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Kaede felt unusually happy that afternoon.

“So unusual for Hiroki… He actually bought us tickets to this dull place,” Kanoko blurted, resting her head on the table with a frown.

“Come on, Kanoko, this is a gift from your little brother. He put his mind and heart into this! Show some appreciation!” Kaede said lightly as they sat in the aquarium’s restaurant that Yuuto had sent them to.

“…You okay, Mom?” Kanoko asked, noticing the shift in her mother’s demeanor.

Kaede’s smile lingered as she looked into Kanoko’s eyes. “You know, the last few weeks… I’ve felt really uneasy about Hiroki and the way he’s been,” Kaede admitted softly.

“Yeah. I know what you mean. He seemed… really different. Like he was a different person altogether,” Kanoko opened up, thinking, Didn’t know it was safe to talk about it around her…

“I felt that he might have been growing up a bit too soon. He can be immature and selfish sometimes, but despite all that, he’s still my cute boy… In a way, I guess… I just miss him,” Kaede said.

“So… What changed today?” Kanoko probed.

“Well… I don’t know! I just have a really good feeling! I’ll make a really big meal for you two when we get back!” she said excitedly.

“Even though we’re already at a restaurant… Well, either way, that’s good to hear. I want to talk to Hiroki when we get back. I feel like we haven’t had the chance to catch up at all. He’s usually so talkative, aside from these last few weeks. I kind of miss that. I’ll do whatever I can to get him to open up this time,” Kanoko resolved as two handsome men approached them.

“Excuse me, I’m Todd, and this is Howard. We’re foreigners. May we indulge you ladies and—”

“Sorry,” Kaede interrupted, turning to the men. “We can’t go with you. We have someone waiting for us at home today,” she said in unison with Kanoko.

“Shall we go home? As much as I love getting a present from Hiroki… This place…” Kaede started.

“Really is a bit dull, yeah,” Kanoko finished. The two got up and walked away from the aquarium.

Meanwhile, Todd and Howard stood in confusion. “They seemed like easy targets… I guess we won’t be able to pitch our new game: Skyream: Enhanced Ultra Deluxe Ultimate Anniversary Edition…”

“And date them. Don’t forget date them.”

“Yeah, that too.”

————- MEANWHILE —————–

“So, he wanted us to bring this guy to that abandoned construction site,” Akito said to Nazuna after tying up Gyarune and hoisting him onto his shoulder.

“Oh… And since we’re such good friends, we’ll do what he asks without complaint?” Nazuna replied, causing Akito to turn his head towards her.

“He’s the one who thought this up. I’d rather beat this bastard until neither of us can breathe, but I wasn’t the one who caught him. And Sakurai trusts us,” Akito mentioned as he started walking towards the door.

“Sakurai…” Nazuna repeated, almost mockingly, glaring at the unconscious Gyarune. “You know, I almost forgot about it. His original name is actually Hiroki Morii. Why are we calling him Yuuto, again?” she asked, her tone impatient as she followed Akito outside.

“What do you mean, why? It’s his name. There’s no ‘Hiroki’,” Akito said, slightly furrowing his brow as they left the house.

“And you don’t think it’s strange? I’ll admit, it was cute at first, hearing about it from you. It was so genuine I went along with it… But now, calling himself by a different name out of nowhere… Isn’t that worrying? And the same guy tells us to capture the man who’s in league with the bastards who got Ryuuji killed. Is he really all that reliable anymore?” Nazuna expressed, almost aloof.

Akito paused, his eyes narrowing at her words.

“Is that what this is about, Nazuna? You want to kill this guy?” Akito asked as he turned to her.

“…You don’t?” Nazuna’s voice trailed off as she looked down, her expression unreadable.

“I just don’t feel like letting you do something you might regret,” he said after a soft sigh.

Nazuna tensed momentarily.

“You know,” she said, raising her head suddenly, “ever since Ryuuji died, you’ve been awfully considerate. Where was all of that consideration before?” She tilted her head at Akito, her gaze blank.

“This isn’t fair, Nazuna. You know that…” Akito said after a small pause, his palm slightly twitching with suppressed emotion.

“No, really. Do tell me. You seem so intent on stopping me from doing something I ‘might regret’ all of a sudden, that I’m just moved beyond tears… And then, all those memories of you starting to do it so much after Ryuuji croaked, I just… Really want to know what spurred this on,” she said, leaning closely to him, her eyes almost glaring.

“Are you maybe feeling… That with Ryuuji gone, you can fill some sort of void inside of me? Being the strong, responsible man that you are?” she taunted, causing Akito to momentarily shift his gaze elsewhere.

“Or maybe… You’re no longer threatened by the presence of someone stronger than you, so you make these bold moves on me?” she suggested, her tone now almost aggressive. “Even though I am much stronger than you…”

“Nazuna…! That’s—” he whispered, clenching his teeth beneath his sealed lips as she spoke.

“Do you have a thing for me? And now that your only obstacle is gone, you feel free to make a move?” she continued, her words like daggers.

Akito took a deep breath, closing his eyes to suppress his raging frustration. “… Look. I get it. You don’t like this,” he spat out as he opened his eyes again. “Let’s talk about it after we’ve brought this bastard to the construction site and hear Yuuto out? He did save us. Please, Nazuna. We’ll talk about this later.” He pleaded, releasing his clenched teeth and swallowing hard as he met Nazuna’s intense gaze.

“… Fine. But only until then. And if I don’t like what I hear from him… Just remember. No one, not even you and ‘Yuuto’ COMBINED, can stop me,” she said, crossing her arms behind her head as she walked ahead of Akito.

Without anything to reply, Akito merely resumed his walk, carrying Gyarune on his back as if he were a passed-out drunkard. The weight of both the unconscious man and the unresolved tension with Nazuna bore down heavily on his shoulders.

————- MEANWHILE, IN HUGH’S HEADQUARTERS —————

‘Something has been happening over the past few days,’ Yuuto thought as he walked into the building, glancing at a suited man passing by.

‘People started to look… 2D. Paper-thin,’ he observed, seeing the man phasing from being a cardboard cutout animated frame by frame, to a real person and back as he walked by.

‘At first, it wasn’t that noticeable. Seeing people like that came and went… So, I just thought it was because I hadn’t been sleeping well. That also started around then. I haven’t slept in five days, actually. But I don’t feel tired or anxious seeing this. In fact, I feel more awake as time passes.’

‘It was a day or two later that it started to be more persistent like this,’

‘From this, I deduce three possible reasons. One, I’m going insane, or I’m really just the result of Hiroki’s split personality disorder, and this ‘world’ that I came from is just something I came up with. Two, I’m dreaming, and I’m closer to waking up…’

‘Or three. I’m gradually growing more and more detached from this world. Meaning, I’m probably being pulled back into my own reality… To my old body. Does it mean my job in this world is about to be done?’ he pondered as he entered the elevator.

‘The fact that I don’t even feel anxious or sleep-deprived further confirms this,’ he reasoned further as he rode the elevator.

‘Hugh Glee Bass Tarude… Hah. It’s as if this person has a marker on him, indicating that he’s the ‘final boss’ of this world,’ Yuuto chuckled solemnly, lowering his gaze. He was surrounded by what appeared to be life-sized paper cutouts of people.

‘Even Saki. Back then, before I left her… She became a still image, her words appearing like a speech bubble above her. Shortly after, she froze, like a black-and-white panel of the final chapter in a manga. Well, at least she was smiling. The only people who remain animated are Nazuna and Akito… I first thought it was only people who aren’t characters in an existing story, but that’s not the case; even Gyarune became as thin as paper. Hiroki’s family ended up like that too, although they still flicker between that state and appearing real… All except Nazuna and Akito. They don’t have that going for them at all… Who are they, then? What are they?’

Yuuto’s thoughts swirled as the elevator came to a full stop at the 77th floor with a loud ring. ‘Well, I guess I’ll figure it out later,’ he thought as several men came into view, all wearing tuxedos. One had a distinct scar over his eye. They were all impeccably groomed, with expensive accessories and neat haircuts.

“Alright, time to finish this,” he muttered as all the men turned to face him. Just as they did, Yuuto pulled an apparatus out of his pocket. It was the original TimeStop Watch™ he and Gyouma had taken from Gyarune. Yuuto pressed the button just before the tuxedoed men managed to get a good look at him.

He watched as the men, persistently in this instance, transformed into paper cutouts, frozen in time, their faces almost directed towards him. The environment shifted into what appeared to be a manga panel, surreal and still. Yuuto felt an odd sensation at the back of his head, as if he were merely reading a story and was just one distraction away from being pulled out of this reality.

‘Odd, how everything has a way of working itself out,’ he thought as he walked past them, noting that all the electronics on the floor had ceased functioning. He looked closely at the frozen figures as he calmly walked by. ‘I… actually hate this place, after all.’

He continued through the pristine hallway of the floor until he stumbled upon a grand double door, positioned centrally. ‘Was I, somewhere within me, expecting this world to be my new home, is that why I feel this way?’ he wondered as he pushed open the doors into the pristine office of Hugh. ‘Maybe I expected to fall in love and have a life in this world with a loving wife and kids?’ he added internally, Saki’s image flashing in his mind as he strolled towards Hugh, feeling his heart twitch slightly at the thought.

‘Nah.’ He cracked his neck. ‘Hating, loving… that’s Hiroki’s area. These feelings.’ He thought, dismissing the twitch in his heart.

Yuuto then came face to face with Hugh, first examining the label on his table. ‘As for me, I’m just…’

‘Gonna Baseball this Ugly Bastard’s ass,’ he thought as he hoisted Hugh onto his shoulder, turning to face the exit.

‘Because I’m Anti-NTR Man.’

Yuuto then lifted him out of the office. Realizing the elevator wouldn’t work during the watch’s activation period, he made haste for the stairwell.

————————————-

Howdy! Author here. I WANTED this to be the final chapter, but the word-count got over 6,000, and I didn’t want to wear people out with overly large chapters.

Therefore, I will release the epilogue in parts, and since it’s nearly complete, expect DAILY releases, and even BI-Daily!

Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoy the finale!

In the brightly lit pristine office, shadows danced along the walls, cast by the dazzling light of a fancy chandelier. The air was thick with the scent of stale smoke and fine alcohol, creating an oppressive atmosphere. The room was organized with fine, neat furniture and the blinds were drawn tightly, allowing no glimpse of the outside world.

In the center of the room, behind a big desk covered in papers and empty bottles, sat a large, imposing figure. It was Hugh Glee Bass Tarude. His corpulent form filled the chair to the brim, and his beady eyes glinted with malicious intent. The room seemed to grow colder as he leaned forward, his fingers steepled under his double chin.

Across from him, standing nervously, was one of his henchmen whom he cucked earlier, a lanky man with a nervous twitch and a scar running down his cheek. The henchman’s eyes darted around the room, never settling on one spot for too long.

“What is Gyarune doing?” Hugh’s voice was a low growl, filled with an unsettling calm.

The henchman cleared his throat, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. “Sir, Gyarune just called. He’s on his way to capture Hiroki Morii’s family.”

‘Going after a little boy’s family… How low will they get? But since he messed with sir’s family… He stood no chance from the start. I’m sorry…’

A grin spread across Hugh’s face. “Great. Now… proceed with the plan.”

He leaned back in his chair, the wood creaking under his weight. “The final part for the device is in Japan. After he is done with Morii’s family, I want you to tell him to break into the laboratory in this country with the time-stopping device. And steal that part for me. That way, the device will be complete.”

Hugh’s eyes gleamed with excitement. “The device that can make every woman instantly cum on command. Mwahahahaha! The device that can make any woman submit on demand; TO ME, Hugh Glee Bass Tarude! Ahahahahaha!”

The henchman shuddered involuntarily at the laughter that echoed through the room, bouncing off the walls.

The henchman nodded quickly, eager to leave the oppressive room and its hefty occupant. “Yes, sir. Right away, sir.” He turned on his heel and hurried out, the door creaking as it closed behind him.

