Rebel From Your Destiny
"Oh, man. Did you run into Shūhei and Risa already?"
"Oof, I can’t…"
Minami was at the end of the line, forcing her heavy legs to continue moving.
"Hang on there. Just around the corner is the cafeteria where we used to be. If we can get out through one of the windows, we should be able to get away with it."
"But... oof, If there are so many of us…"
Risa, running beside Kazuhiro, was a little pale in the face.
"I know. With this many of us, we will stand out when we go outside, and other clones may notice us. With Minami in that condition, there was no way she could shake it off in the schoolyard. For example, if the guy who found us was not Minami's clone but, say, Shōta's, he could be used as a decoy to let you guys rest, but if other clones came after us immediately, and the clones are either Minami or you, would be the end for sure."
"Then, why don't we just hide inside the building?"
Kazuhiro does not even lose his breath as he responds to my question.
"No, for that we would have to look for a safe place very carefully. Looking for a place in the face of imminent death is dangerous since we cannot think logically and make an accurate decision. I don't see how such poor thinking can outwit a clone. Besides, hiding in a place like that would put too much pressure on ourselves and make us tired even more. What is important now is mental stability through recovery from fatigue. We are constantly hearing the sound of someone running, someone crying, something slashing, something crashing, even if we close our eyes. In that kind of situation, what is crucial is to just stay calm. That's what makes the difference between winning and losing in this experiment."
I was puzzled by the sudden psychosomatic doctor-like language.
"So I'll take the lead and draw them away."
"But, wait."
Kazuhiro ignored me and called out to Keisuke, who was running ahead.
" Hey, Keisuke. You can still run, right?"
" Ah? Oh, yeah. No problem at all."
Keisuke and Shōta, running in front of the three of us, looked behind.
"Okay. You and me are to support Shūhei and the others out of here. Shōta should assist Minami."
" What? Yeah, okay."
Shōta slowed down his pace and ran parallel to Minami.
Suddenly, Kazuhiro raised his voice.
"Listen up! We are now breaking away from this game of tag. First, the six of us will split into two groups! Me and Keisuke will go straight after we turn that corner and attract the clones. Meanwhile, the remaining four enter a nearby classroom and wait for the clones to pass by. After that, quietly escape through the cafeteria window and hide in a safe place. We, too, try to escape to the schoolyard through a nearby classroom window while attracting clones! Alright?"
"Yes!"
"I understood."
"Okay…"
Minami was about to stop in her tracks when Shōta pulled her with all his might.
"'Okay, we're almost at the corner. Shōta, Keisuke. You guys know what you're doing, right?"
Kazuhiro checked with them to be sure.
"Of course."
When the six of us came to the hallway where the cafeteria could be seen on the right, and I, Shōta, and Risa jumped into the first science lab on the left.
Minami lagged behind and was pulled by Shōta into the classroom.
As if she had been waiting for that moment, Risa, standing right next to the door, quickly closed the classroom door.
"We just need to wait here."
"Let's just hope they pass through here."
Risa said as she hugged Minami, who was exhausted.
Soon, the area became completely quiet. It was too quiet that I was worried that someone might be waiting for us.
"Did we make it?"
"I think so."
"I’ll go first, you guys follow."
Unusually, I felt that Shōta was very dependable.
Shōta opened the door and checked right and left three times as if he were crossing an intersection, then signaled us with his hand and started running toward the cafeteria diagonally across the hallway.
"Can you stand up?"
"Yes…"
Then Risa, who supported Minami, and I, in that order, walked quickly to the cafeteria.
"Okay, let’s get out from here."
Shōta had already opened a window leading to the backyard of the school.
"Minami, you go first."
Shōta stood at the edge of the window, took Minami from Risa, and led her out the window.
The cafeteria windows were not fixed, so someone had to hold both sides of the window at all times. I leaned over and held the window on the opposite side from Shōta with my hand.
"Okay, Risa next."
After all, unlike usual, Shōta seemed very reliable in this situation.
"What's the matter with you? You look cool only when you're doing something like this."
Risa must have felt the same thing as well.
Shōta then climbed down from the window edge and went outside.
And just as I was about to let go of the window and grab Shōta's hand instead, a clone appeared behind the three of them.
"Oh no. Risa run! It is yours!"
Risa was slow to react, and when she turned around, she was less than ten meters away from the clone.
I desperately tried to jump over the window and let Risa go, but at this distance, I knew the clone was closer to Risa.
"Risa!"
Risa did nothing but stand there stunned.
As the clone swung its right hand, its movement stopped suddenly.
"Shō…ta"
Shōta grabbed the wrist of the clone’s right hand.
"Hurry, go!"
"But..."
"Kazuhiro ordered me to protect you guys."
I hurriedly climbed over the window edge and ran with an exhausted Minami and Risa, who just stood there and did not move.
"Shōta, I'll be waiting for you in the woods. And don't touch the palms even if you die."
I reminded him and ran through the grass in the backyard.
"All right. I think it’s good to go."
A few minutes had passed since Shūhei and others ran away.
"Now I wonder if Risa will fall in love with me and become my girlfriend."
Shōta smiled as he held Risa's clone wrist.
"But still, you're very well made. You really look just like Risa, especially the breasts…"
Suddenly, someone tapped him on the shoulder from behind.
"Hmm, who is it? You don't have to come to save me…"
Shōta turned around and there he found himself with a blank look on his face and a hand on his shoulder.
"Wha…really? Is this it for me? At least I wanted to see Risa’s underwear before…I…"
Shōta fell to the ground, hitting his knee hard on the ground as his legs suddenly lost their strength.
