I, as my video game character in our world.

 

“Math, huh?”

I nodded.

“While we’re at it, please call the lanky guy up to us. I have an idea for the next game.”

“Lanky guy? Oh, you mean Sam!”

She turned to the other me and called for him.

“Sam! Come over, please.”

She made a gesture that he should come to us. He looked at us in confusion but then nodded.

“What’s up, Saskia?”

He asked us.

“Siana here wants a date with you.”

““Wah!?””

We were both startled by what she said.

“No, no, no!”

My Sam-me stuttered on it, and I turned away and kept my face covered.

How embarrassing my younger self is! But Saskia’s action was mean.

“How? You were interested in her before class started, not now?”

Saskia pretended to be dense.

“Yes, I... but... it is very different, ok!? We crashed into each other at the supermarket last weekend and…”

“Oh, you’ve already had your first date.”

His face went red, and I couldn’t help but felt something between laughing and crying.

“Pfft!”

Even a quick laugh escaped me. Both turned to me, and Saskia freed him.

“Siana, our match is about to start, so please.”

I turned back and looked at the two.

“What is this about so suddenly?”

Sam asked us, still not feeling okay.

“It’s about the last game and the next.”

I explained and continued.

“The boys, you excluded, decided to play without us, so I want to turn the tables. We do this as follows.”

I started with my explanation and guesses. The first question was the same as before, who is going into the goal. Sam-me was me too, so he, like me, calculated the chances of who was the best for the goal, and that was... He should be the goalkeeper, Saskia and I could build the game together, and with his support from the goal, we would be able to do that.

If he didn’t go into the goal, he couldn’t stay in the defense but would have to go forward. If he got the ball from the other boys, he could pass to us.

So far, he had thought it all out, but I went one step further. Maybe, that was the difference between him and me. I explained to both of them the best routes and tactics from both ways of playing that we can use. Besides, teams 1 and 2 were playfully weaker than team 3, but these two teams played as a team.

*Prrt*

The teacher was ending the game when I finished explaining.

“Ready?”

I asked them.

““Yes!””

“So, let’s end it.”

We gathered again with the team and prepared for the next game.

“Who’ll be the Goalkeeper?”

One of the boys asked the question and looked at Saskia and me. This time it seemed as if they had discussed in advance that one of us should go into the gate. Of course, that happened without us.

“Tch!”

I clicked my tongue hearable.

“I go into the goal.”

The Sam-me answered. I saw how the other boys were against it, but couldn’t say anything.

We were ready for the second game.

*Prrt*

The boys from our team started. They played the ball back and forth between them. Saskia and I kept ourselves covered and stayed in the defense line. The boys could only lose the ball since they didn’t want to play with Saskia or me. It had to happen for sure.

As I announced, they lost the ball, and the opponents started an attack. Two boys from the opposing team tried a quick double pass, but Saskia got in between and immediately played the ball across to me. Two opponents tried to take the ball from me, so I faked a change of direction to the left, but turned to the right in the end.

Passing the two of them, I pulled onto the touchline and flanked towards the goal without paying attention to whether Saskia was in position or not.

When I looked up and followed the ball’s trajectory as Saskia appeared between two defenders and headed the ball into the goal.

1-0!

We met on the center mark and made a high-five.

“Great played.”

She praised me, and I did the same.

“Thanks for your ball conquest.”

We dropped back and positioned ourselves defensively again.

The opponents had the ball and tried to attack, this time it was my turn to get the ball. I took the ball away from the attacker and immediately faced three opponents.

I glanced at Saskia, who was looking over to me. I lifted the ball at a 75° angle over the opponents to Saskia.

An enemy was already coming up behind her.

“Saskia, behind you!”

I warned her, and she responded at lightning speed. She caught the ball with her foot in midair and made a 180° turn counterclockwise. Her opponent didn’t expect it and was easily overcome by her.

Saskia saw a gap and shot at the goal from the distance.