Left alone, Hugh’s laughter slowly faded. He leaned back in his chair.

‘Hahh… This guy’s wife and daughter start to bore me. I’ll throw them to the streets after I finish them off soon after this whole thing is done… After I make them say they hate him, of course.’

“After all… Despair is just such a riot…” He muttered to himself with a snicker.

—————-

“So, this is the Morii household?” Gyarune said to himself as he stood outside the building, licking his lips.

“Ahh, goddamn it, my old habits… Tsche. Well, his family’s one hell of a pie… And I’ll make a cream out of it before I’m taking them out.” He sneered as he strolled towards the main entrance.

[BACKGROUND MUSIC: MAGA – SUETA]

[PFFT.] A laughter was heard from the intercom. [AHAHAHAHAHA, what kind of line is THAT? That’s like, an E-Rank, and I’m being generous here,]

“WHAT THE!?” Gyarune called out, his eyes scanning around as he approached the intercom in a hurry, his eyes wide open.

‘Someone was listening!? Someone knew I was here besides the old man!?’

[Of course, dumbfuck. What did you think, I capture someone who can stop time and then go on a date, leaving him with some skin-and-bones scientist like it’s nobody’s business without taking precaution?] The voice mocked through the intercom.

‘Can he read my mind!!?’ He screamed interanlly, in panic, recognizing the voice…

It was him.

[No, I can’t read your mind,] Yuuto started, [It’s just that you’re as predictable as an anime girl pissing into a urinal in an anime convention. Someone who was skilled enough to go and steal a device like that from a top-secret laboratory must be good. Some puny rope and a lab nerd could only hold you for so long, I figured,]

“SHIT…!” He whispered to himself.

‘Sun Tzu said, “If you know your enemy, and you know yourself, you need not fear the result of 100 battles.” And the generous amount of free time I had in school I always kept myself busy, getting to know myself, the house layout, intercom connection… And setting up cameras. Even then, I still don’t know you, male Gyaru. But I know this world. Even though this world uses real logic sometimes, this is STILL an NTR world. And I’m The Anti-NTR Man here, I can’t afford to lose my vigilance. ESPECIALLY when I didn’t get my payment yet.’ Yuuto thought.

[Now I don’t know what you did to the scientist, as he still doesn’t answer his phone. But I moved my family out after I left the building. So, going INTO THAT HOUSE IS A REALLY BAD IDEA. DON’T DO IT.] Yuuto REALLY emphasized that last part as he looked at his phone.

“HAH, SO IN THE END IT’S ALL JUST A BLUFF… I bet your family’s waiting for me like a buffet to mess up…!!” Gyarune smiled wickedly as he licked his lips again.

‘His mom and sister’s fucking hot. I’m gonna mess them up so much…’ He thought as he bolted into the house.

[You mess up buffets? Do you just not eat them, bro? Either way, seriously, don’t go in…. Ahh, he went away.] Yuuto added as he heard no response from Gyarune, while also seeing him rush inside from the camera’s feed.

[Oh well,]

[His funeral.]

‘Even if he calls the cops, we have people in high places on our payroll. I don’t have to worry about that,’ he reassured himself, fueled by anger for Yuuto and lust for Hiroki’s family. ‘Just in case, I’ll stop time!’ he screamed internally. Flipping the switch on the device, he kicked the door open and burst in with a manic smile, already imagining Hiroki’s family submitting to him in despair and resignation.

But before he could savor the moment, a metal baseball bat struck his face, shattering his nose. Nazuna stood over him, the bat in her hands.

‘It didn’t… stop… time!?’ he thought, confusion and pain flooding his mind as he plummeted to the ground, landing on his back.

In that moment, for some inexplicable reason, Gyouma felt an overwhelming urge to smile.

——————- EARLIER ——————–

“What’s this?” Yuuto asked, eyeing the TimeStop™ Watch Alpha v0.0.1 label on the gun Gyouma held in his other arm as they walked away from the school, with Yuuto carrying Gyarune on his shoulder.

“A decoy,” Gyouma said confidently. “Someone as strong as him, there was a chance he’d catch and destroy me. So, I made this toy in case he had me cornered.”

“Dedicating all your time to a one-time wonder… Nice.” Yuuto let out a prideful chuckle. “What does it do?”

“It clicks really loud so I’ll know when to act the part,”

—————-

‘THAT SCIENTIST BASTARD… HE HAD ME…!’ Gyarune screamed internally as Akito towered above him.

“I heard the shit you said outside about Yuuto Sakurai’s family. That’s just… messed up,” Nazuna muttered, lowering the baseball bat onto Gyarune’s face. The last thought that crossed Gyarune’s mind before losing consciousness was seeing Yuuto Sakurai’s name on Gyouma’s phone.

‘YUUTO… SAKURAI…!’ he thought desperately.

“Pies are just disgusting,” Nazuna concluded, standing over the unconscious body.

———–

“He did offer to tell us everything. Why not just let him, Sakurai?” Gyouma asked as Yuuto prepared to leave the building where they had tied up Gyarune.

“Many reasons. Among them: lies, half-truths… We need him to reveal what he’s doing and with whom for real,” Yuuto said, fiddling with Gyarune’s phone.

“Can you science your way into his phone?” Yuuto asked, noticing it was password locked.

“No. That’s not my forte. But from what I do know, it’s a tough job, even for a hacker,” Gyouma replied.

Yuuto examined the phone closely.

‘Leather-protected casing. He drops it a lot then. It’s rugged, neglected, scratched, beaten, uneven, and mostly peeled off. Rarely replaced. Typical,’ Yuuto deduced.

‘Hm… Rarely replaced, huh?’ A light bulb lit up inside Yuuto’s head.

“I’ll put a small microphone and a GPS tracker in one of the pockets of the leather casing. It’s a micro-USB type of microphone. All I have to do is connect it to a computer or any device, and it will download whatever it recorded. It has a seven-hour battery.”

“I don’t understand,” Gyouma said, puzzled.

“Hm? It’s simple, really. We need him to get out of here, think he had us fooled, and call whoever he’s in cahoots with and spill the beans,” Yuuto replied confidently.

“That much I could guess… But I don’t understand how you conveniently have a GPS tracker and a miniature microphone already at hand,” Gyouma said, raising an eyebrow at Yuuto.

“I always do,” Yuuto said, tilting his head, unsure of the nature of Gyouma’s question. “Being in an NTR world, I always need stuff like that if I have to gather evidence of some NTR bastard doing NTR stuff.”

“Right…” Gyouma replied, still processing.

“Either way, if something happens while I’m gone, I’ll know… and I’ll know who to call for backup.”

Yuuto then placed the microphone and GPS tracker in place and walked away.

“If he doesn’t escape after a while, throw him a bone somehow. Screw up.”

“How would I do that…? I may be a mad scientist, but I’m not much of a schemer.”

“You schemed that decoy,” Yuuto countered.

“A decoy I haven’t had the chance to use yet. What if he catches on?” Gyouma asked, concern evident in his voice.

“Hmm…” Yuuto took a second to ponder. “What you told me. Your circumstances. Use your anger,” he concluded.

——————-

Gyouma sat on the worn, creaky chair in the abandoned building, a smirk playing on his lips as he stared up at the cracked ceiling.

“I’m sorry, Kayuri… I’ve used your memory for something like this,” he whispered to himself, his voice tinged with regret.

“I hope it doesn’t disturb your peace…” he added, feeling a sudden, soft pat on his shoulder.

“Wha—” he gasped, snapping his head around to see no one there.

“…Thank you,” he whispered, his eyes softening. Tears welled up, a lump forming in his throat, “You will always live on in my mind, it seems.”

——————–

Yuuto finished listening to Gyarune’s recording that Nazuna had sent him. In the recording, Gyarune talked about the device to Hugh’s henchman and where it should be brought. Shortly after, Yuuto stopped by Saki’s house.

“I… really had fun today,” she said, standing on the edge of her doorway, her voice soft and hopeful.

“It wasn’t half bad,” Yuuto replied, a faint smile playing on his lips. “Alright, take care.” He turned to leave.

“W-wait, don’t you want to… uh… come in, or…?” she asked reluctantly, her voice trembling slightly as she stopped him momentarily.

“I need to do something,” he said, his eyes meeting hers once more. “And it can’t wait any longer,” he added, his tone resolute.

“Ah… I… I see… okay… then… take care,” she muttered, her disappointment evident. “See you later.”

Yuuto looked at her for a few seconds as a gentle breeze brushed past him, ruffling his hair. His expression was blank, but his eyes hinted at a hidden turmoil.

“Yuuto…?” she mumbled, noticing his delay.

“No, nothing. See you later,” he said flatly, turning around and vanishing from sight.

Saki clutched her chest, a sense of dread washing over her.

‘Something feels wrong… like… I won’t see him again,’ she thought, fear gripping her heart.

“No, I will see him again,” she resolved, trying to shake off the ominous feeling. “I… still have to give him the 10,000 yen payment…!”

A little later…

“This is the building,” Yuuto exclaimed as he looked up at the colossal office building with glass windows, standing tall in the middle of the bustling city. “77th floor. I’m coming for you.”

“Ugly Bastard.”

“Hello?” Gyouma said, answering the phone as it rang.

“Yes, is this Kayuri Matsumoto’s emergency contact?” a female voice asked in perfect German.

Gyouma’s heart sank. ‘The hospital,’ he deduced.

“What is it…? What’s Kayuri’s status?” he asked, struggling to keep his voice steady.

“We’ve been trying to reach you for a few hours…”

‘Probably because of the flight to Japan… It took a while for my phone services to activate here.’

“And we’re sorry to inform you that Miss Matsumoto has… passed. Seven hours ago,” the voice informed, attempting to sound sympathetic but failing to mask its coldness.

Gyouma responded simply, “Thank you,” and hung up before the voice could say anything else.

He placed the phone neatly on the table outside of Gyarune’s interrogation room, his mind blank. He then walked into the room casually.

“Heh, you’re here despite your ‘boss’ telling you to stay away from me?” Gyarune sneered as Gyouma entered, closing the door behind him.

Gyouma sighed. “As a mad scientist, I know exactly what not to do. Now, spill it. Specifically, your boss,” he demanded, his chin held high.

‘I can’t crash yet. I need to find out where he comes from to shut this whole operation down.’

Gyarune took a few seconds, then sighed deeply.

“Ah, screw it. The old man hated me, and everything he ever got, he got it for himself. Whether it be money, women, or power. I had to survive all by myself—”

“I don’t care. Just hurry up and tell me,” Gyouma cut him off.

“Alright, alright… As long as that guy doesn’t beat me up senselessly anymore…”

Gyouma’s mind flashed with Kayuri’s image and smile.

“Senselessly…?” Gyouma growled.

“Yeah, what are—” Gyarune began, lifting his head to look at Gyouma. Recognition dawned in his eyes. “Oh… you’re that scientist… the one I left alive.”

“Yes, that’s me. Surprised scum like you remember,” Gyouma replied, his emotions swirling, his fist clenched as he glared at Gyarune.

“Oh, I remember. After all, I tested the watch on you and that colleague of yours first,” Gyarune said with a snicker.

Gyouma’s eye twitched. “What…?!”

‘Did he do something to her despite her injured state?’ he thought, grabbing Gyarune’s shirt as he sat in the chair.

“WHAT DO YOU MEAN? WHAT DID YOU DO TO HER?” he screamed in Gyarune’s face.

‘This is bad… I’m losing it…’

‘No…’

‘…I have nothing left to lose anymore. What worth is doing something good to a world she’s no longer a part of?’

Gyarune giggled. “Hahaha…”

“ANSWER ME!” Gyouma’s intensity rose as he shook Gyarune violently.

Gyarune smirked pityingly. He slowly raised his head, meeting Gyouma’s gaze.

“Not a thing, lol,” he murmured with a chuckle.

“What…?” Gyouma let out.

“DON’T MESS WITH ME!” he yelled, bits of spit hitting Gyarune’s face.

