotist. There’s another one at Sakura Minami High School.”