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Shinagawa’s move into the apartment next door set off an alarm in her head, her tongue clicking in annoyance.

‘I should’ve convinced that sleazy landlord to say we were full up. But I got too wrapped up in my little world with Shuu-kun due to how good everything went. I should’ve been more cautious,’

With a heavy sigh, she stared blankly at the ceiling as she laid down on their bed, a sense of resignation washing over her. ‘Looks like we’ve hit the final bump,’ she figured quietly to herself. ‘The last of the “Misfortunes”.’ She thought, already expecting the Quest alert to pop up.

She waited for a few seconds, yet as the game interface failed to show up, she gave up, sure it would come out later.

‘Apparently, Shuu-kun still meets with his coworkers after they finish working. Well, staying at home doesn’t mean he can stop being courteous to all his coworkers,’ She thought as she looked at the date.

‘It’s today.’ She took a deep breath, ‘The day he goes to the red-light district.’

She got up and went to the bathroom, washing herself.

Glancing down at her body, memories of a life not lived—yet vivid as the day—flooded her thoughts. ‘Odd… I remember the what-ifs of that other timeline so clearly, even though they’re from a life twenty years ago. Could this be the time warp’s doing?’

The word “Fairytale” echoed in her mind as she looked at her reflection. She had been yanked back into this timeline, smack in the middle of its mess, with no time to sort through the whirlwind of events. She just acted, doing what seemed necessary at the moment.

‘Anyway,’ she mused, pushing aside the confusion. ‘Shinagawa-san being here isn’t the end of the world. I just need to dodge and refuse whatever he throws my way. Maybe I’ll even get a new skill… The real test is dealing with Shuu-kun… and that woman.’ Her brow furrowed at the thought.

Even after Shinagawa arrived, even after her betrayal, her relationship with Shuuichi hadn’t cooled—in fact, she doubled down on their intimacy. Shuuichi, now has more energy to put into their relationship and more energy to “spice things” for Nanami, to which she was content.

 But lately, the alternate timeline where Shuuichi eventually cheated occupied her mind; almost making whatever happened in this timeline seem like a lie.

‘After all that, what drew Shuuichi to that woman from the red-light district? What did she have that I didn’t?’ Her heart ached with the question, her pout deepening as she pondered.

‘I suppose I’ll cross that bridge when I get to it,’

As she went about her daily routines, a subtle shift in the atmosphere became noticeable. Shuuichi’s usual calm demeanor had been replaced by a faint undercurrent of anxiety. 

“Nanami-san,” Shuuichi broached one morning as they shared a quiet breakfast, his gaze fixed on his plate.

“Yes, Shuu-kun?”

He hesitated, then ventured, “Our new neighbor… What’s your take on him?” His voice was tentative.

She paused, considering her response. “There’s not much to say, really. He’s attractive, unattached, wealthy, and has been quite generous with gifts to Chihiro and my parents. He’s even tried sending some my way, but I’ve refused them all.”

“Ah, that’s… uh…  Great. If… You really want, you don’t have to refuse them or anything…” Shuuichi muttered, a discernible pout forming on his lips.

Catching the change in his tone, she turned to face him directly, capturing his gaze. “Shuuichi-san,” she said, ensuring she had his full attention, “he’s making an effort to woo me; that much is clear. I even checked with our… beloved landlord. No such generosity was extended to him. And you, well, you’ve been left out too. His motives aren’t hard to guess.”

“Y-yeah, yeah… I know.” Shuuichi replied, “But sheesh… I won’t lie, if I was a woman, he’d be my top pick, haha. How unfortunate for y-you Nanami-san… Being with me, huh?” Shuuichi said as she scratched his head and looked aside.

“Don’t do that, Shuu-kun.” She firmly exclaimed.

“Do what?”

“This. Feign this confidence while saying something so unsightly and pathetic.” She said as she lifted her chair and sat herself next to him.

“I… I… Don’t…” He murmured as he looked down.