“It’s the truth… Your breath stinks, piss off…”

“WHAT DO YOU MEAN, IT’S THE TRUTH?”

“….”

“Truth be told, I always thought that I’d fuck some chick the moment I got my hand on something sci-fi like that device… But the first thing I noticed when I stopped time,” Gyarune began, gazing up at the ceiling as he recalled the moment, “was how all the lights immediately went out, plunging everything into darkness. There wasn’t a spark of light anywhere… and then I heard quiet breathing coming from somewhere.” Gyouma released his grip and stepped back, his eyes narrowing.

“Not even my flashlight didn’t work. A few minutes later, my eyes adjusted to the darkness, and I walked toward the source of that breathing. The most prominent one was from you; I realized that when I got close. It became clear that the device didn’t really stop time. It just affected the lights, electronics and caused people to freeze in place. I was really bummed…” he muttered, a look of disappointment crossing his face.

“But then I saw your colleague just a few feet away from you. She was also breathing, but more faintly.” Gyouma’s fists tightened silently.

“What caught my eye was her blood. She had been pierced with a broken vial in her abdomen when she and some others tried to stop me.”

Gyouma’s eyes widened, instinctively guessing Gyarune’s next words.

“…Her blood kept flowing.”

Gyouma let out a sharp gasp.

“So, I just knelt and watched. Her blood kept spreading and flowing, but she didn’t react. She didn’t even seem to be in pain. Her expression remained the same, but her breathing grew weaker.”

‘He just watched… When… She could have still lived…’

Gyouma felt a wretch climbing up his stomach, vividly imagining Kayuri forced to stay still for an agonizing duration.

“It’s funny when you think about it, really. It wasn’t that critical an injury. If I had resumed time and gotten her to a hospital, she’d have most likely survived,” Gyarune almost whispered, his eyes glinting as he visualized the broken glass piercing her stomach.

“But I was curious. I wanted to see what would happen if she died—would she just roll on the ground, or remain frozen until her brain stopped functioning? So, I let it continue for about ten more minutes. I’ve never been so engrossed in something my whole life. At that point, her heart rate dropped so much, you—”

“SHUT UP!!!!!” Gyouma collapsed to his knees, hyperventilating.

Gyarune smiled wickedly, savoring the pale scientist’s anguish.

“You couldn’t really hear her breathing unless you got reaaaally close,” Gyarune continued, relishing the recount. “It was then I got the low power warning on the watch. I had to dip, so unfortunately, I didn’t get to watch her die…” he said, watching Gyouma grow increasingly restless.

‘She suffered… for so long…!!’

“But I suppose that’s a privilege you got, heh.” He snickered as Gyouma raised his head, his mind blank with rage.

“Oh, YOU DIDN’T! Ahh, that’s a killer!!” Gyarune cackled, examining Gyouma’s face. “You rushed to Japan… Let me guess, she died all by herself in some hospital, didn’t she!!?”

“BASTARD!!!!!!!!!” Gyouma roared, his scream filled with uncontainable fury as he lunged at Gyarune, his arms aiming for his throat. Gyouma’s phone ringing once more outside the door.

It was over in an instant.

Gyarune was free of his binds, and Gyouma was lying on the ground.

“Just kill me.” Gyouma murmured, bleeding from his mouth as he looked at the ceiling. His ribs and arm broken as Gyarune was approaching the door outside, stopping in place as he heard the scientist’s plea.

“Nah,” He muttered as he turned to him momentarily with a snicker, “I thought it was clear by now…”

“Watching people squirm helplessly… Is quite the kicker. Scientist.” He said as he opened the door.

Gyouma bit his lips in frustration as he helplessly looked at the ceiling.

“Besides, I got your partner; Hiroki’s family to capture for that fat old man of mine,” He exclaimed.

Gyouma’s face tensed, his eyes widened in realization. He was then trying to move his body and crawl past Gyarune.

Gyarune looked at him with a sigh, “Y’know for a scientist, you’re quite stupid.” He said, “Thanks for reminding me I need to tie you up.” He said as he hoisted him up on the chair, tying the injured scientist to the chair with the same rope he was tied in.

“Alright. Just stay still and watch everything burn from this spot,” He casually let out as he exited the room.

“No…! I…” Gyouma strained.

It was then he passed the table near the door, hearing a ringing noise from Gyouma’s phone.

“Hmm?” He hummed as he examined the name on the phone.

“Hey,” Gyarune let out,

“Who the fuck’s Yuuto Sakurai?”

—————————————

‘No answer…’ Yuuto thought as he and Saki sat, drying up on the bench nearby the river after their kayaking experience.

He looked at Saki.

“Something came up.” Yuuto alerted Saki calmly.

“I need to go now.”

——————————————

“Well, whatever. Oh, what’s this?” Gyarune muttered to himself, his gaze landing on the device next to the phone after the ringing ceased.

[TimeStop Watch™ Pre-Alpha v0.0.1] The label read.

“NO!!!!” Gyouma screamed as he saw Gyarune pick it up.

Gyarune’s head snapped towards Gyouma at the sound of his scream.

‘Oh my… So that’s why he was so confident…’

“Since you stole the first one from me and hid it who knows where, it’s only fair I take this…” he sneered, noticing the scientist’s reaction.

“I guess this is what you planned to use to stop me, huh?” he mocked, watching Gyouma fume, visibly clenching his teeth.

“YOU BASTARD!!! YOU WON’T GET AWA—”

Gyarune activated the watch with a loud click.

‘Damn, the switch on this one is much louder than the first one… But it works just as well…’ he thought, observing Gyouma frozen in place, his face contorted in a scream, eyes shut tight from the struggle.

“Hah,” Gyarune murmured, admiring the raging, frozen expression.

‘Really… Seeing despair like that… Keep it up, scientist. You’re earning my favor more and more every time,’ Gyarune thought, noticing the light still on.

“Oh? The light’s still on…” he mused, examining the device again.

‘It says Pre-Alpha… An early version? Well, the fact he brought it means he was confident it works. Maybe it only affects people, not electronics…’ he speculated, glancing back at the still-frozen Gyouma.

“Well, it’s all I need anyway,” he sighed.

“Hiroki Morii… You fucker. You’ll pay for beating me up like I’m your bitch,” he resolved, his eye twitching slightly as he walked away.

Yuuto had a fleeting thought as he screamed at Nao.

“YOU WASTE OF SPERM. SELLING OUT MY MOTHER AND SISTER TO THAT VEINY TURD WHILE ALSO FUCKING HIM BEHIND MY BACK WITHOUT ANY SHAME,” Hiroki yelled out loud.

He realized it was still him. There was no ‘somebody else’ taking over his body and actions. However, since he stopped holding back those emotions, a deep-seated hatred began to resurface, especially towards Nao; it reminded him of the days when he first transmigrated. Despite not being the one who was actually betrayed, he couldn’t shake the feeling that the betrayal was personal, that it was happening to him.

In a sense, perhaps Hiroki did, in fact, take over him.

But even Yuuto had his limits…

“AND IF THAT WASN’T BAD ENOUGH, YOU EVEN RECORDED A SEX TAPE WITH MY—”

…And Hiroki just crossed them.

‘Okay, NO,’ he thought, shutting himself up and breathing deeply, once more placing a barrier on his raging emotions.

“What!? Sex tape…? Hiroki, I never did that!” Nao hurriedly interjected, her eyes wide with alarm.

The female guard nearby whistled quietly to herself as she looked at Hiroki. ‘Some play he crafted for himself… Like I’m watching a soap opera,’ she mused.

‘I get that you’re mad, but let’s not get things too mixed up. The sex tape thing hasn’t happened, in case you forgot, you dumb kid. This situation might be new to you, and I get how you’re disoriented, but get your facts straight.’

Yuuto thought as he looked at her, his breathing gradually getting more stable.

‘No. More like, I should get my facts straight. We’ve been in each other’s asses ever since I got here. There was never a moment where it was just me or just you. Even this extra guilt about the lives I’ve taken, a lot of it comes from you, doesn’t it?’

‘I get that you want to let out your emotions. And that she’s your enemy, drugs or not. That’s fine. But what have we learned about not planning things, going solely on emotions? You just end up gett@^&%!$($’

$&(%($%!#’BUT I’M ANGRY AT HIM, DAD!!! HE BROKE MY SUPREMEHUMAN HERO MAN ACTION FIGURE!!!’

“What he did was wrong. But what will screaming at him do? Or beating him up? In the end, he will either end up hating you more or never want to talk to you again. Is that what you want?” His father said, lighting up a cigarette.

“YES!!!! I WANT TO HURT HIM! HE’S NO LONGER MY FRIEND, HE’S MY WORST ENEMY!!” Yuuto screamed in defiance, earning a deep sigh from his father as he let down his newspaper.

“Alright,” he replied.

“Hurt him, then.” His father’s tone suddenly shifted, catching the little boy off guard. “But do it when you are COMPLETELY calm. That way, you can inflict the most pain possible, if you want. If you can be RELAXED entirely, without a shred of anger in you; you can deal the most damage.”

“If you just go without a plan, relying solely on your anger, you will just end up get&@^%!@%$ing hurt yourself. We don’t want that.”

‘So, being Anti-NTR Man, I’ll do what I do best:’

‘Help wimps like you get their shit together,’

‘So, let’s agree to cooperate this one time.’

“Haah…” Yuuto sighed deeply, letting a little bit of anger resurface once more.

“Nao. Why did you call me here?”

‘First, we need to discern whether or not she was drugged. Let’s look at how she answers to some provocation. If she dragged us out here just to gain our sympathy, we’ll dip.’

“I… Wanted… To see how you’re doing, that’s all.”

“Well, you saw it. I’m angry.”

“I’m… Sorry you feel that way. No… Sorry for making you feel that way.”

‘Apologetic. I’m leaning towards her trying to get my favor,’ Yuuto deduced.

“Alright, thanks. Just seeing you makes me wanna poke. I wanna hear what you promised Yuuto, about why you think you did that deplorable shit and leave as fast as I can.” He spat out, venom lacing his words.

‘Use your anger to test her boundaries, Hiroki. See how far she’s willing to go to keep up her facade, if she’s putting up any.’ Yuuto knew the only one who could hear his thoughts was him.

But somehow, addressing Hiroki felt as if he could control his feelings better.

…As if they were really working together.

“…Alright,” she replied weakly.

“I was overwhelmed, Hiroki. I’ve got no other excuse. As nasty a person as he was, he made me feel safe until that day Yuuto defeated him… and made me feel wanted. It felt good, being with him, and being embraced by him. I felt like a woman… more than I ever felt in my life,” she explained, Hiroki’s palm twitching at her words.

“But…?” He narrowed his eyes slightly.

“No but… I’m… I’m just really sorry I betrayed you. At the very least, I should’ve come clean. You deserved that much. As for involving your mom and sister, I… I was angry at you… At Yuuto, I mean, for hitting me. That’s it,” she concluded, looking down.

Yuuto narrowed his eyes, expecting a follow-up explanation or excuse.

But Nao just went silent.

A few seconds later, Yuuto grew restless.

‘She dug quite a hole for herself… But we still can’t be sure if she’s genuine or not. Let’s do this, then. Despite how cunning she thinks she is, like back at the school yard, if she wasn’t under an influence—then she’s emotional as well. Let’s give her a curveball.’

“Okay. Thanks for wasting my time, you whore. I’ve no idea what I’d expected,” he sighed as he got up from the chair, turning around and walking towards the exit.

‘This ought to usher a response from her if she’s ingenuine. If so, then this little confession was about getting a reaction from me so that she could manipulate.’

“Alright… Take care,” she replied weakly.

Hiroki opened the door and left the room, slamming it behind him.

The female guard loosened. “Alright, let’s go back,” she called, her voice prompting Nao to merely nod as she got up from her chair, the door slam still echoing throughout the room.

‘… She’s silent, Hiroki. Not trying to excuse herself or complain.’ He thought as he reopened the door and walked back in, startling the female guard and Nao.

