Weekend arrived.
Ren woke up to the sound of his alarm.
Without even thinking, he muttered,
"System, sign-in."
[Ding! Congratulations, host, for signing in! You have received: SCP-504 — Critical Tomatoes]
[Please choose whether to summon the SCP or receive its traits.]
After seeing what he got, Ren felt conflicted.
It wasn't bad… but it wasn't good either.
Compared to the other SCPs he had obtained, this one felt a bit underwhelming.
SCP-504 was essentially an endless supply of tomatoes. No matter how many you picked from the bowl, another one would immediately appear.
Its main anomaly, however, was simple—
If someone told a bad joke in front of these tomatoes, they would launch themselves at the speaker.
And the worse the joke, the faster they traveled.
"…That…"
Ren paused, his expression slightly awkward.
"System, what happens if I merge the traits?"
[Answer: SCP-504 — Critical Tomatoes (Traits)]
[Effect: Whenever the host feels annoyed by someone, a tomato will automatically be launched at them.]
[The trajectory is random, but the hit is guaranteed.]
[The stronger the target, the faster the tomato travels.]
Silence.
Then—
"…Pfft." ( ˶°ㅁ°) !!
Ren covered his mouth, his shoulders trembling slightly.
"What the hell… this is too…"
A grin slowly spread across his face.
"…awesome!!" ৻( •̀ ᗜ •́ ৻)
Without hesitation, he sat up straight.
"System, merge it with me."
[Ding! Merging with traits successful]
[Name: Ren Aion
Summoned SCPs:
SCP-067 — The Artist's Pen, SCP-005 — The Skeleton Key
Anomalous Traits:
The Red Sun (SCP-001-1 & SCP-002 fusion), Patchwork (SCP-2295), Reality Bender (SCP-2030), The Missing Number (SCP-033), Keter Duty (SCP-001-4), Tomatoes [SCP 504]
Anomalous Rank: Paradox-Class]
Ren glanced at the updated status for a moment.
"…Not bad."
With that, he got out of bed and headed to the bathroom, preparing himself to go out.
=================
Ren arrived at a small park not far from Akihabara, hands in his pockets as he looked around.
It was still a bit early, so the place wasn't too crowded. A few people were passing by, some heading toward the main streets, others just enjoying the calm morning.
"…I'm a bit early."
Muttering to himself, Ren walked over to a nearby bench and sat down.
A soft breeze passed through the park, carrying with it the distant noise of the city—cars, chatter, and the faint buzz of Akihabara slowly coming to life.
Ren leaned back slightly, his crimson eyes half-lidded as he stared at the sky.
A peaceful day, huh…
Just as he was about to close his eyes—
"Aion-kun!"
A bright, familiar voice called out.
Ren turned his head.
Walking toward him was Marin Kitagawa, waving energetically as she approached.
She was dressed casually today, but still stood out easily in the crowd.
"Sorry, did you wait long?" she asked, slightly out of breath.
"Not really. I just got here," Ren replied.
"Good, good!" Marin smiled, clearly relieved.
Then she glanced around.
"Hmm… Kato-chan isn't here yet?"
As if on cue—
"…I'm here."
A calm voice came from behind them.
Both Ren and Marin turned around to see Megumi Kato standing there quietly, as if she had always been there.
"Wha—?! Kato-chan, since when were you here?!" Marin reacted instantly.
"Just now," Megumi answered simply.
Ren let out a small chuckle. "You didn't notice her again, Kitagawa-san."
"I swear she just spawned there!" Marin protested.
Megumi tilted her head slightly. "…That sounds a bit rude."
"Ah—no, no! I didn't mean it like that!" Marin quickly waved her hands.
Ren stood up from the bench, brushing off his uniform.
"Alright, everyone's here. Shall we go?"
Marin's eyes lit up immediately.
"Yeah! Let's go! Akihabara, here we come!"
Megumi gave a small nod, falling into step beside them.
As the three of them left the park together, the calm atmosphere slowly gave way to the vibrant energy of the city ahead.
The streets of Akihabara were already lively by the time they arrived.
Bright signboards, colorful advertisements, and rows of shops lined the streets, creating an atmosphere that felt completely different from the quiet park earlier.
Marin walked slightly ahead, her eyes sparkling as she looked around.
"It's been a while since I came here with friends," she said, almost to herself.
Ren glanced at her, then at Megumi walking calmly beside him.