*Bong*

She had misjudged the distance and put too much strength into her shot. The ball flew too high and crashed against the right crossbar. One of the boys from our team, in turn, reached the ball first and shot it into the goal.

2-0

The boys understood what they had done wrong, but they didn’t admit it. Still, they started to pass the ball to Saskia and me. As a team, we won the game with 6-2.

After the game, we only had a short break because it was our turn again. Sam-me was in defense this time, and Saskia voluntarily went into the gate.

*Prrt*

The teacher opened the game. The boys immediately tried to conquer the ball because I went forward to prevent the build-up game of the opponents.

Finally, my other me managed to get the ball, a short distance from our goal.

I stood in the middle of the field and called to him.

“To me!”

He looked up and shot the ball.

I ran towards the opponent’s goal and saw the ball coming closer.

The ball flies too fast!?

I didn’t want to use my powers, but I checked to see if one of the opponents was within range before doing what I chose to do.

The ball was flying too high in the air to be played with my head. I jumped backward and kicked the ball with my foot towards the goal. I was fast enough to land on my feet again, but when I turned to watch how the ball fly. I could only see how the goalkeeper pulled the ball out of the net.

I started to realize that everyone was staring at me, and even the calls of the opponents had stopped.

... I’m so stupid!?

That was my first thought, but...

“Siana... that was incredible!?”

It was Saskia who had run from our goal up to me and patted me on the shoulders.

“Uh... thanks.”

I caught myself and continued to play, but I kept a lower profile.

*Prrt*

The teacher ended the game, which we won 5-0.

Saskia came to me again.

“Siana, you’re really good at math. Hahaha!”

She teased me and laughed, but added.

“We can happily repeat that.”

“I agree.”

I replied.

She went to the bench to watch the last game, and I wanted to go too, but...

“Can we talk?”

My Sam-me was behind me.

“What is it?”

He looked nervous.

“Not here.”

I frowned.

“...OK?”

He went to the hallway that led out of the sports hall, and I followed him. He closed the door behind us so that we were undisturbed.

“What’s happening?”

I asked him directly. He looked like he didn’t know what to say.

“This fallback, how did you do that?”

“I just jumped up and kicked the ball.”

He shook his head.

“I don’t mean that!? I could see how you moved your head back and forth to check that there was nobody around you. No matter how I picture it, that was im-”

“Inhuman?”

I cut him off and finished my other self’s sentence.

I’m so stupid. I shouldn’t have used my power even for something not worth it!?

“So if I’m not human, what am I? An alien? Wuhu, I came to conquer Earth.¹Well, she reverses to all movies where aliens attack Earth.?”

I adjust my voice to sound like an alien.

“I can’t rule that out, but aliens who disguise themselves and go to school are usually not the bad guys who want to take over Earth.²Ok, I wouldn’t put a specific reference but think of all the school harem animes with an alien in it.”

My other self replied to my imitation.

“Then a robot from the future? Beep, I’m S1-4N4³S1-4N4 = Siana. It should be obvious., I came from the future to protect Connor Johnson⁴John Connor* ...so a Terminator reference., beep. Or the other version, EXTERMINATE! EXTERMINATE!⁵When I need to say more than “EXTERMINATE!”... Well, Doctor Who? is the answer.”

I imitated a robotic voice.

“Please, I’m serious!?”

He was annoyed by my imitations.

“What do you want to hear from me? Yes, I’m a not human, I’m this or that? Even if I weren’t human, would it make a difference? I think you just wish to be the protagonist of some game or TV series.”

I made a serious face.

“Ha?”

I turned and left him there. When I wanted to enter the gym, I added one last sentence.

“I’m excited to see what Mr. MC gonna do to prove that I’m not a human.”

I laughed and went into the sports hall.

All of this... It’s my responsibility. I don’t know how my other self will act from now on. Whether he gives up or not, but it doesn’t matter. I was reckless, and I won’t make this mistake ever again!