“…Sorry for the hassle, but I need just a few more minutes with her,” he asked firmly, looking at the guard who had already opened the door back into the juvie for Nao, ready to escort her.

“You just left,” the guard exclaimed, raising her eyebrow in confusion, a tinge of exasperation coloring her eyes.

“I regret leaving,” he affirmed, his gaze steady. A small gasp escaped Nao’s mouth as she still faced the door on the opposite end.

The female guard stood in silence for a few seconds. She glanced at Nao, seeing a small spark in her eye, somewhat eager to return to the table.

“…Fine,” she sighed. “But if you pull one more trick like that, I won’t agree to it again.”

Hiroki nodded and returned to the table, facing Nao—this time, she faced him squarely, more attentive.

A few seconds went by.

“I lied. It’s still me. Yuuto Sakurai, not your Hiroki,” he let out.

“What…?” she gasped, her eyes widening as she looked at him. “But… you promised!”

“Well, I bullshitted you. I can’t SWITCH to his consciousness. I can only use his emotions, if that makes sense to you. That’s why I screamed at you earlier.”

“….” She narrowed her eyes, as if waiting for a follow-up explanation.

“I’m honestly more amazed you buy into this so easily. Even his mom and sister are still in denial about that. Yet here you are, not even trying to tell me I’m mentally ill with a split personality disorder.” He said, resting his chin on his palm.

After a small stutter, Nao began to reply.

“Well… I… I knew you… No, Hiroki. I knew him my whole life. The way you acted out of nowhere back at school… I thought Hiroki just went insane, maybe. But that’s when I saw the way you looked at me, back when you beat the transfer student up out of nowhere when he was stepping on your head.”

“Back when I slapped the shit out of you, you mean?”

“Y-yeah…” she murmured, looking down. “It was as if… you saw me for who I am. As if my body or face didn’t exist, and there was only my personality left to show,” she said.

“Oh?” Yuuto let out.

‘I was just about to tell her she was drugged, which is why she was such a traitorous bitch, but what’s this now?’ Yuuto thought, intrigued.

“Me and Hiroki have known each other since childhood. We were really close. It was then that I fell for him, actually. He was kind, brave, and we had a lot of fun together,” she said, her smile solemn as she raised her gaze once more, looking Yuuto in the eyes.

“But when we got older, Hiroki… No…” She corrected herself.

“You…” She said, addressing Yuuto as if he was Hiroki, “started to look at me just like everyone else did. As a woman you wanted to sleep with, not someone you cared about and wanted to hang out with. We started going out for dates that were supposed to ‘make us intimate’ under the guise of having fun, instead of just hanging out like we used to. And that’s when I realized, when I kept seeing you blush around me and shrug off your true intentions, hiding what you truly wanted, I felt… that I lost you as my childhood friend,” she said weakly.

Yuu@&$YHiroki bit his lip in frustration as he heard Nao talk.

“You were DRUGGED. That veiny turd drugged you!! That’s why you cheated. That’s why you’re saying these things…!!” Hiroki yelled, his face contorting in confusion and regret. “This isn’t you!!”

Nao gasped softly, her gaze distant. “Ah… I was drugged…?”

Nao sighed as she looked up. “I see… He drugged me to get me to agree to his advances?” she said, almost to herself.

“Yeah..! Yes, that’s right!” Hiroki urged, slight desperation in his tone.

“Did… he even need to drug me…?” she let out, her voice trailing off as she pondered.

“What…!?” Hiroki whispered in disbelief.

“… That guy…” she started, breathing deeply, “was rough, a brute, and had a disgusting personality that really stood out after Yuuto beat him up. But he was more honest about who he was and what he wanted than anyone else… Much like how you were back then when we were kids.”

“It was only after I noticed that about him that I started to feel attracted to him and his body. I think that’s why… I liked him so much. That honesty.”

Hiroki clenched his fists.

“But he… drugged you… No, you’re… You don’t mean that…” Hiroki murmured.

“Because that’s also why I fell for you in the first place… Until you lost that honesty of yours when we hit puberty. You became… somewhat selfish.” She added, Hiroki’s fists turning white from the pressure, as if trying to squeeze out a counter-argument.

“As for his brother and why I went with him… I was angry.” She said, tensing her eyelids.

“Not that Yuuto hit me. As for that, I lied too. But I was angry that now, when you’re finally honest with yourself again, you don’t want to be with me, and… that you finally saw me for what I am, rather than just imagining my naked body every time you looked at me.” She let out a soft chuckle.

“A cheating whore, you said. When I finally heard you say those words, and then slapped me without hesitation, I felt that the old, honest Hiroki was back in adult form, but not on my side… which got me frustrated.”

“…But it was never you since that moment, was it?” she said, her smile solemn.

“That Hiroki’s never going to come back, right? Regardless of whether Yuuto stays or goes…”

The two then sat speechless before each other.

Yuuto then took a deep breath. And clapped.

“Bravo,” he muttered, clapping slowly and firmly. “The cheating I kind of understand, but I love how you justify trying to ruin Hiroki’s life because you were sexually frustrated. Amazing.” Yuuto chuckled.

‘I guess she was also lonely… Eh, same thing. Sex drive is a powerful emotion.’

“Hiroki’s gone, huh? I… wanted to hear his response. You could’ve waited a few seconds,” Nao exclaimed, frustration edging her voice.

“Ahhh, he crumpled up by himself. I can’t feel him anymore,” Yuuto replied with a sigh. “Good job, though.” He leaned back in the chair, facing Nao. “I might just pull my hero-of-the-school card to get you out of this place so you can crush his spirit again when he acts up. I mean that one wholly. He’s driving me crazy with his emotional outbursts.” He sighed deeply.

“Now, before I leave, just one thing. Why’d you call me here?” Yuuto asked, his tone shifting to curiosity.

“Since we’re being transparent, I really did think about you using your hero card to free me ever since I got here. But the more time passed… the more I started to feel bad about what happened… like… really, really bad,” she said, her voice cracking slightly. “It was then I just… I just wanted to see him again.”

‘This confirms it, then. She was under the influence… Then… That means…’ Yuuto began to ponder, the faces of Kanoko and Kaede rising in his head. ‘That those two were also under the influence…’ He recalled how Kaede slept by his side when he was hospitalized and how Kanoko stormed Nao with fists of fury. ‘Well, that explains a lot.’ Yuuto’s eyes widened at the realization.

“Haah… I see. You did cooperate with a criminal, so I can’t guarantee you leaving here soon. But I’ll ask around,” he said casually as he got up from his chair.

“…Don’t bother,” she replied softly.

“What?”

“My mom and dad… all my friends. No one wanted to come visit me. I’d rather… just wait here for a while.”

“…Suit yourself,” Yuuto said, turning to face the door.

“I also forgot to ask…” she added, stopping Yuuto in his tracks. “How did this… thing happen to you two?”

“No clue. I was a superhero in my world, but then I woke up in the body of this wimpy bastard,” he said casually.

“A superhero?” She chuckled softly. “Really? Who were you?”

“A hero that saves people like Hiroki. That’s about it.”

“Ah… okay, then,” she said with a small sigh. “Speaking of Hiroki… will… will he ever come back?” she inquired hesitantly.

“No clue. Don’t get your hopes up, though.”

“I see… that’s… that’s too bad,” she murmured, her voice trailing off as she faced Yuuto’s back, lowering her gaze to the table.

Once more, Yuuto felt emotions rising up. The chair beckoned him to sit and keep talking with Nao.

‘It wasn’t even five minutes… Quite resilient, aren’t you?’ he sighed inwardly.

‘Either way… you don’t need to make a drama out of every sentence she spits out, dumb kid. But since you want to entertain this pitiful girl so badly, let me give you some advice. Look around; this place she’s in, her situation. Do you seriously think your forgiveness is what she wants right now?’ A few seconds later, a new feeling began surfacing from deep within him.

“Juvie’s…” Hiroki softly called out, his back still turned to her, “…quite a bitch, huh?”

That was empathy.

It was then that Nao broke down, tears streaming down her cheeks as she began to cry out loud.

Yuuto looked down, deep in thought as Nao cried her heart out. Not a word was exchanged between them.

A few minutes went by, and Nao was still bawling her eyes out.

‘So, you feel like standing around to give her time to calm down before she has to be escorted back inside…? Well, I applaud you for being sensible to other people for the first time in your adolescence. Even if it’s for someone who’d sell your family because she’s sexually frustrated… Either way…’

‘You’ve somewhat grown,’ Yuuto commended inwardly.

Shortly after, Nao relaxed a little.

“I’ll visit,” Hiroki started. “But since I’m selfish, I don’t know when’s a good time, so I’ll ju—”

Yuuto then immediately walked out, stopping himself from talking any longer. ‘Alright, we get it, we get it, you’re aware of your flaws now, and you made friends with the antagonist. Now we will practice the ancient art of “shut the fuck up” and leave. I’m dying from cringe here,’ Yuuto thought to himself as he hastily walked out the door.

Yuuto walked out of the juvenile detention center, the door closing with a heavy thud behind him. He spotted Saki waiting patiently outside, her eyes searching his face for any sign of change.

‘Well, aside from getting clarity over the situation, I hope you’re calmer now,’ Yuuto thought to himself.

“Alright, sorry about that. Now, about our date…” Yuuto began, his voice steady, though there was a hint of something lighter in his tone.

Saki looked slightly puzzled. “Oh… I thought we already needed to go home.”

Yuuto raised an eyebrow, a small smirk playing at the corner of his lips. ‘Does she seriously consider our train ride the entire date…?’ he thought.

“Nah, let’s go have some fun,” he said, his words carrying a trace of playfulness.

Saki blinked, noticing something different in his eyes—an unusual animation, a spark she hadn’t seen before. ‘Yuuto… seems somewhat different… more cheerful,’ she thought, intrigued.

“Oh… Like, a mixer or a restaurant?” she asked, trying to guess his intentions.

Yuuto’s gaze turned towards the horizon. “I was thinking more like… kayaking.”

Saki’s eyes widened in surprise, a smile tugging at her lips. “Kayaking? Really?”

“Yeah. Kayaking. You can’t swim or something?” Yuuto replied, his tone still measured but with an underlying sense of anticipation.

‘That was the last thing I’d expect to be invited to… Haha…’ She thought, her own shoulders feeling a little lighter.

Saki laughed softly, “Alright then, let’s do it. Kayaking it is.”

*$^%(*#%(*!@%*&

‘Alright… Like Dad said, I didn’t meet him for a few days so I could calm down. Now I’ve invited him to “talk.” When he least suspects it, I’ll beat him up!’ Yuuto thought as the child who broke the action figure came into view.

“Yuuto… I’m… sorry for breaking the doll…” the kid murmured, looking away.

‘Yeah, yeah… Prepare to die…’ Yuuto thought, tightening his fist momentarily before loosening it.

Yet something was amiss… Yuuto no longer wanted to beat him up, even though he was calm and could inflict maximum pain, like his dad had told him. Frustration built up within him as he grappled with his conflicting emotions.

“I…” Yuuto started, then sighed. “It’s an action figure, dumbass. Mispronounce it again, and I’ll beat you up,” he muttered.

$&^%$@*^#$@#@^%

[Next few chapters are in the final act.]

[Title suggested by @Hankofficial from my discord server]

[And sorry for the delay, had a block – and then realized it doesn’t have to be something too profound.]

Some time before Yuuto started ‘interrogating’ Gyarune…

“Alright,” Yuuto nodded as he sat down with the mad scientist inside the abandoned building. “So, it’s because I’m in someone else’s body?”

“That is the only logical conclusion,” the scientist replied. “The TimeStop™ Watch emits a wave that affects the brain. It works on everyone. That’s why I’m confident in this theory about you.” Gyouma’s eyes shone with intrigue as he looked at Yuuto.

“…And you just accept that I’m from another world?”

“As a Mad Scientist, I have to consider all possible reasons, including the impossible ones, until I’m certain of what is and isn’t true. You being insane or simply possessing a gene that resists it doesn’t make sense, as I’ve accounted for those. What more or less confirmed my theory is how you said you felt relaxed and that Hiroki’s presence within you vanished for the entire duration the clock was activated.”