"…First stop?" he asked.
Marin turned around immediately. "Comic store!"
Without waiting, she grabbed Ren's sleeve and started pulling him along.
"Oi, slow down," Ren said, though he didn't resist.
Megumi followed behind at her usual pace, her presence as subtle as ever.
A few minutes later, they arrived at a large bookstore.
The moment they stepped inside, the noise of the city faded, replaced by a quiet, almost calming atmosphere. Shelves filled with light novels, manga, and magazines stretched across the store.
Marin let go of Ren's sleeve and looked around excitedly.
"Okay, let's see what's popular right now…"
She quickly made her way toward the light novel section.
Ren, on the other hand, walked more casually, scanning the shelves with a thoughtful expression.
So this is the current trend…
Most of what he saw matched what Marin had told him before—fantasy, isekai, overpowered protagonists.
Not that it was bad.
Just… predictable.
"…Aion-kun."
Ren turned his head slightly.
Megumi was standing beside him, holding a book.
"I think your story stands out," she said calmly.
Ren glanced at the cover, then back at her.
"Is that so?"
Megumi nodded lightly. "It feels different."
"…I'll take that as a compliment."
Meanwhile—
"Aion-kun! Kato-chan! Come here!"
Marin's voice echoed softly through the aisle.
When they walked over, they found her holding several books in her hands.
"These are the current bestsellers!" she said proudly. "You should check them out—it's good for reference!"
Ren took one of the books and flipped through it briefly.
"…Yeah, I see what you mean."
Then, after a short pause, he added:
"But honestly, I think I'll stick with my style."
Marin blinked—then broke into a wide grin.
"Hehe, I like that confidence!"
Megumi, standing beside them, quietly glanced at Ren.
"…Me too."
For a brief moment, her lips curved slightly.
Ren casually picked up a novel from one of the shelves.
It looked fairly popular—judging by the display and how many copies were stacked neatly in front.
He flipped it over and began reading the synopsis.
A few seconds later…
His expression turned strange.
"…Huh?"
Not confused.
Just… deeply puzzled.
From the side, Marin noticed immediately.
"Aion-kun? What's wrong?" she asked, leaning closer.
Ren slowly turned the book toward her, pointing at a specific line.
"…It says the protagonist 'went back to the future.'"
Marin blinked.
"…Yeah?"
Ren frowned slightly.
"…What does that even mean?"
"Eh?"
Ren looked genuinely troubled now.
"The future is ahead, right? So if you go there, you're going forward." he said seriously. "How do you go back to the future? That doesn't make any sense."
Marin opened her mouth—
Then paused.
"…Wait."
She looked at the synopsis again.
Then back at Ren.
"…Huh."
Now she was thinking too.
"…You're right," Marin muttered. "That is weird…"
"The wording is contradictory," Ren continued, fully invested now. "If anything, it should be 'returning to the past' or 'going to the future.' But 'back to the future'…?"
"…Yeah…" Marin nodded slowly.
Both of them fell silent.
Standing there in the middle of the bookstore…
Just staring at the book.
Thinking.
Deeply.
Trying to figure out how in the world that phrase made any sense.
Meanwhile, beside them—
Megumi Kato watched the two in silence.
"…I think you're overthinking it," she said flatly.
Neither of them responded.
"…They're really thinking about it, huh," Megumi added quietly.
Even after leaving the bookstore…
"…'Back to the future'…" Ren muttered, still frowning.
"Right?!" Marin immediately replied. "It doesn't make sense!"
"The future is ahead," Ren said seriously. "You go forward, not back."
"Exactly!" Marin nodded. "So why 'back'?!"
Megumi walked beside them quietly.
"…You're still thinking about that?"
"Of course," Ren answered.
"…Now it's bothering me too," Marin added.
=====
===
==
"…Alright, let's stop," Marin suddenly said, shaking her head.
Ren nodded. "Agreed."
"…Good," said Megumi Kato quietly.
And just like that, they both dropped the topic.
"Anyway!" Marin clapped her hands. "Next stop—cosplay shop!"
This time, she took the lead without hesitation.
A while later, they entered a cosplay store filled with costumes of all kinds—anime outfits, game characters, even some original designs.
Marin's eyes sparkled as she looked around.
"Okay… let's see… Shizuku-tan…"
She moved from rack to rack, searching carefully.
Minutes passed.
Then—
"…Huh?"
