Damn her—damn this cheesy uniform.—damn that promise. I crossed my arms and gritted my teeth. The uneasy feeling of being sucked into a poor deal washed over me, leaving a large lump in my throat.

  What was I thinking, squeezing her hand like that?

  I walked on, knowing school was just a few blocks away.

  She’s a weirdo—and kind of a perv—I still didn’t understand our whole ‘sibling’ setup.

  I crossed yet another street, looking both ways to avoid a fatal accident. But she did save me. I sighed deeply.

  Who does she think she is? Looking so cool in that moment.

  A gate encased the block with black spikes. A slow stabbing pain burned in my chest. “Damn it!”

  Genie: You should increase your diction for more coherent thought patterns, adhering to Kokiri norms.

  “What?” I looked around, startled—there was no one in sight.

  Well, that was strange. I—did I think that? There is no way because I sounded like a god-dam—

  Genie: It isn’t appealing when men in this world use expletives, diminishing your overall quality, appeal, and status. Consider adopting a softer disposition.

  The strange voice cut me off before I could finish my thought. I paused, even though the school was in sight.

  Genie: Continue forward if you wish to make it to the first period without receiving a reprimand for being late.

  Fixated on the large spikes and the growing pain in my chest, I refused to move—I refused to let some strange, detached voice in my head command me around. Who are you—are you me?

  Genie: What an exquisite question with an abstract and concrete answer. Now, how shall I proceed?

  I could feel the skin on my forehead tighten as random thoughts flooded into my head in response. “Proceed by telling me who the fu—” I stammered, but the words wouldn’t come out; I couldn’t finish my sentence as if something had banned me from expressing myself.

  Genie: Expletives only steep you in vulgarity, human. Choose clarity. Also, verbalizing introspections is unnecessary.

  I can’t cuss around Sakura or in private? Why? A bell rang in the distance, reminding me of my current obligation.

  This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

  ***

  I ran full speed to the school building, vowing to figure out this inner voice, bursting through the gray, double doors. Instinctively, I navigated the hallways as if I had pulled them from memories. I flew through almost empty hallways, breathing heavily.

  I don’t want to be scolded again, but by whom? The voice didn’t respond, so I assumed I was rid of it.

  I arrived at my homeroom, but I didn’t go in because I wanted to catch my breath.

  I hunched over, standing in front of the door, when suddenly, the door flung open and almost hit me in the face.

  “Whoa,” I shouted, barely dodging the door; I stumbled backwards and fell hard, and a burst of laughter erupted from the open door.

  “Mr Carter,” a firm voice said. “You’re late, again.” I looked up to see a fiery redhead with glasses and red eyes, who locked me in place.

  She turned and told the class beyond the door to quiet down while she addressed the issue of my tardiness.

  Strange voice aside, she was beautiful and youthful. A woman, whom in my world, I would have courted in secret, away from the eyes of my enemies and employer, because they would use her to get to me, and he would use her to teach me a lesson by—

  Genie: Find more suitable words to express your interest or refrain from demeaning gestures.

  The voice was now louder and more stern, as if parenting a child.

  “What the heck!” I blurted in defiance, only to catch the teacher’s stern gaze.

  She closed the door, leaving a sliver open, monitoring the class without drawing attention to me.“Mr. Carter, I understand if you think this is unfair, but I can’t allow daily disruptions without explanation.”

  “I’m sorry, but I’ve been experiencing strange things, and I—.”

  “Mr. Carter, please gather yourself and come into the classroom.”

  She could have let me finish what I was saying.

  I picked myself off the checkered tile and stepped forward, signaling that I was ready.

  The door creaked, and I prepared myself.

  ***

  She opened the door to what was my first introduction to what I’d call a bizarre scene in my world.

  The girls wore short skirts—a bold move. Their dispositions were more brazen than I’m used to, but I can adjust. They grouped up in a corner of the room like dice throwers in a narrow alley—my kind of scene.

  Unlike the women of my world, makeup wasn’t a before or after thought—these girls were O-natural. The flip side, the guys looked like freaking dolls—perfect skin.

  Did I compliment a guy's skin? I wonder if that’s my new expectation? They sat with their knees together. The guys grouped as well, shooting insidious looks at the girls before looking away and giggling. Giggling like a bunch of bitc—”

  Genie: Bashful individuals who would make riveting companions.

  We need to talk—think? I didn’t know how to address the strange voice, but I knew we had to work this out right now.

  The class appeared to have twenty-two students, including me. The class looked straight out of a Japanese movie. The students were out of their seats, socializing, so I couldn’t find my seat.

  “Um, Ms—?”

  “Nakamura," she replied.

  “Miss. Nakamura, where do I sit?” She pointed at an empty desk in the middle of the room. —Fu—

  Genie: Fantastic, said the voice. You have an optimal seat to glean copious information for retention.