Gyouma adjusted his robe and looked intently into Yuuto’s eyes.

“Essentially, Hiroki’s consciousness took the brunt of the watch’s effects, keeping yours intact. This confirms your worries; it isn’t just a feeling—Hiroki’s presence and consciousness coexist with yours within your body. The reason you are the one controlling his body is still unclear, but one could say it is due to how your mind is slightly more developed; as you’ve said, in your own world, you were about 19 years old, three years older than Hiroki.”

“And what about how I progressively look like my body from my world?”

“That… is still an anomaly to me. There are too many factors to form a coherent theory yet,” Gyouma replied, dragging his chair nearer to Yuuto. “You need to prepare yourself that you might not get answers to some of your questions.”

———————————

‘I had to ask him that. I had to reveal my circumstances after that Gyaru guy thought he stopped everyone with that watch, including me. As careful as I’d like to be, I’m still curious… And his answers were pretty solid,’ Yuuto reasoned.

Yuuto continued to think about what Gyouma had said as the train ride continued. He leaned against the window, looking out at the ever-changing scenery.

‘I wonder… What happens in the real world? My world? Am I dead? Or does a copy of my consciousness continue operating my original body as usual?’ Yuuto pondered.

‘Or… Maybe, since it was only me who transferred, that could’ve happened…?’

“I might not get answers to that, huh…?” Yuuto whispered to himself.

“Yuuto-kun? You said something?” Saki asked.

‘She’s so attentive… Even to a whisper. She must be nervous,’ Yuuto thought.

“Just mumbling to myself,” he replied, turning to her.

“Oh… I see…” she muttered, glancing down at Yuuto’s palm.

Yuuto noticed her gaze.

‘She can’t stop thinking about it since that night, huh? I suppose that makes sense. In the manga, even when she was disrespected and humiliated, she liked getting caressed and patted on her head… Even during her circumstances. That alone tells you all you need to know about her parents. Both of them. She’s hungry for that kind of affection more than sex.’

“Saki,” Yuuto said, causing her head to tilt upwards, her eyes meeting his.

“Y-yeah?” she replied.

“You want to hold hands this badly?” he asked calmly.

‘Honestly, humans you learn about through books and manga are so simple. You learn all about their buttons and how to press them… If only things were this easy in my world,’ Yuuto mused to himself.

“N-No… I just…” she stammered, looking away bashfully. “Well… I don’t hate it… But it doesn’t mean I want it… I’m sorry for staring—”

He gently placed his arm on her shoulder, guiding her to rest on his side.

Her eyes widened as she gasped, her heartbeat skyrocketing as she felt the warmth of his body spreading throughout hers.

‘…If things were that easy, I’d… Well, I’d be more efficient, that’s for certain,’ Yuuto thought.

“Y-Yuuto-kun… This…” she mumbled, her face reddening.

“Oh, this bothers you? I suppose I’ll let go…” he said, his voice trailing off as he began to loosen his grip.

She immediately jumped. “No… No..! It’s… It’s okay… It was just sudden… I… I like being… Close… Like this… To you…” she replied.

He raised his palm as she rested on him and patted her head.

“Ah…” she softly gasped.

‘He… Pats my head… It feels… So nice… I hope he never stops…’ she thought as Yuuto gently brushed her head.

As he patted her head, Yuuto looked at her, feeling her body gradually loosening up. ‘Honestly, looking at her from this angle while doing this… Reminds me of a certain brat in my original world. Just how many times that girl woke me up whenever she had a nightmare, forcing me to do something like this?’

Yuuto sighed, his body slightly loosening up as well. He looked back out the window, continuing to pat Saki’s head with practiced ease and comfort.

‘…What a bother, that sister of mine was.’

His gaze turned slightly solemn. ‘Good riddance that I won’t see her again, I suppose…’

There was one hour left of the train ride. During that time, Saki peacefully fell asleep, resting on Yuuto’s body.

Before long, they arrived at the juvenile center. Yuuto assured Saki she could wait outside and entered the private visitation room. He spotted Nao sitting alone in the middle of the room, leaning on a desk.

‘Usually, getting permission to call someone from a juvie requires a lot of hassle. Someone like Nao, a hedonist, wouldn’t bother with it. I suppose she felt that depraved… or…’

——————

“And the first thing he did was use the drug on that girlfriend of yours when she didn’t respond to his advances,” Gyarune continued. “Next thing you know… she was all over the big guy.”

——————

‘…Alright, let’s get this over with,’ Yuuto resolved as he walked over to her, a female guard standing by near the door.

Nao looked up at him, her expression blank and emotionless. She seemed to have lost weight, her hair roughly cut, and there were bruises hidden beneath her orange jumpsuit.

Without a word, he sat in front of her.

‘So… now what? What do I even ask? Should I start with the classic; “Do you still wanna suck some muscleman’s dick now that you’re off your aphrodisiacs”? Does she even know that she was drugged? Where do I start…’

“What do you want?” Yuuto asked firmly. “And make it quick. I have things planned for today.”

‘Seems like as good a start as any.’

“Sorry,” Nao began, her voice a little raspy. “But could you… somehow… call Hiroki, Mr. Sakurai?” Nao muttered.

Yuuto flinched slightly.

“What is it that you’re asking, I wonder? It’s me. I just got a new hairdo.”

“Please… just… I’m already in this… place. Just get him to talk to me,” she replied, her voice slightly shivering.

‘Hah. I did call myself Yuuto Sakurai like an idiot in front of her and was about to put a bullet in her. It’d be weird if she just brushed it off. Still, I’m not going to let that impulsive kid take over,’ Yuuto resolved.

“I’m not sure what you’re talking about… But assume I did. Why do you think you deserve any kind of effort from my end?” Yuuto replied.

She tightened her palms as she looked at him.

“I’ll… After talking to Hiroki, I’ll tell you everything about that guy and Satoshi,” she said, determined.

‘He’s more practical and pragmatic than Hiroki. Something like this… is sure to get his attention,’ she resolved.

“I already know all about your two side boyfriends. Including what they did. Heck, I even know things you probably don’t. Is that all?” he replied calmly as he slowly got up from the chair and turned to walk away.

“Please…!” she pleaded from her seat as Yuuto continued to walk away.

“I’ll… I’ll tell you why I did it, then! It must be worth something…! Please!” she begged, trying her hardest not to raise her voice as she occasionally glanced at the female guard who stood at the ready.

‘It doesn’t worth a damn thing’ Yuuto replied internally, but his body betrayed him as he stopped in place.

He gripped his chest, feeling Hiroki’s anger and sadness.

‘But to you, it does, I suppose… Well. Like I said, we’re going to be living together, that means we’ll have to compromise on stuff. Fine. I’ll entertain you. But only if you don’t get in my way afterwards. I’m not against suicide if you start to torment me with your childish outbursts all the time,’ Yuuto thought, feeling the tightness in his chest dissipate as he turned back to Nao, whose face loosened in relief.

“Alright,” Yuuto replied. “Give me a second. I’ll bring him out.”

Nao sat in anticipation, her eyes almost glowing as she intently stared at Yuuto, who closed his eyes.

————————

“Essentially, Hiroki’s consciousness took the brunt of the watch’s effects, keeping yours intact. This confirms your worries; it isn’t just a feeling—Hiroki’s presence and consciousness coexist with yours within your body.”

———————–

‘So that means that I can, somehow, switch to his consciousness… Right?’

‘Then again, I have no idea how to switch my consciousness with his… It’s not like I have a switch… Hmm… Think. When did I feel him the most…?’

It was when Yuuto said those two keywords—Think and Feel—that he noticed something.

Thinking and feeling were much like how Yuuto and Hiroki seemed to operate.

Yuuto was a pragmatic thinker, while Hiroki operated almost entirely on his feelings and emotions, without ever using his brain. Not even to process his emotions.

It was then that Yuuto realized.

This is how they coexist in one body. And why Yuuto felt relaxed when the TimeStop watch was activated.

Feelings. Emotions. That’s where Hiroki exists, he deduced.

It wasn’t as if Yuuto didn’t have feelings of his own, but it appeared that in the entire time he spent in this world, this was the area Hiroki’s presence seemed to dwell.

‘So, this anger… Maybe I’ll just talk without thinking. Let the anger take control. Be the impulsive nitwit that you are.’

Yuuto then opened his eyes, looking at the female guard, as he tore down the barriers he had placed on Hiroki’s emotions.

‘Honestly; I have a good idea of how this is gonna go. And while I don’t agree with it, it’s your decision… And our agreement.’

“I’m going to perform a part of a play. It’s our thing. Don’t be startled by anything I do from now on,” he alerted as he felt a tidal wave of rage suddenly erupt.

“And you… Don’t come crying to me afterward,” Yuuto warned Nao as he gradually lost control.

He clenched his teeth and slammed both fists onto the table. A loud thud echoed through the room, startling Nao.

“NAOOOOOO!!!!!!!” Hiroki bellowed.

Nao smiled weakly at Hiroki. “Hi… How’ve you been, Hiroki?” she gently prodded, her eyes weary.

“DON’T FUCKING ‘HOW YOU’VE BEEN’ WITH ME!! EXPLAIN YOURSELF RIGHT NOW, OR I’LL BEAT YOU THE FUCK UP AGAIN!!!” he screamed as he leaned forward, clenching his fists on the table.

“THIS BASTARD HELD ME BACK FROM SLAPPING YOU EVEN MORE THAT TIME… UNLESS YOU EXPLAIN YOURSELF, I WON’T HOLD BACK! I DON’T GIVE A FUCK IF HALF THE GUARDS GANG UP ON ME IN THE PROCESS!!!”

“WHO SENT YOU?!” Yuuto screamed, punching Gyarune in the face for the seventy-sixth time in the past thirty minutes.

“I ASKED WHO SENT YOU!” He delivered another blow soon after.

“YOU SON OF A BITCH, WHO SENT YOU?!” Yuuto yelled, punching him again.

“Ahh… You psycho, just let me ta—” Gyarune groaned, spitting blood and barely conscious, unable to finish his sentence before Yuuto struck him again.

“YOU THINK YOU’RE TOUGH, HUH? DROP THE ACT! YOU CAN’T HIDE THE TRUTH FROM ME!” Yuuto shouted, raising his arm again, making Gyarune flinch.

“I SAID YES, I WANNA TAL—” Gyarune tried to interject, but was cut off by another punch, blood spraying from his mouth.

“Tch, he’s not talking.” Yuuto declared with a click of his tongue, turning to leave the room.

“WAIT, I SAID I WANNA TAAAAAALK! SHIT!” Gyarune screamed desperately as Yuuto slammed the door behind him.

Outside, Yuuto faced the Mad Scientist, who sat waiting.

“Tough luck. He won’t talk,” Yuuto said flatly, stretching his arms.

The scientist looked down, his expression unreadable. “Thank you…” he whispered.

After a quick gaze at Gyouma and after listening to his weary words of gratitude, Yuuto turned back toward the makeshift interrogation room in the abandoned apartment complex.

“I hear he STILL doesn’t want to talk. Better get back in there,” he declared.

“No, that’s not what I meant,” Gyouma murmured, stopping Yuuto in his tracks.

“I meant… for stopping him. As a mad scientist, I’m ashamed to admit this, but I am more grateful that you stopped that bastard from doing any more harm than I am curious about how you managed to move during the clock’s activated state.” He said firmly, looking at Yuuto with weary eyes filled with images of Kayuri’s critical state and his dead colleagues.

“So, for that… thank you.” He bowed.

“…Don’t mention it,” Yuuto replied after a short pause, before reentering the interrogation room.

“He ended up going back in anyway…” Gyouma muttered to himself with a sigh.

“Jesus fuck… You think you’re some hot shit, huh!?” Gyarune spat to the side. “Getting back at me just for doing a job I was ordered to do, without a choice. You think I wanted this!? Beating up a high schooler?”

