Seraphim is a Bystander

Alternating Days - Part 4
( Aoi’s point of view. )
 

“Alright, break into your groups~!”
“Yeees~!”
At the teacher’s signal, we split into our groups for the school trip project, and began the session for creating a “travel journal” where we’d summarize our memories and things we learned during the trip.
Everyone opened the shared document folder, and first we started deciding who would cover what parts.

After about ten minutes of discussion, it was decided that I, along with Rei-kun and Saotome-san—since we weren’t able to stick with the group much on the first day—would handle Day 2.
Ken, Runa-chan, and Tsubaki-san would work on Day 1.
Even after that, for the next twenty minutes or so, we mostly just shared photos and chatted excitedly about them instead of actually working.
“Hey, Aoi! When the hell did you take this picture of me drooling in my sleep?! Delete it, man! This is embarrassing!”

“Ehh? Come on, it’s not a big deal. You always sleep like that, Ken.”
“That’s not the point! Why the hell would we leave that in a school travel journal?!”
“Ehh~ What a waste…”

Then there were these kinds of conversations…
(Psst, Runa—send me that photo later, will you?)
(Sigh… Fine. But you’d better give me something in return.)
(Knew you’d say that, so I saved a good one just for this.)
(This is…! Incredible! You’re a genius, you know?!)
…While pretending not to overhear the girls whispering to each other like that, thirty minutes of class time had already gone by, and aside from deciding roles, basically no work had gotten done.

And more than anything, seeing photos from the school trip just made me painfully aware again of how different things are for me now.
That said, since my specs are clearly much higher than usual, I could recall memories of the trip as if I were still experiencing them. I could even write at a speed that left my usual speech-drafting pace in the dust.
Maybe I really should wait for Seras-san to wake up and switch back before properly participating in this… But then again, there’s no telling when she’ll actually wake up.

With that thought lingering in the back of my mind, I deleted the pages I’d written in my own private folder, and instead began listing which photos might be usable in the second-day section the others were working on in the shared folder.
Before long, the class ended, and in the end, I spent most of the time just helping with the other two’s drafts, without doing much of anything “leader-like.”
“Well then, goodbye everyone~”
“Goodbye~!”

While vaguely wondering what I should do from here on out, I realized the homeroom wrap-up had ended without me noticing. I watched as everyone packed their things and left the classroom, then checked my messages for anything from Katagiri-san.
“As usual, I am waiting by the back gate. Lady Yuuka is quite worried about you, so it may be best if you return home ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) early today.”
…Yeah, I agree.
Even Runa-chan and Ken had looked worried about me. I should head home early today, get some rest, and pray Seras-san wakes up tomorrow.

Maybe—like before when I met her in a dream—I could reach her again and wake her up that way.
That said, ever since I started using Seras-san’s body, it feels like all my desires except for knowledge have just… vanished.
I didn’t feel hungry, but I still ate lunch. Maybe I can sleep even if I’m not sleepy…
“…Ma? Aoi-sama, can you hear me?”

“…Huh? Katagiri-san?”
Katagiri-san’s voice snapped me out of my thoughts. Apparently, while I was deep in thought, I’d walked right past her waiting at the back gate.
“Aoi-sama, you really do seem quite tired today.”

“Ah… Yeah, I was just thinking about some things. Actually, maybe I am more tired than I realized. Thank you for picking me up again, Katagiri-san.”
“Not at all—it’s my duty. Now then, shall we go?”
“Yes, I’ll be in your care.”

And so, with Katagiri-san looking after me as always, I sat in the car and quietly watched the scenery pass by on the way home.
“…zzz…”
In the calm of the car, I could clearly hear Seras-san’s soft breathing again.

…Heeey, Seras-san~! Can you pleaaase wake up already~?!
……Sigh.
Yeah. I’ll just go home, eat dinner, take a bath, and get to bed early today.