Pearl Harbor Edition 1
1: I die.
When the leader of my class came rushing in, I was in the staff room, munching on a convenience store bento.
“Kirishima Sensei!”
“…Huh? What’s up?”
“Kagayama’s going to die!”
“Wha—!?” I choked on my food and spat it out.
“Quick! Hurry, Sensei!”
The class rep, with a look of urgency I’d never seen before, was frantically gesturing.
(Damn! Is this an emergency?)
I dropped my chopsticks and stood up. “What happened to Kagayama?”
“He’s saying he’s going to die!”
Following the rep’s lead, I sprinted out of the staff room, dashed down the corridor, and ran out of the nearest exit to the school grounds.
There, about twenty students were gathered, all looking up at the school roof.
I looked up too and saw a single boy in a school uniform. His face was pale, and he look like stunned.
…Ah, that’s Kagayama. What’s he doing up there? …Wait, is he think jumping?
The class rep pointed up and yelled,
“He’s going to suicide. Sensei, do something!”
“Is… Is he serious?”
Kagayama was one of my students. Small and timid, he was often teased by others. He’d get ridiculed for small things and occasionally nudged by his friends as they passed by.
I remembered seeing Kagayama just three days ago in the corner of the gym. He glanced at me with dark eyes…
Damn, was that a sign?
(Shit!)
I go back into the building and dashed up the stairs, skipping two steps. I break open that iron door that led to the rooftop, which usually locked.
I yanked the door and stepped onto the dusty rooftop.
The sky above was unbelievably blue. The dusty, dirty concrete floor of the rooftop spread below me, with a slight wind blowing.
Around the rooftop was a waist-high fence. Beyond the fence, overlooking the town and sky, stood Kagayama.
“Stop it, Kagayama!”
Kagayama slowly turned around, emotionless, and looked forward again.
Maybe he had seen me rush into the building?
From below, the students’ voices rose. Kagayama, as if lured, leaned over to look.
“Kagayama! What the hell are you doing? You want to die a virgin? Stay alive, and good things will happen! Maybe a beautiful lady will show you a good time!”
I knew it was a weird way to persuade him, but I couldn’t think straight.
“You… you say no way not virgin, are you?”
“Are you OK? That’s what you’re focusing on?”
“So you are a virgin!”
“Virgin, virgin, so noisy! Aren’t you amateur virgin too?”
Damn!
He hit a nerve… but I can’t let him dictate the pace!
“How about this? Have you ever been in love? Is there a girl you like? If you want, I can be your Cupid!”
“I don’t want advice from a teacher who gets happy over letters from students!” “How do you know about that?”
I edged closer.
“How about this? I’ll teach you how to meet genuine girls on dating apps!” As I tried to reach out, Kagayama sidestepped.
“That’s not amateur girl!”
“No,amateur!”
“It’s not argue point!”
“Bothersome! No say, come here!”
“Leave me alone! Please!”
“Idiot!”
In a bold move, I climbed over the meter-high fence.
Kagayama was around 160 cm tall and probably weighed less than 50 kg.
I’m 25, 176 cm tall, and weigh 68 kg. I have confidence in my strength only. If I could just grab him, I think I can manage.
“Just leave it to me.”
“If I leave it you, definitely go bad.”
Kagayama dodged again.
I followed him, taking two or three steps. That was a mistake…
I lost my right foot step.
My body tilted to the side, unbalanced.
I tried to grab the fence, but missed.
For a moment,Kagayama’s figure flashed in my eyes.And blue sky flowed.
Unable to regain balance, not knowing up from down, I only freeze myself.
I felt the rush of the wind and then a violent impact.
Crash! Grack!!
My head hit the concrete edge of a flower bed, and I heard the sound of my own skull cracking.
A ringing sound, the smell of rust, a intence headache.
As consciousness faded, the last image that appeared was the innocent face of a female student I had a crush on.
(…Saeki… Nanami-chan…)
I really am an idiot…
(...)
(Aaahhhhhhhhh!)
As I jump up awake, the muggy tropical air and the sound of waves. And before me stretched a calm blue sea.
“…huff, huff.”
“Kirishima-kun, about your graduation thesis…”
“Eh?!”
Beside me was... a stunning woman in a swimsuit!
Why is she, with her young and voluptuous body, wrapped in a flashy swimsuit, lying gracefully on the sandy beach?
Ah, I know her. She’s Professor Nishina from my university seminar. She always wore nice suits and drove a Citroën.
“Choosing Admiral Nagumo Chuichi, the commander-in-chief of the 1st Air Fleet during World War II, as your thesis topic is quite unique. Especially ,I fell interest to perspective of historical change how to victoried. the war. Is he a relative of yours?”
“No, nothing like that.”
I heard a young voice. No, it wasn’t someone else’s voice, it was mine. I was moving my mouth, speaking.
It felt odd, as if someone else inside my head was taking control and making me speak.
“It’s not a family connection... but I learned about him in a game, then read books and became interested in the Pacific War and military tactics. There’s a theory that the loss in the war was because of Admiral Nagumo... that he didn’t locate and destroy the aircraft carriers, leading to a crushing defeat at Midway. That’s why I chose to research him for this world history seminar.”
Wait... I remember this conversation...?
Yes, this happened a long time ago, during a seminar trip to the beaches of Shonan. Is this déjà vu? But it feels too real.
Could it be... am I back to my student days?
Here I existence myself having a nomal conversation,and I observing my younger self same moment.
It felt like my consciousness had doubled.
“Hmm, you good researched and written that the historical facts well. The strategy to destroy the British fleet in the Indian Ocean, severing the supply route to the colonies, potentially leading to a separate peace treaty with Britain and isolating America. Or the need for radio-wave weapons and nuclear development for the war against the US. I gave ‘A’.”
“Oh, thank you.”
“By the way, I heard you want to be a middle school social teacher. Maybe you’ll be a passionate one?”
“Er, yes.”
“Hey Kirishima! We’re in Shonan for seminar trip, let’s get surf!”
Seminar mates holding surfboards waved at me from the shore.
Wait...
It’s definitely a memory from my student time.
I was influenced by my father’s interest in the Pacific War, and that’s why I joined the historical research seminar and went on semminar trip too!
Ah... Those days were fun...
The beach at Shonan was amazing... The sky was blue, and the waves were perfect...
...
...Commander...
Commander...
Before my eyes was a large window.
Beyond it, the vast blue sea stretched out.
“Admiral Nagumo!”
A looking officer in a dignified black uniform peeked in.
“What?!”
I blinked in surprise.
That face... Kusaka?
Kusaka. Right.
Eh?... Who?
Kusaka? Who is he?
“Study hard, boy!”
“Yes, father.”
“Wow! Look at these grades. You’ll be a professor or a minister one day.”
“No, I want to be a soldier!”
“Ha ha ha! That’s great!”
“Yay!”
“Congratulations!”
“Hehe!”
“For your outstanding performance, we award you!”
“Yeah!”
“You passed the top-tier examination!” “Hooray!” “Hooray!”
“...”
What the hell is this?!
Holding my head, I could only endure this torrent of memories.
Aaahhhhhhhhh! What’s happening!?
Who am I...? I am... I am...
I am Nagumo Chuichi!