“Of course I do. You even mentioned wanting to do more than just beat me up, lolicon. You got the short end of the stick because you were stupid.” Yuuto replied while doing finger exercises.

“Stupid? Me? Please. Don’t think you’ve beaten me in some mind games or even fighting games. You got the drop on me. That’s all.”

Yuuto chuckled. “Good point. You’re so stupid and pathetic I didn’t even need to play mind games or fight you seriously.”

“DON’T FUCK WITH ME!” He screamed, losing his temper. “You’re a fucking anomaly. They made the shit I was using in a LAB. A secret government lab, stupid kid! You moving during the stopped time was just a stroke of luck,” he argued.

“And it’s thanks to that stroke of luck you’re stuck here. Care to shut up? I want to beat you up for answers now,” Yuuto said, drawing near.

“Haaah… Yeah, that’s what you are. Just a hotheaded kid. I heard allllllll~ about you before coming here,” Gyarune replied, looking up at Yuuto, who was now only an inch away. “My favorite part was how our little ‘transfer student’ drugged your girlfriend, making her take his side. But you just ended up beating the shit out of her because you thought she was just a piece of shit,” he said with a chuckle.

“Huh? What are you bullshitting about?” Yuuto raised an eyebrow.

“What? Someone as smart as you can’t fig—” Gyarune started, but Yuuto stomped on his foot.

“Ahh!!!” He screamed.

“Try again,” Yuuto calmly instructed.

“Shit…!! He was… part of a drug operation here in Japan…!! He played it good, so they handed him some of the goods to play around with,” Gyarune explained.

‘What…!?’

“And the first thing he did was use it on that girlfriend of yours when he kept hitting on her but she didn’t go along with it,” Gyarune continued. “Next thing you know… she was all over the big guy.”

‘Curious,’ Yuuto thought as he tilted his head. ‘Very curious.’

“But it doesn’t really matter anymore,” Yuuto said, stretching his fist once more. “Not even that small fact can save you from the beatings you’re about to—”

[PHONE RINGING]

“… Excuse me,” Yuuto muttered as he left the interrogation room, picking up the phone; with Gyarune sighing greatly of relief.

“Hello?” Yuuto muttered.

“Hello, Mr. Morii? This is Kimiko from the Lemon-Sauce Juvenile Classification Home,” a woman’s voice echoed from the other end of the phone.

Yuuto’s face paled, drawing Gyouma’s attention.

“What’s the matter?” Gyouma whispered.

‘F.E.R.N!?’ Gyouma thought, increasingly concerned.

‘Is this it? Has the day finally come? Am I going to juvie? Considering everything I did, it was a miracle I was let off time after time… I suppose my time has come,’ Yuuto thought.

“A-ah… Yes, Miss Kimiko, how may I assist you?” Yuuto replied, trying to steady his voice.

“Uhm… You do not have to worry, you are not in trouble, Mr. Morii. We just have someone who wishes to contact you,” she explained.

‘What? Another thing that wasn’t in the doujin… Hiroki knows someone from juvie?’ Yuuto thought.

“Who is it?” he asked.

“Well, her name is…”

Gyouma watched Yuuto from the side, curiously wondering about the call.

After about two more minutes, Yuuto hung up and walked back to Gyouma.

“I have to go confirm something for a few hours,” Yuuto stated. “It’s about something he said in the room.”

“Something you can share? If we’re going to cooperate, we need to be transparent with each other,” Gyouma said as Yuuto turned to leave the building.

“I need to visit a certain someone. That’ll be all for now. Considering you’re a mad scientist, I trust you know not to go near that bastard until I get back, right?” Yuuto said just before vanishing.

‘Ah, right… I have a date today,’ Yuuto thought as he stepped outside into the early noon sun, feeling its warmth on his skin. Remembering Saki, he dialed her number, knowing it was lunchtime.

‘I’ll just tell her something came up, and I can’t go anymore,’ he thought as she picked up.

“Y-Yuuto-kun? What’s up?” she murmured through the phone.

Upon hearing her voice, he hesitated. “Something came up, I have to go somewhere today,” he muttered reluctantly.

“I… I see… So… you can’t hang out today… That’s alright…” she murmured, her voice weak through the phone.

“….”

Yuuto mentally sighed. “Dumbass. Who said those words? I just have to go somewhere today. I never said you can’t come with. But it has to be now,” he replied confidently.

“N-now…? Are you asking me to ditch school, Yuuto-kun?” she asked, her voice slightly more cautious, as if trying to hide her mouth in a public environment.

“Yeah. Don’t worry about it. I’ll help you study for it later. I’m an A grader,” he replied.

“Oh… I know that. I’ve seen you on the scoreboard… I’ll… I’ll come with you, then,” she answered.

With a sigh, Yuuto set up a meeting spot, and the two took the train together.

“Where are we going?” she asked as Yuuto seated himself next to her.

“Lemon-Sauce Juvenile Classification Home. There’s someone I need to talk to. We’ll do something fun afterward.”

[Sorry for not uploading for a while, was going thru something.]

I am a mad scientist.

I came here to stop that bastard from misusing my creation.

The mad scientist thought as he approached Yuuto’s school, having followed his nemesis and his organization all the way from his lab in Germany.

On his head, he wore his newest invention, the TimeStop™ Resistor. With it, he could stay inside the “stopped time.”

In truth, the watch doesn’t really stop time. That would truly be a mad scientist’s creation. But it does something not any less frightening. Upon activation, it sends a powerful EMP pulse in a 200-meter radius, stopping all electronics. The truly remarkable feature, however, is that it also halts everyone’s perception.

A consciousness-stopping watch.

Everyone freezes in their places, still breathing and functioning, but blacked out for the duration of the clock’s activation. This allows the user to do as they wish with them.

Truly, a fearsome creation. And right now, that fearsome creation is in the hands of the bastard who murdered my entire team…

And there’s no one to stop him!

The mad scientist thought as he pulled out his pistol from its holster, looking at it.

I’ve never taken a life before… But I have to try this time.

I’ll probably die. This bastard was very strong even without the clock and annihilated everyone I knew. But right now, I’m the only one who can stop him!

And I have to. I have to be brave! This is a school full of students! I can’t let him use my creation in this manner…

For I am the mad scientist, Gyouma.

The only one who stands between the world’s innocent civilians and the evil organization FERN.

He giggled as he lost himself in his thoughts and imagination, standing at the entrance of the school.

His smile then turned melancholic as he looked at the gun.

“I… I’m really going to die, aren’t I?”

“Is this what imminent death feels like? How a reaper’s scythe pressing on my throat feels?”

“Is it because I decided I’d stop him or die trying?” He thought, his arm shaking.

“No… I’m a mad scientist..!!” He resolved, stopping his hand from shaking.

“I’ll madly think of how to stop him…!!” He thought as he looked ahead at the school.

Then he saw it. The effects of the TimeStop™ Watch being activated. The EMP field crossed the mad scientist, Gyouma.

Gyouma stayed in motion. His countermeasure creation seemed to work.

The school was now in the stopped time.

A minute passed. Two minutes passed.

Gyouma shook as he slowly entered the school grounds. He looked around; everyone was frozen in their place, their stares vacant.

He then held up his TimeStop™ Locator, carefully looking at it and listening to its beeping.

“The signal is getting stronger the more I climb… 3rd floor, is he?” Gyouma thought as he climbed the stairs, his gun at the ready.

He spotted a classroom with a recently opened door.

He was there. Gyarune and the TimeStop™ Watch.

Gyouma looked down, fear began claiming him once more.

“Be strong..!! All those children’s fate could rest on your shoulders…!! Man up…!” He thought as he shook, clenching his eyes shut. His head tilted down, the grip on his locator and pistol hardened and tightened.

———-

“Lokharin…” She whispered as she bled in the lab.

“Kayuri…!!” Gyouma called as he kneeled beside her, holding her hand.

“I believe in you…” She whispered with her final breath, the strength from her palm disappearing. The light in her eyes fading.

“No…! I’m…”

I always saw her as a nuisance. Just a citizen… She… She was just someone there to bask in my glory as the mad scientist… Just some aloof character who was too pure for this world of conspiracy and mind games.

“You’re just a normal civilian who didn’t deserve getting caught up in my struggles.” He continued as he cradled her pulse-less palm.

“But seriously, get up…” He whispered.

“If you’re not there, there’s no proof of my brilliance… There’s no proof of anything I ever do.”

“I’m nothing if you’re not there to see it,” He whispered.

————

She’s in intensive care right now. I frankly don’t know if she’s alive or dead. That’s all the more reason I should do this.

“That’s right. I’m Gyouma, The Mad Scientist..!”

He resolved himself as he opened his eyes, looking up to see Yuuto standing casually with Gyarune beaten to a bloody pulp hoisted on his shoulder.

“Care to repeat that..?” Yuuto asked, his face and body spotless.

YUUTO’S POV, 2 MINUTES EARLIER…

Yuuto clutched his chest. A sensation of anger still lingered. Hiroki wasn’t going to calm down.

‘Alright, fine. I guess we’ll have a lifetime to get along. We’ll take it slow,’ he thought…

…And then…

Silence.

Hiroki’s presence seemed to vanish entirely. His emotions seemed to halt.

An intense feeling of calm washed over Yuuto.

‘Oh goodness…. That feels good~… Haven’t felt this relaxed ever since I came here. He finally shuts up…’ Yuuto thought, then noticed a jarring silence around the classroom.

Everyone seemed to stop in their place. As if…

…Frozen in time.

Instinctively, Yuuto reached out his palm and placed it against the mouth of the student that sat behind him.

He could feel it. He was still breathing.

‘What is this?’ Yuuto thought as he carefully looked around, not moving from his seat.

Then he noticed the door to the classroom opening.

Intrigued, he pretended to also stop in place.

Gyarune waltzed in, confidently walking to the front of the classroom.

‘Oh? Blonde hair, tan… Male Gyaru this time? But with time-stop abilities?’ Yuuto wondered.

Gyarune spotted Yuuto. “So that’s the guy…? Looks like a bitch to me,” he said loudly as he casually strolled, scanning the girls.

“Damn, those chicks are fine…” Gyarune loudly called as he looked at the female students. He then kneeled next to one, lifting her chin up.

“Should I play around with you before I kill this bitch?” he said to her with a wicked smile on his face.

“AH-LOLICON!!-EHUM” Yuuto yelled while coughing.

“WAS ZUM TEUFEL!!? (What the fuck)” Gyarune called in perfect German, startled and jumping in place, landing on his butt.

He immediately rose up, scanning the classroom. Everyone seemed to be frozen, including Yuuto.

“It came from that bastard’s direction… He had a violent cough or some shit!?” Gyarune said out loud, while Yuuto struggled to not burst out laughing.

Gyarune carefully walked over to Yuuto, examining him closely.

“I guess that piece of junk doesn’t really stop time, so it makes sense someone would cough as a natural body instinct…?” he murmured as he ducked down to Yuuto, leaning on the table and examining him closely, a lecherous smile on his face.

“God knows I understand that, considering the wife I fucked earlier in front of her husband wet herself in the stopped time. Don’t worry. For this little stunt, I’ll do the same to your fami—”

SLAP.

Gyarune’s face contorted, his eyes widening in disbelief as his head slammed against the glass window from the force of Yuuto’s slap.

“Schiblurbhgg…!!” he blurted out, stumbling and falling to his knees awkwardly.

He immediately rose up, glaring at Yuuto. “DID YOU DO THAT!!? HUH?!!?” he yelled, his eyes burning with intensity.

Yuuto quickly returned to his frozen state, his arms back at the sides of the table, his stare vacant.

Confusion, awareness, and fear began stirring inside Gyarune.

‘Was it an instinct..!!?? Is he a trained martial artist or something, trained to hit when threatened!!!?’ Gyarune thought, his eyes locked on Yuuto.

“Nah, screw this. I’m gonna kill you right here!” Gyarune muttered, his hand reaching into his pocket to pull out a knife.

Just then, Yuuto kicked him in the nuts.

