The peace was deafening.
Kaito sat in his beanbag chair, controller in his hands. The cold light from his new television bathed the room. His new console hummed softly, a perfect machine for escapism. The apartment was immaculate. There were no dishes in the sink, no books out of place, no goddess complaining in a closet.
He had won.
Mai had thanked him at the school gate, tears in her eyes and a sincerity that made him uncomfortable. She said she owed him everything. He just said, "Whatever," and walked away. That same night, she came over with two friends (real, noisy people), packed her few things, and said a formal goodbye. He watched from the doorway as she left, a whole person again.
Now, twenty-four hours later, Kaito was in his restored sanctuary. He was playing the same RPG that had been interrupted so many times. He had time. He had silence. He had everything he wanted.
And it was unbearable.
He pressed the pause button. The game's sound ceased, and the apartment's silence swallowed him. It was a different silence than before. Before, it was a silence of deliberate peace. Now, it was a silence of absence.
His eyes wandered to the kotatsu table. It was almost as if he could see her sitting there, immersed in one of his books, the window light illuminating her hair. He glanced back at the kitchen, expecting to hear the soft sound of the kettle. Silence. The apartment wasn't just unoccupied; it felt devoid of life.
"How troublesome," he murmured to the silent room.
The peace he had fought so hard for, the final goal of all his effort, felt like a punishment. His apathy was an immune system designed to repel interaction. But, over the past few weeks, he had been exposed to such a massive dose of the "human interaction" virus that his system no longer knew what was normal. The absence of the problem had, itself, become a problem.
"Post-Mission Analysis Complete."
Fia's voice sounded in his head, startling him. He had forgotten about her.
The closet door opened and Fia stepped out, now in her physical form. She looked thoughtful, which was an alarming change.
"The 'Sakurajima Mai' Paradox has been successfully resolved," she announced, as if reading a report. "Plan efficiency rating: 92%. Collateral damage: one television, one game console, multiple ceramic items, and the dignity of one goddess."
She walked to the center of the room and looked around at the empty space. "The 'Anchor Bond' has been severed. Her affinity for you has stabilized at 'Deep Gratitude.' Mission... complete."
There was a strange tone to her voice. Not the joy he expected. It was almost... melancholic.
"Great," Kaito said, grabbing his controller. "So your work here is done. You can leave now."
Fia looked at him, surprised. "Leave? Chosen One, you don't understand how the System works. Resolving one paradox often creates instability in another. It's like fixing one leak in a pipe. The pressure just builds up somewhere else."
Before Kaito could process the terrible implication of this, a familiar sound echoed through the room.
Ding.
A translucent blue screen appeared in front of his face, blocking his view of the paused game. It was red. Urgent.
[SYSTEM ALERT! CASCADE PARADOX DETECTED!] [World in Peril: 001-BGS (Bunny Girl Senpai)] [Objective: Stabilize the Time Loop Agent!] [Description: The resolution of the Sakurajima Mai anomaly has released a significant amount of paradoxical energy. This energy was absorbed by the nearest latent paradox, accelerating its progression. A localized time loop is forming around an individual, forcing the repetition of the same day indefinitely to avoid an undesirable future decision.] [Target: Tomoe Koga] [Reward: +150 Bond Points, Stabilization of Local Timeline] [Accept?] (Y/N)
Kaito stared at the screen.
Tomoe Koga. The girl from the kick. The "problem for another day" had arrived.
His hand moved instinctively toward the top-right corner of the screen, where the [X] button should be. But this time, he hesitated.
He looked around his silent, perfect apartment. He looked at the boxes for his new TV and console, symbols of his hollow victory. He had his peace. And it was boring him to death.
Apathy was his armor. But armor is heavy when there is no battle to be fought.
"Her decision to avoid the future is literally breaking time," Fia said, her voice now serious and professional. "If it's not contained, the loop will expand. First, it will affect the neighborhood. Then, the city. It's an exponential growth paradox. Troublesome, don't you think?"
Kaito didn't answer. He just stared at the mission screen.
Helping her meant more effort. More drama. More people in his apartment. More noise. The total destruction of his newly-acquired peace.
Ignoring her meant... this. This silence. This stillness. This perfect, suffocating peace.
He hated the first option.
But, to his absolute horror, he realized he might hate the second one even more.
With a sigh that seemed to carry the weight of a thousand homeowners' association meetings, he didn't press [X]. He didn't press [Y].
He stood up, walked to the window, and opened the curtains, letting the afternoon sunlight in.
"Fia," he said, without turning.
"Yes, Chosen One?"
"Explain the mechanics of a time loop to me. And start with the part that explains how this is going to be as annoying as possible for me."
He hadn't accepted the mission. But he hadn't refused it, either. He was gathering data. And that, for Kaito, was the most dangerous form of engagement.
He looked at his reflection in the glass. Behind him, the game was still paused. Peace was on hold.
And, for some troublesome reason, that felt right.
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