"To crush you completely—to bury you so deep that you'll never rise again to hurt Airi…"
Yuuta smiled coldly.
Saya trembled. "B-But Yuuta… how can you be like this…?"
Yuuta's eyes narrowed. "Don't pretend you're different, Saya. Every human has something they want most in this world. And for that one thing—for that greed—they become monsters."
He took a step forward, his voice like steel.
"For some, it's money. For others, it's fame. And for people like you… it's attention. That's why you went out of your way to make Airi suffer."
Saya clenched her jaw.
"But for me…" Yuuta's tone darkened. "For me, that one thing... is Airi."
His eyes glinted with wrath. "And it's not enough just to stop you. After you… Takamura is next. I'll make you both pay for what you did. In this world—
…and in mine."
Saya blinked. "Your world? Mine? What are you talking about?"
Suddenly, her phone buzzed. A message flashed across the screen.
She stared at it—froze for a second—then smiled.
Yuuta frowned. "What's that smile for?"
Saya looked up, her expression twisted in hate. "You did so much to protect her… but you never understood. You knew I hated her, Yuuta… but you never knew how much."
Yuuta exhaled sharply. "If you try anything again, I'll expose everything. I'll use Yuzuki—make her reveal all your schemes to the school."
Saya laughed—an unhinged, eerie sound.
"Hahaha… Aaaah, Yuuta. You really think you can stop me? If I'm going down—then Airi's going with me. I'll break her so completely that her own friends will be the ones to kill her."
Yuuta froze. "W-What did you say…?"
Saya's eyes shimmered with madness.
"It's already started. You better run, Yuuta. She'll be dead… any second now."
Without a word, Yuuta clenched his fists and bolted from the classroom.
Behind him, Saya slumped to the floor, whispering:
"You chose wrong, Yuuta. You should've chosen me.
Now… Airi will die because of your mistake."
---
Yuuta running, thoughts spinning
"Saya… she actually went this far…?"
"She said Airi will die by her friends' hands… No, wait—that whisper… The one I heard when rumors about Airi changed Hikari's mind… That was… another me?"
"Damn it—I should've realized it earlier!"
He crashed into Class 1-B. "Huff… huff… Renji! Where's Airi!?"
"Huh? What's wrong?" Renji blinked. "She's with Hikari. On the rooftop."
Yuuta's heart sank. "No…"
Without another word, he sprinted.
---
On the Rooftop
Airi looked around, puzzled. "Eh…? Why are the railings on the rooftop so broken? It's… dangerous if someone falls."
Hikari stepped closer. "Ah… sorry. I forgot to tell the teachers."
"So, what did you want to talk about—Hik—?"
Airi's eyes widened.
Hikari pushed her.
Her mouth opened in shock—but no sound came out.
She was falling—falling backward—toward the broken edge—
—and then—
---
Yuuta bursts onto the rooftop
"Huff—!"
He stopped.
Hikari was on her knees, trembling, tears pouring down her face.
"I… I didn't mean to… I didn't want to… I'm sorry… Airi… I'm sorry…"
Yuuta's chest caved in.
"No…"
It was happening again.
"The memory… the vision I saw… It's the same…"
"I'm too late again…"
He stumbled toward the edge—eyes wide, breath gone.
Below… a figure lay in a pool of red.
Airi.
Her body broken, blood soaking her clothes, unmoving.
Yuuta's legs gave out.
"Why…?" he whispered. "Why… after everything I did…?"
Tears streamed down his cheeks.
"I should've known… I should've stopped it…!"
"What do I do now…?"
Suddenly—
A dark fog coiled around him.
The rooftop faded.
The ground twisted—
—and skeletons appeared. Piles of them. Mangled, chained, some with heads torn off.
Whispers surrounded him.
"Do you know whose skeletons these are, Yuuta?"
Yuuta shook, gasping. "No… I don't—"
"They're all Airi."
"All the ways she died in different timelines."
His eyes widened in horror.
He dropped to his knees.
"I'm sorry… I'm so sorry… I couldn't save you… It's all my fault…"
"Don't worry."
"Let's start again."
---
The Rewind
Yuuta blinked.
The fog cleared.
He was… somewhere else.
Kids were sitting at desks. A teacher stood at the front.
"What… is this…?" Yuuta muttered, eyes darting around.
"A dream? A memory?"
The teacher smiled. "So, students! Let's welcome our new transfer student… Yuuta Kanzaki."
Yuuta stood up in shock.
"What—?! I'm back…? I'm a kid!?"
"This is… middle school…?"
"Why am I here… again…?"
---
Bonus Story: Kaito Kanzaki, the Overprotective Brother
Meet Kaito Kanzaki:
Student council president
Taekwondo champion
Genius in all subjects
And… secretly a massive brother-con.
He doesn't show it often, but he loves Yuuta way too much.
---
A Freezing Winter Morning
"Mom! I'm heading out!" Yuuta shouted.
"No!" His mom panicked. "You can't go outside!"
"Huh? Why not?!"
"You'll DIE! It's too cold!" she wailed.
Yuuta sighed. "Mom, I'll wear a scarf—nothing's gonna happen!"
"I SAID NO!" she cried, clutching him. "You'll catch a cold and DIEEEE!"
"Stop it already!"
Suddenly, Kaito entered. "What's with the noise?"
"Your brother's trying to leave!" their mom sniffled.
Kaito blinked. "That's it? Seriously?"
"See?" Yuuta grinned. "Even Kaito agrees—"
Kaito but if he go outside he will get cold and die mom says in tears
Kaito turned serious.
"You're not going out, Yuuta."
"What!?"
Before Yuuta could react, Kaito grabbed him and pushed him into his room.
Together, Mom and Kaito locked the door.
"He's safe now," Kaito said, nodding.
Yuuta banged on the door. "WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU TWO!?"
Outside the room, Mom and Kaito smiled.
Inside, Yuuta slumped in defeat.
"If the world keeps changing…
Why are they always the same…?"
---
End of Chapter.
Next time:
Can Yuuta change fate from childhood?
Will Airi survive in this new timeline?
And will Kaito and Mom let him ever leave the house again?
Add to library and leave a power stone if you like my story