Chapter 7 - Scheme Should Be The Word.

As usual, for these past two loops, Sohee would ask me if I'm well or not and advise myself to take a deep breath and if the situation didn't get any better I'm better off meet the nurse.

Little did she knows that I already did meet the nurse who is responsible for making me feel this way.

A terrifying feeling of dying from her pill creeps back up in my chest. However, it is dreadful even though it doesn't hurt. Think of plunging into an ocean and going unconscious before you taste any sour water in your mouth. Suddenly, you're back in it again, only to wake up again.

Gosh, dying makes anyone crazy afterward.

Sohee still looking at me with her concerned doe eyes so I attempt to reassure it, "don't worry, Sohee. You go in first."

"But how about Sunbae?"

I force a smile, "It's no good to start with this anxiousness, haha. So I'm going to take five minutes to prepare, I have to make the most first impression--there's that too."

Sohee put her backhand and stifle a chuckle, "Ah yes, yes Sunbae. I wish Sunbae most good luck for that five minutes."

The two of us nod and walk in opposite directions. I need to find a toilet-I'm not sure even I can use the students' which I stumbled upon last time, so I need to ask someone where the teachers' are.

And thanks, my self-appointed assistant--I mean she acts like one even when I never ask so, why not call her that. Though she may have an ulterior motive to be on my side. Luck, huh. I might just need that to change the soon vote. How'd I dealt with the recognition session this time?

The problem lies in how. To plan the answer, I have to ask the what first. Ahh, just a basis of logic. I think I'm a lot smarter than my previous life now--maybe this coming from the old user.

What makes them say no last time?

Shizuka will vote depends on Carrie's answer. If Carrie says no then Shizuka'd go with yes. I get the hint they're not fit together.

Carrie just don't like me the first time her eyes laid on me. Maybe I do have this noobish face she has yet to describe clearly. One of the reasons I have to go to the toilet.

Mei voted for no with an excuse to blame her androphobia. Sadly I can't do anything with that. If you hate spiders, the one way to make them go away is to kill every spider in this world. Maybe changing your assumption of it can help but that'd take a looongg time, maybe until the next eruption from Mt. Etna.

I only got three hours in this loop. That's one season for a slice-of-life anime if you skip both the opening and ending song (if they aren't that good.)

Then Claire. She looks uninterested whether I'm her tutor or not. Can't get her well if she keeps sleeping and only says less than ten words before she left. That's all right, she'd decided to be neutral in this vote.

So then, scratching Mei: only Shizuka and Carrie are the problem. They are both repellent to each other.

Claire's nature is the only lead here. She likes challenges, but the others weren't going to let her fall easily if it was risky.

Even if I got lucky and Carrie's have to vote yes, how would I deal with Shizuka? I anticipate she'd change her vote to no.

As I drag my legs down the hallway I almost collide with the girl from last time. She's stumble left to right to keep the pile on her hold.

"H--hey, watch out where you're going…oh, are you a visitor from nearby school?" Her eyes take on the hallway, "oh! I'm very sorry, you must be the new tutor…"

I ignore this conversation and ask, "where is the teacher's toilet?"

She appears to be inflicted by my upfront question, "ah, um, there's one on this floor, it should be there." Her hand still holding up the pile but a finger flick and points right.

"Thanks."

"No, problem--ah, I must hurry, bye." She runs, leaving her box slips out from the pocket again.

This time I crouch and inspect it. A deck of play cards--52 of them.

I put the deck in my pocket, feeling like a thief but also a character from an escape the room's game. I'd probably find these cards to use to escape this loop.

When I reach the toilet, the mirror reflects a young man with a pale face and almond eyes--hey, I have the most attractive type of eyes there is, at least back in my old world. Who knows what's what here, everyone is equipped with each unique colours of eyes. I'm still skeptical if that's a contact lens.

Hm, so this is the face who charmed Sohee. Despite all these features Carrie still calls me a noobish face.

Maybe it's slang or something: this noobish face. So I attempt to check my pocket and find a phone. Find I do--seriously? I've never noticed this, well that probably because of the state of shock and awe I got into. I try to search up what noobish means but fails to, the damn lock pin is blocking.

This is troublesome, I don't even know the password. I mull and try pins like 1234, 1111, and 0000 only to wait for fifteen seconds to try again. I give up.

I couldn't know what the noobish face now, maybe I'll try asking Sohee…or maybe not because she'd think I'm joking and advise me to keep it all relevant.

I walk out of the toilet after washing my face to cool my head. Oh, it has been over five minutes. Hurm, not that Sohee's expecting I'd come right at the time...on second thought she would, right?

Before the line between a corridor and toilet, I've decided to use manipulation as last time to change Carrie's vote--stronger and riskier now.

What can work and bait her into the deal?

My finger meets the deck of playing cards.

An idea passes me to use the cards. Then I recall from my conversation with Death in the infirmary room. 'what if you can pull it again and again…' she said about the slot machine. An unlimited try could eventually make you win over the House.

I stop in the middle of the hallway to the reconcile room.

A game of risk and most acceptable for anyone pops out.

Yup, that could work. Just have to sacrifice a little thing. Haha…

Little?

What am I saying?

As if my life and death are a little matter to me now, as if my life and death aren't crucial matters to me now. Must be the side effect of this painful immortality, must be the advantage of being immortal.

I open the door and Sohee greets me with a tired look, "it has been twelve minutes and thirty-three seconds, Sunbae."

I apologized and sit down.

The introduction phase begins.

It goes the same as any other time.

After Claire bangs the door, indicating the end of our introduction phase, Sohee claps her hand, shifting to a new one: "then we can begin the recognition session."

I don't hesitate and say as I look at the three girls, "I want to be your tutor."

Mei twitches and Shizuka lets out a chuckle as she gives me a smug and says, "desperate are we?"

Carrie grunts still upset that her earphone is in Sohee's pocket and blaming me for it. "Desperate or not my vote is no."

"Then I'll go with yes," Shizuka says as she steeples together her fingers and stretches her arm up.

Mei follows, "I'm, I'm sorry, Sohee but I have to vote n, no."

Then Sohee tries to convince them and fails miserably again. I don't expect anything to change anyway.

Sohee looks at me with slightly wet eyes, "I'm sorry, Sunbae."

But this time before I can reassure her, Carrie speaks her mind:

"Heh, try anything you want Sohee but that noobish face never stands a chance."

...Ah, I never heard that on the last timeline.

Well, it's both good and bad. The good is I have the chance to ask what's bothering me back when I was staring at the mirror. Now or never, "what's a noobish face?"

The bad thing is I'd never know what to expect anymore.

Sohee shrugs.

Carrie laughs mockingly, "Wahaha, you don't know what's a noobish face, how about you look at yourself on a black computer's monitor screen when you have a losing streak. Yeah, you have the face of someone who lost every single match."

I say, "what if I prove you're wrong?"

"This again?" Claire studies me as if deciding if I'm worthy to be a challenge with her, "how would you do that anyway."

I thought Sohee would interrupt us to keep it relevant but she didn't…maybe she's hoping I have a plan back of my mind. If she is then she's right…I do have a plan.

And it's going to be one suicidal plan, a plan like recycle, which suits me because I can build a dead hill of my homicidal bodies.

Sohee tugs my sleeve, "Sunbae…you--what are you planning?"

"Huh, what do you mean?"

Carrie says as she grits her teeth, "Hrng…why are you grinning!"

Oh shit, am I? It's just that I find it so amusing that I'm the only one who knows what will happen and get a chance to change it.