Nanami looked at his shakiness. And with a sigh she leaned on his shoulder.

“Well, suit yourself, Shuu-kun. Keep being that way, then.” She stated boldly.

“Huh..?” He let out as he turned his head to her slightly.

“I said, keep being so insecure and unsure of yourself,” She emphasized, causing him to tremble slightly. “Cry about it, even. Say these pathetic things about yourself and me, make yourself small next to our new neighbor.”

She then lifted his chin upwards, as he once did with hers, “Because none of that is going to affect my love for you.”

Like a torch, her words banished the cobwebs of doubt from his eyes as he met her gaze and heard what she said.

“N-… Na… Nanami..” He murmured, his breath taken away, “I hadn’t noticed before but.. Your eyes… Are more mature, somewhat—”

It was then the toaster alarm rang, causing Nanami to get up from her seat.

“I’ll be right back, Shuu-kun <3” She said with a smile as she got up and walked to the kitchen.

‘Ah… Shinagawa-san,’ she sighed, the memory of their first encounter as neighbors flickering through her mind as she smeared the toast with peanut butter. ‘He looks so much younger now,’ she noted. At this time of ease, she then replayed their life together after she left Shuuichi in the first timeline.

Amidst these swirling thoughts, another realization struck her sharply. ‘Our son… That’s right, we had a son together.’ The weight of this thought pressed heavily on her heart as she placed the toast on the plate and started walking towards the table. This was a child she adored beyond measure, even though he had grown distant, not visiting her in her later years. The thought of erasing his very existence from the tapestry of time, simply because of choices made in this twisted timeline, brought a profound sadness and a weighty sense of responsibility to her soul.

‘Right… He… He… D-doesn’t exist anymore… Because I… I…’ She then trembled, her entire world began to spin. ‘How… Did I forget… A…’

The implication of her actions dawned on her with chilling clarity. If she and Shinagawa-san did not end up together, their son would never exist. The thought was unbearable, akin to erasing him from existence.

‘My son… My little babay… My… Already existing baby… He won’t be born…’ The thought crashed into her with the force of a tidal wave as her grip loosened, the ceramic plate tumbling from her hand to shatter against the floor.

“Nanami!?” His voice spiked with alarm, Shuuichi rushing to her side. But his voice faded into a distant echo, drowned out by the storm of her thoughts.

‘My baby boy… I accepted that bizarre offer from the game-like interface… But in doing so… I’ve erased my son…’

‘No…!!’

‘My son…!!’ Panic surged through her, her breathing erratic, her complexion ghostly as the truth sunk in. Shuuichi’s arms enveloped her, a faint anchor in the turmoil.

‘How could I have overlooked this…? All because I was caught up in my guilt…’ The realization was a blade to her heart.

In her dizzying panic, she caught a glimpse of Shuuichi’s face, etched with concern, as he reached for the phone to dial emergency services. Her heart thundered in her chest, fear and determination colliding. With a shaky, desperate move, she knocked the phone from his grasp.

“Shuuichi… San…” she gasped out, her breaths short and labored.

“I… just feel a bit tired,” she managed to say, a thin veil of calm over her inner chaos.

Then, like a spark in the dark, a new plan ignited in her mind.

‘Today’s the day he meets his coworker and they go to the red-light district, isn’t it?’ She confirmed with herself.

‘Perfect…’

‘Perfect…!’

Her thoughts raced, ‘I’ll catch him in the act… Seeing it with my own eyes will wash away any guilt about leaving him for Shinagawa-san… And then… I can have my son back… The HELL with misfortunes…!! My son..!! I’m going to get him back!!’

A mad chuckle bubbled up within her. ‘Right, these powers I have… I can look young even in my 50s, or even 80s! Shinagawa-san wouldn’t dream of leaving me then… Ha…ha…’

With her mind swirling with frantic plans, she drifted off to sleep in Shuuichi’s arms, her heart clinging to a sliver of hope amidst despair.