“Oooooooooooooooh…” Gyarune’s breath was taken out of him.

He kneeled in agony as he bent.

Seizing the moment, Yuuto grabbed Gyarune’s hair and slammed his face onto the desk as hard as he could, breaking his nose, all while still seated in his chair.

As blood began trickling down Gyarune’s face, Yuuto decided to take no chances, recalling Satoshi’s ordeal.

He slammed Gyarune’s head against the desk again, taking advantage of his dazed state.

And then again.

And again.

And again.

And again.

“Uhhhhhgggh…” Gyarune groaned, his entire face twisted and riddled with blood smeared all over his face, his eyes rolled back a bit.

Yuuto then walked behind him and got him into a chokehold, knocking him out.

‘Alright… You said some VERY suspicious things. I’ll take you for questioning,’ he thought, hoisting Gyarune onto his shoulder and walking out of the classroom.

Eventually, he met Gyouma.

[Gyouma is just Kyouma from Steins;Gate]

---

Steins;Gate is another anime 🙂

Hello, Hazy here. At the time I wrote this chapter, I was tipsy – mildly drunk. The result is… Well, this : )

Hope you enjoy!

---

‘Yes, I’m gonna meet him today…’

She thought.

But several students began plotting against her when they saw how happy she seemed to be nowadays and pushing away all the boys who did as they wanted with her body as much as they wanted with her body whenever, they, wanted, with, her, body…

They began to miss, you guessed it, her body.

It was then, that the man, Cheon Xina, a Chinese transfer student who is barely seen, ah right, he isn’t a man, he’s a teenager. He wanted.

Guess.

Guess what he wanted.

He wanted her body.

So, he took her aside without anyone knowing and was like: “Eymy girl, I still have those pics of you. You guessed it. PICS OF YOUR BODY. I will spread them like I spread Cheeeeeeeeesee~ on bread with a curvy knife if you don’t spread your body, now.”

“I mean, legs.” He corrected flatly.

Saki was taken aback, oh no, she is tempted and wants the sex because addiction to drugs and orgasm. She hadn’t had that in a while, and now her primal instincts seem to take over.

And even the least fuckable girl having sex or really any form of intimacy with anyone who isn’t the protagonist is BAD. Because we all self-insert and never felt the warmth of a woman’s touch. So, everyone feels frustrated and ANGRY seeing this.

But she remembers how Yuuto hates whores.

And she has a date—, uh, meeting, with Yuuto

Against all odds, and against her urges; she wanted to refuse more than she wanted to submit, this time. Yuuto’s strategy about delaying her pleasure seemed to bear fruit.

But ALAS! A problem! If she refuses Cheon Xuana’s request, Jong Queena will spread the cheese which is her footage of her bare BO-DI.

Her life; ruined. Yuuto will also see those photos!

Whatever some form of respect she had managed to get back in the past few weeks, will all. be. lost.

Cheon Sheng-Que was backed up by most of the boys who once had their way with Saki’s ****body**** , He practically had their blessings to blackmail her once more behind Yuuto’s back.

But then Saki used her head.

“Cool spread them, not my legs though. The footage,” She said with a smile.

Xongjun Chozuana was confused. Why didn’t she surrender?

“What!!? Your life will be ruined! We don’t want that, Saki. We don’t want everyone to look at you and see a whore with no friends.” He argued.

“I mean, I already have a stalker who knows everything about me,” She said with a warm smile and a shrug, freezing the teen in his place. “Even if everyone hates me, he’ll still reach his hand out for me… I know it.” She murmured, confident as she recalled Yuuto’s words.

“So, it doesn’t matter if you tell it to everyone. Besides, there are… Some things that are better than sex; I hope you can also find them someday for yourself and maybe the others,” She replied with a blush, recalling the touch of Yuuto’s hand; before turning around and walking away, barely able to hold her anticipation for her ‘date’.

‘I don’t care if everyone hate me. Or dislike me… I’ve… Finally found a true friend…!!’ She thought, hopeful.

Meanwhile, Zhāng Jūnlóng’ān Xīnlǐ Nà’ěrlì stood in disbelief. Since he is a stupid teen, he can’t understand the depth of Saki’s words.

So, he just messaged his group chat, “Now what bois… it don’t work on her.”

Rando1: “Don’t worry. I have a plan in mind…”

Rando2: “Yeah. Trust him. He is smart. we will all get her as our personal pet again.”

Rando3: “Muiahahahah”

Rando4: “muaghajahja”

Zhāng Jūnlóng’ān Léi Xīnlǐ Nà’ěr Míng’ài: “Huehueheuheuhue”

But what they didn’t realize is that the group chat was leaked.

Yuuto was hidden behind a corner. He is a stalker, not only is he a stalker, but he also doesn’t believe in showing respect to women.

Especially to women who need their privacy.

And then, he threatened Zhāng Jūnlóng’ān Léi Hào Xīnlǐ Nà’ěr Míng’ài Yǒng to leak the group chat to the principal and the LAW, shortly after Saki had left; by threatening he’d tear his scrotum, as he did to Darkshine in chapter early.

Yuuto had expertly used his reputation to instill fear into Zhāng Jūnlóng’ān Léi Hào Yǔ Xīnlǐ Nà’ěr Míng’ài Yǒng Huì to turn himself and his collaborators in. Effectively capturing all the students who did that to Saki.

More than half the classroom had been expelled the next day. How the FUCK can you mess up raising so many students this badly? Holy shit, the sheer incompetence of this school.

Anyway, back to the important plot…

Yuuto was alone but not really. He was sitting in a classroom full of students in the middle of a lesson.

‘I worked out off screen,’ he mused.

‘I got stronger too,’ he thought to no one in particular. But Hiroki was inside him, feeling angry and frustrated.

‘I just wish this annoying kid would stop it. Why is he so angry? Everyone he cares about is still there. Is he really so selfish that he won’t accept his happiness just because I wasn’t genuine once or twice, or thrice, or fourice, or fivce, or sixce; most definitely more?’

‘Well, I guess I somewhat crushed his view on how the world works. No door will open up to you if you play ‘nice’ the way you want. You have to actually be nice for doors to open. And I’m not nice, and neither are you, Hiroki. You just lie to yourself, masking your true intentions behind a veil of virtue, which only makes the people behind said doors slam them in your face. The sooner you realize that, the sooner you’ll lose that annoying temper of yours,’ Yuuto thought.

Yuuto clutched his chest. Still angry. Hiroki wouldn’t chill.

‘Alright, fine. I guess we’ll have a lifetime to get along. We’ll take it slow,’ he thought.

Meanwhile, a suspicious figure stood behind the door to his classroom.

‘Haa… So that’s the brat who did in ‘Satoshi’?’ he thought, his blonde hair and tan skin standing out, oh right, along with the TimeStop™ Watch.

‘Whatever. I’ll just do this… And finish it quickly,’ he thought, clicking the stopwatch.

[On a completely unrelated note: Huge thanks to Xeno, my trusted Discord mod for your suggestion that I should post this chapter sober (to a degree). unedited version was much muc much more unhinged, and would’ve probably been bad for the story.

My excuse: LONG, LONG, day at work. Needed to wind down.]

---

On a less fortunate note, the moment Xeno found out I was a guy, he stopped being active in the server xD. Not saying it was definitely because of that — just weird how it happened right after, haha.

Several days later, Saki’s reputation improved from constantly being seen with Yuuto, Nazuna, and Akito.

Oh, right, her father had been found dead. She and her mother were sad, but they eventually got over it.

Saki was a little shaken, seeing as her father died of a drug overdose. She assumed he might have felt some remorse and guilt for what he did to her.

At this point, Saki didn’t know about Hayato’s other ‘friends,’ so it was logical for her to think her father turned to drugs to feel better.

She was curious about how it must have felt, but lately, after spending time with her new group, she began to wonder how being with Hayato while spending time with her new group would make her feel. She found herself relentlessly trying to call Hayato.

He never told her where he lived; they only met at hotels and the like. So she could only call and pray that he would answer.

She couldn’t pass a single day without calling him at least two dozen times and sending him over thirty messages a day, which he did not reply to. No matter how much she dialed, it seemed his phone was in an area out of service.

Yet every day, the number of times she called and wondered where her precious boyfriend was seemed to dwindle, although very, very little.

Despite that,

She missed how he made her feel, and a gaping hole of emptiness opened inside her. She now had a lot more free time, a lot more unused energy, and nothing and no one to spend it on.

“Why doesn’t he answer me!?” she cried out loud, clicking his name in her phone book and dialing his number by instinct and muscle memory from the sheer number of times she did it.

She began masturbating more frequently, seeking to recapture even a fraction of the high she once felt so constantly.

Was she missing those days? She wondered. The days she was slandered behind her back, blackmailed by her classmates, and hated by her female peers.

Maybe it was worth it if it meant she could experience the pleasure she felt with Hayato again.

When she wasn’t calling him and after a school day, she sat on her bed, staring emptily at the floor, her palms enveloped in each other.

As more time passed, she began to see Yuuto’s palm, almost hallucinating it resting on hers.

It was when the emptiness and desperation had reached their peak.

She then picked up her phone and scrolled through her phone book until she reached: “Yuuto.”

‘I wonder if he wants to hold hands again,’ she mused to herself as she clicked his name.

“AHH! I did it by mistake..!!” she yelled, immediately turning off the call, her heart pounding with anxiety.

‘It’s already after school… We already hung out… Wouldn’t it be burdensome if I contacted him again?’ she wondered, feeling a sudden weakness in her upper back as she lay on her bed, holding her phone just above her head, looking at Yuuto’s name.

‘…It’s not as if he’s special, really…’ she thought, ‘Yes, he saved the school and saved me… But what else? He doesn’t really like me…’ she added, recalling them holding hands again and his love confession.

‘So why did he do that…!?’ Annoyed, she slammed her face against the pillow, recalling his cold behavior throughout their time at school and the time he turned down her hand.

He barely addressed her at school, even when they ate together. He was always accompanied by Nazuna and Akito.

…And Nazuna seemed to be infatuated with him.

‘…Maybe he’s having second thoughts…? No, he probably lied when he said he loved me, and now he likes Nazuna-senpai… I bet saying he loves me was just a lie to…’

To what? So far, he hadn’t really done anything to her.

So, what was the meaning of everything he had done?

Surely, if she called him now and asked to hold hands, he would refuse. After all, he never once suggested it again after that day he first came by to pick her up for lunch.

But then again…

…He was the only person she could ask that.

She began rocking her legs against the soft bed in frustration as she looked at the phone again.

Once more, riddled with the thought he simply lied, maybe for fun.

She gave an exasperated sigh as she laid the phone down again…

CLACK CLACK

The sound of rocks being thrown at her window.

She sprang up like a lightning-fast rocket and rushed to open the window almost violently, looking outside.

“Yuu—!!” she called out, only to realize no one was there.

More frustrated than ever, she picked up her phone and dialed Yuuto without hesitation.

Meanwhile, Yuuto was leaning against the wall just behind Saki’s house…

…looking at his phone as Saki dialed it.

‘Got ’em…’

He waited it out.

It stopped ringing.

Then it immediately rang again.

After 11 seconds, he picked up.

“Hello?” he said.

“Let’s… hold hands again… or hang out… I don’t know…” she murmured, her voice shaky.

“Oh? We hung out today, though,” Yuuto answered casually.

“Now… again… please,” she whispered.

‘It’s fairly simple, really, why I do this. When someone does something out of habit or addiction, like drugs, and then suddenly stops, they meet this void in their hearts. In this case, it’s really simple. Her void is pleasure. She was used to constantly feeling it all the time. And now that it’s not there, she’s desperate to feel it again, however little. That’s where I come in. I purposely delay the pleasure that comes from holding my hand or my godlike tender nature for as long as I can, so that when I finally do it, she will be overwhelmed and completely forget about her addiction.’

“Kind of busy. I’ll try and make time to meet you after school tomorrow,” Yuuto said flatly.