Marin stopped.
"…There's none."
Her shoulders dropped slightly.
"I guess it makes sense… it's kinda niche…" she muttered.
Ren glanced at her. "So what now?"
Marin paused for a moment—then smiled again.
"I'll make it myself."
Ren raised an eyebrow. "You can do that?"
"Of course!" Marin said proudly. "Cosplay isn't just about buying outfits, you know. Making them is part of the fun!"
"…I see."
Ren watched her for a second, then spoke:
"Then I'll help."
Marin blinked. "Eh?"
"To be honest, I'm not bad with this kind of thing," Ren said casually.
With the Patchwork traits, working with fabric felt as natural to him as breathing.
Cutting, stitching, shaping—everything came instinctively, almost like second nature.
Helping her make a costume?
That was easy.
Marin looked at him with surprise… then her expression slowly turned into excitement.
"Wait—you can sew too?!"
"Something like that."
Marin grinned widely.
"Then that's perfect!"
Meanwhile, Megumi watched the two quietly.
"…This turned into a joint project," she murmured.
Marin clapped her hands lightly, clearly fired up again.
"Alright! Since we're making it ourselves, I should properly introduce the character!"
Ren nodded. "Go ahead."
Megumi stood quietly beside them, listening.
Marin took a small breath—then spoke with enthusiasm.
"The character I want to cosplay is Shizuku Kuroe—Shizuku-tan!" she said, her eyes sparkling. "She's from a game, and she's like super cute, but also kinda bold, and—"
She paused for a second.
"…It's an eroge, by the way."
Silence.
A very long silence.
"…I see," Ren said.
Megumi blinked once.
"…I see," she echoed.
For a brief moment, neither of them continued.
Ren looked calm on the surface—but his mind had already processed everything.
…Hearing it directly still leaves an impression.
Megumi, on the other hand, tilted her head slightly.
"…So it's that kind of game," she said in her usual flat tone.
Marin blinked, then laughed awkwardly. "Ahaha… yeah, but the character design is really good! Like, seriously!"
She quickly tried to recover.
"The outfit is gothic style—black, lots of frills, really detailed! It's just a bit revealing, but that's part of the charm!"
Another short pause.
"…A bit?" Megumi repeated quietly.
Ren coughed lightly. "Design-wise, it sounds complex."
Marin immediately brightened. "Right?!"
"But doable," Ren added.
"Yay!" Marin pumped her fist happily. "Then let's do it!"
Ren glanced at her briefly, then gave a small smile.
"Then it's settled."
"Alright, next step—materials!" Marin said, turning around with renewed energy.
Without hesitation, she led the way deeper into the store, straight toward the fabric section.
Rows of cloth in different colors and textures were neatly displayed, from soft cotton to glossy satin and heavy velvet.
Marin stopped in front of a rack filled with dark-colored fabrics.
"Okay… Shizuku-tan's outfit is mostly black, but not just one kind of black…" she muttered, scanning carefully.
She reached out and picked up a piece of fabric.
"What do you think about this one, Aion-kun?"
Ren took the fabric from her hand and rubbed it lightly between his fingers.
"…Too light," he said after a brief pause. "It won't hold the shape well, especially for the frills."
Marin blinked.
"Oh… I see."
She put it back and grabbed another one, this time slightly thicker.
"And this?"
Ren checked it again, more carefully this time.
"The texture is better," he said. "But it's a bit too stiff. It'll look unnatural when you move."
"…Oh."
Marin paused, then slowly turned to look at him.
"…Aion-kun."
"Hm?"
"…Why do you sound like a professional?"
Ren shrugged casually. "Just a hobby."
Megumi, who had been quietly watching from the side, spoke up.
"…That doesn't sound like a hobby level."
Ren ignored that.
Marin, on the other hand, grinned.
"Then I'm counting on you!"
She quickly picked another fabric—this one darker, smoother, with a slight sheen.
Ren took a look.
"…This works," he said. "Good balance. It'll hold structure, but still flow naturally."
Marin's eyes lit up.
"Nice! Then this one it is!"
Megumi glanced at the fabric, then at Ren.
"…You decided that pretty quickly."
Ren handed the fabric back to Marin.
"It's efficient."
Marin laughed. "Hehe, having you here is like cheating!"
Ren smirked slightly. "I'll take that as a compliment."
And just like that, what was supposed to be a simple shopping trip—
Turned into something much more productive.