Under the harsh glare of fluorescent lights, she blinked awake, confusion giving way to a rush of urgency as she realized where she was: a hospital room. Instinctively, her eyes darted to the clock.

‘No… I specifically told him not to call an ambulance…!!! It’s already 22:54. Shuuichi should probably be heading to the red-light district by now! I need to get out of here—’ Her thoughts scrambled as she made a move to leave the bed, only to spot Shuuichi, asleep in a chair nearby, still in his work attire.

‘What…?’

As she wrestled with her confusion, a nurse happened by, her voice warm with concern. “Oh, Ma’am! You’re awake!” She smiled, seeing her stir.

“O-oh… Thank you,” she responded, still disoriented.

Pointing to Shuuichi, the nurse continued, “This is your husband, right? You’re really fortunate to have him… He’s been by your side all day, refusing even food and water, just out of worry for you. There was also another visitor, a very handsome man, who left flowers earlier today, but he had to leave by noon. You sure are popular!”

Shinagawa-san had visited, too. But more pressing was the revelation about Shuuichi.

“Shuuichi-san… He stayed here all day?” she echoed, a mix of disbelief and realization dawning on her.

“He wouldn’t leave your side, not even for a moment!” the nurse affirmed cheerfully.

“He… He wouldn’t?” The confusion and frustration churned within her, a storm of emotions as she gazed at him, questions racing through her mind.

‘Why didn’t you go?’ She thought, a sense of irritation in her as she stared at him.

As these thoughts swirled, Shuuichi began to stir, his eyes fluttering open to the sight of Nanami, now fully awake.

“Ah… Nanami-san…?” His voice was groggy, filled with the disorientation of sleep fading away.

“Shuuichi-san,” she spoke, her voice laced with a blend of urgency and confusion as she slid off the bed and reached to shake him violently.

“Ma’am!?” The nurse exclaimed, startled by her sudden movement off the bed.

“Why are you still here!? You had that meeting, didn’t you? With your coworker?!” She pressed him, her voice rising with frustration. “I’m okay, it was just a bit of dizziness! You shouldn’t skip important things for me! What if it affects your job relations?!”

He reached out, drawing her gently into an embrace, his actions speaking the calm to her storm.

“Following that logic, if I had gone with my coworker, I would’ve missed something far more important,” he whispered, his voice a soft counterpoint to her agitation.

“Like what!?!” Her question came out more as a plea than an inquiry, her confusion and frustration needing an anchor.

In response, Shuuichi eased back just enough to meet her eyes, his gaze steady and warm, a smile playing on his lips. Yet, he said nothing, letting the silence and his smile convey the volumes he chose not to voice.

“Oh…” The realization dawned on her, a blush creeping up her cheeks as she averted her gaze.

“….”

“Besides… I can always meet with my coworker tomorrow. For now, you need to rest,” Shuuichi continued, his tone imbued with an unwavering calm.

The nurse, witnessing this exchange, couldn’t help but smile warmly. Nanami, her heart aflutter with a mix of emotions now tempered by Shuuichi’s simple yet profound act of care, quietly made her way back to her hospital bed, her previous turmoil gently lulled into a serene quietude by his words.

‘I guess I can… always catch him in the act some other time… It’s not as if Shinagawa-san is going anywhere soon, so…’ she reasoned with herself, her thoughts now a gentle stream compared to the tumultuous rapids before. She allowed the warmth of her blush to be concealed by the hospital mattress, letting her eyes close as sleep beckoned her once more into its comforting embrace.

Observing the tender scene before her, the nurse silently gestured to Shuuichi, indicating that the adjacent bed was unoccupied and available for him. With an understanding nod, he quietly settled into the bed next to Nanami’s, ensuring he was close by through the night.

And so, in the quiet of the hospital room, illuminated by the soft glow of the night lights, the two found solace in each other’s presence, spending the night side by side, each in their own silent contemplation, yet together in spirit.