‘This works in my favor: Saki Yoshida is an extrovert. She finds her energy by being around other people and trying new things. Luckily, this girl is alien to mind games and courting. She never met someone who tried to seduce her, which makes her the perfect target for me. By giving her something else to focus on, which is yours truly, I can ensure she will completely recover from her addiction. Well, that and maybe a side dish of that therapist she’s seeing nowadays. That tasteless punk Hayato only drugged her and made her think she was hooked on him and not the pill.’

“That’s… that’s… really…?” she answered, her voice shaking as a great weight was lifted from her heart.

‘Usually… Hayato would always find time for me… But… why… why am I so happy…? It’s not as if we’re actually dating…’ she thought, relief washing over her.

“Yeah. Is it so hard to believe I agreed?” Yuuto asked.

‘I can still feel you, Hiroki, scratching at the back of my head. What’s the matter? Against my methods? Does this seem manipulative and not genuine to you? Well, here’s the deal: You can’t get anything done without strategy and planning. And I’ll say it again; it is thanks to your so-called honesty that I almost died more than once and fainted over four times. Thanks to your selfish and weak nature, you lost everyone in your life. I don’t blame you, though. You’re just a kid. I just don’t like you,’ Yuuto thought, feeling a surge of anger climbing up his chest.

‘But I made a promise. I won’t let you sway me ever again,’ Yuuto thought as he took a deep breath and exhaled, feeling the anger dissipate as he put his mouth away from the phone.

“N-no..!! It’s just… just that… you… you don’t like me, I think…” Saki mumbled as she walked back and forth in her room nervously.

Yuuto then smiled mischievously and triumphantly.

“I told you something else, I believe,” Yuuto replied.

“N-no, I know… it’s just… the… the way you act around me and all that…” Saki hastily countered, her voice trailing off near the end.

“…What way?”

“Just… do you really want to see me tomorrow?” she asked, her voice becoming softer as she gripped the phone with both her palms.

Yuuto took a few seconds, almost hearing Saki’s breath through the phone.

“I do,” he replied firmly. “I do want to see you tomorrow,” he emphasized.

Saki lightly gasped.

“See you then,” he added, hanging up.

Saki lay back on her bed, holding her phone close to her heart.

‘We’re… really meeting,’ she thought, her heart fluttering with excitement and relief, already considering what she should wear.

‘But… wait… we never decided where we’d meet!’ she realized, feeling a sudden anxiety in her heart.

‘Ahh… I’ll just ask him tomorrow,’ she thought with a sigh, though she couldn’t completely rid herself of the pesky anxiety in her heart.

‘Something else needs to happen for Saki Yoshida’s Anti-NTRing to succeed fully,’ Yuuto thought as he texted Saki back.

[You can just stop sending anything,]

he wrote after waking up.

The next day, he was on his way to school.

‘Her schoolmates need to stop treating her like a communal fleshlight. The easy path would be to kill them,’ Yuuto’s eyes momentarily narrowed as he shook his head.

‘But there are too many of them, and even girls at her school hate and bully her. I could inspire her mother to transfer her, but then I wouldn’t be able to watch over her or ensure she changes,’ he thought, approaching the building.

‘The only solution is to change how people treat her. But once someone’s reputation is as low as Saki’s, changing people’s perspective and earning respect is nearly impossible,’ he thought as he crossed the schoolyard. Heads turned en masse to see Yuuto in his school uniform with darkened hair.

“Hey… It’s Hiroki-kun…!”

“He’s back to school…!!”

“Hey, you sure the rumor’s right? He got us out of the hypnotist’s control all by himself…?”

“Yeah… My dad works in the police force; he confirmed it.”

“Holy shit…” Students whispered as Yuuto entered the building, ignoring them.

‘Well, that’s where I come in,’ Yuuto thought as a row of students bowed and greeted him as he entered.

“GOOD MORNING, ANIKI!!! WELCOME BACK TO SCHOOL!! THANK YOU VERY MUCH!!!” They chimed in unison, bowing. Some were second, and even third-years.

“Woah, look at these guys go…”

“Well, he did save us all… I think that guy earned some respect.”

“I know he’s a woman beater and all… But I’m totally head-over-heels for him!” a group of girls whispered as Yuuto passed by the row of bowing students.

‘There was no way they wouldn’t know what happened. With that footage spreading, and Hiroki’s sister and the delinquent group involved.’ he thought, entering his classroom.

The other students continued to whisper among themselves as he casually took his seat by the window.

His desk had never been cleaner.

“Yo… He actually faced an entire school all by himself…”

“I heard he killed the one who hypnotized everyone too.”

“Don’t be stupid! It’s probably a cop who did it!”

“Are you sure? A friend of mine said his dad’s a cop, and he told him that—”

The whispers continued endlessly, even as the teacher entered and started the class, his face slightly swollen with a bandage covering his nose.

‘Oh… That’s the teacher whose face I slammed on the floor,’ Yuuto recognized as the teacher looked at him.

“Oh, Morii-kun. Come up here,” the teacher warmly invited.

With a sigh, Yuuto got up and walked to the front of the classroom, where the teacher thanked him in front of all the students, who responded with thunderous applause.

He returned to his seat, and a few hours later, lunchtime arrived. Yuuto pulled out two boxes of bento and walked outside.

“Oh…? He’s not eating here?” a student called out, slightly frustrated as Yuuto exited the classroom.

“Of course not. You jerks bullied him, why would he want to stay here?” a girl exclaimed.

“Yeah, it’s YOUR fault Morii-sama doesn’t want to hang out with us!” her friend chimed in.

“SHUT UP! You were the one who spread rumors about him!” a male student interrupted.

“Yeah. At least when we bullied him, we did it directly to his FACE,” another added.

“Oh, like when you trashed his table before he came in? Wow, you’re so manly. You wouldn’t DARE do that if he was inside,” a girl argued.

“JUST SHUT UP!” they all bickered as Yuuto walked away from the classroom.

‘Either way, this new reputation works in my favor. Saki Yoshida’s reputation had sunk so low, almost nothing could salvage it…’ he thought as he walked into Saki’s classroom, seeing her seated quietly at her messy desk.

“Hey look, it’s Hiroki-kun…”

“What’s he doing here…?”

“The hero of the school came to visit us… Damn..!”

“You think he’s here to see me?” a girl said, hopeful.

“Yuu-… Hiroki-..kun?” Saki mumbled as she looked at him.

Yuuto stood tall and confident as he approached her.

‘My ridiculously overwhelmingly positive reputation is that ‘almost nothing’,’ Yuuto thought as he extended his arm to her, holding a plastic bag in the other.

“Wanna have some lunch with me?” he asked.

“Oh… To HER of all people?”

“He’s also after that whore?” The students’ eyes narrowed, while Saki’s eyes glistened at his proposal.

‘After seeing his text, I thought he was mad at me…’ Saki thought, relieved as she looked at his hand. ‘…I… I’ll actually get to hold his hand again…’ Her heart fluttered with anticipation as she recalled the warmth she had felt that night he went to visit her.

“But he said lunch,” a student argued.

“Dumbass. He wouldn’t say he wants to fuck her in public!”

“Oh, good point.”

Yuuto ignored their whispers.

“H-Hiroki-sama! Ignore that girl, she’s just an attention whore! Come eat with us!” a girl called out.

“Trust me, dude. She’s not worth it. We’re having a joint lunch; you should join us,” a male student suggested.

Saki hesitated, looking down shamefully as she averted her gaze from his hand.

‘Right… I’ll just complicate things for him. Everyone seems to really like him now. Being with me is just going to hurt him,’ she thought, glancing at his palm still extended toward her.

‘But… I really want to hold it…’ She shivered, feeling tears well up in her throat.

“My mom made two bentos. She made the other one especially for you. Are you going to turn her feelings away?” Yuuto asked, standing tall.

“Yo… His mom made food for the two of them…?”

“Holy shit… Are they dating, then?”

They whispered, some filled with terror. Saki looked up, her eyes glowing with hope as Yuuto kept his hand extended.

“I’m gonna lower it if you don’t take it,” Yuuto said with a sigh, slowly beginning to retract his hand.

Just as he fully retracted it, Saki instinctively reached out but missed, unable to grab it in time.

Yuuto pretended not to notice.

“So, are you coming?” he inquired again as he turned around.

Feeling frustrated she had missed her opportunity, she got up and began to follow him.

“Damn… They’re really eating together…”

“To pick her as your girlfriend… Was he desperate?”

‘Of course, there was the possibility that even my reputation wouldn’t help elevate hers all that much. Which is why I called in a favor beforehand,’ Yuuto thought as the classroom door burst open, with Nazuna cheerfully entering.

“Heeeeeey, you guys took too long! You coming?” she asked, draping her arms over Yuuto’s shoulders.

“HOLY SHIT… That’s Nazuna-senpai!”

“The strongest 3rd year there is… Why is she here…?!”

“She and Hiroki… Are also acquainted?!”

The murmurs grew louder as Akito walked into the classroom, hobbling on his crutches, with casts on his legs and neck.

“That’s KAMIYAMA-SENPAI… HIM TOO?!” The whispers intensified.

“I could no longer wait outside hearing y’all babble on. Yeah, we’re all eating together. Got a problem, HUUUH?!” Akito’s voice boomed throughout the classroom.

The room immediately went silent, students nervously looking away.

“Thought so. Now come on, we’re wasting break time…” he said, turning around on his crutches.

“Oh, but Aki-chan, you know I don’t care about making it to classes… Besides, we decided to ditch the rest of the school day~,” Nazuna said playfully.

“I wasn’t saying that for you or me… I was saying that for him—…” Akito said, cutting himself off as he glanced at Yuuto, blushing and looking away.

“Ohhhh!!!?!” Nazuna teased, pinching his cheeks from behind. “Aki-chan made a friend~~~!!”

In the background, Yuuto sighed while Saki placed her palm on her lips in surprise.

“JUST SHUT UP ALREADY… Let’s just go!” Akito said, pushing her hand off his face, and the group soon left the classroom.

As they walked down the hallways, Saki was too overwhelmed by the situation to say anything. For the first time, no one ogled at her or threw looks of jealousy her way.

Akito walked ahead, slightly apart from the group.

“Aki-chan… You know I was just teasing you, right? Or… Do you actually have some feelings for Yuuto-chan?” Nazuna teased again.

“Hey,” Akito’s voice cut through, his head slightly turned toward Yuuto.

“Hmm?” Yuuto hummed in response, looking at him.

“Thanks… For saving this monkey,” Akito said, his voice low and trailing off.

Nazuna smiled, a blush coloring her cheeks, then suddenly ran forward and stole one of Akito’s crutches, causing him to fall as she ran away.

“Oh my…!!!” Saki called out in worry as she watched Nazuna bolt forward with a giggle.

“HEY, YOU BASTARD!!!” Akito yelled.

“That’s for calling me a monkey, again, Aki-chan~!!!!” She yelled back as she ran away.

“We’re wasting lunchtime,” Yuuto exclaimed, his gaze melancholic as he looked at them all.

‘Still… This is a nice change of pace,’ he thought, haunted by the memory of those he’d killed.

———–ELSEWHERE——————–

Gyarune stepped over the bodies littering the laboratory floor, heading straight for the artifact on the counter. A lone scientist, trembling in the corner, watched in horror.

“Finally… Got this bitch,” Gyarune muttered with a wicked grin, seizing the pocket watch from the podium.

He turned to the terrified scientist.

“Hey, old man. Aren’t you glad? You’ll get to witness the fruits of your experiment firsthand!” Gyarune taunted, clicking the stopwatch.

The scientist’s eyes widened in disbelief as Gyarune vanished into thin air.

‘He… Left me alive?’ the scientist thought, shakily rising to his feet. He surveyed the trashed laboratory, strewn with the bodies of his colleagues and security guards.

‘He actually took it…!’

He clutched his face in terror.

‘The Time Stopping Clock…!’

---

[Very old message, still true though :)] Got a new discord link. this one doesn’t expire: https://discord.gg/zZPs8d2xBR