The next morning arrived with a breeze that felt... off.
Kentarō sat at his usual desk in class, head resting on one hand, the other scribbling half-hearted notes on a printout. Around him, the classroom buzzed with the sleepy energy of college life.
But something kept itching in his brain.
Sarah.
She hadn't shown up at all since their strange rooftop evening. No calls. No messages. Not that she had a phone anyway.
"Oi, you alive?"Yūto poked his arm. "You've been out of it since yesterday. What, did the goddess from Heaven break your heart already?"
Kentarō smirked faintly. "She didn't even say goodbye."
"Bro, maybe she was a dream. Or you're finally going mad from lack of sleep and love."
Before Kentarō could respond, the door creaked open.
In walked Professor Hoshikawa, his coat trailing behind him like a cloak from some old magic anime. He dropped his books on the table with a dramatic thud.
"Today," he announced, "we talk about the theory of temporal divergence."
Kentarō's head shot up.
As the professor spoke, Kentarō couldn't focus. The words felt too familiar, too targeted.
"Imagine two apples," Hoshikawa said, holding up props from a bag.
"Same color. Same weight. Same DNA.But one was picked in World Line 136.And one in 137.They're identical—yet come from entirely different timelines."
He placed them on the desk.
The room chuckled, assuming this was just another one of Hoshikawa's weird science tricks.
But Kentarō... froze.
He recognized the mark on one apple. A small brown patch shaped like a heart—he remembered buying that exact apple for Sarah yesterday.
His breath hitched.
"Is this a coincidence…?"
📚 After Class – University Courtyard
Kentarō met up with Reika Minazuki, who'd texted him asking for help with notes.
"You okay?" she asked gently, brushing a loose strand of hair from her face.
"I'm just… confused about something."
"Let me guess," she teased. "That silver-haired mystery girl?"
He chuckled softly. "Yeah."
Reika's expression changed. "Kentarō… if she's messing with your head, maybe stay away. You don't deserve to be strung along."
He looked at her, surprised by the concern in her voice.
"I'm not sure what's happening," he admitted. "But something isn't right."
They sat silently for a moment. Reika looked like she wanted to say more—but instead, she stood up and walked away, quietly disappointed.
🏪 Evening – SakuraMart (Part-Time Job)
Kentarō stocked drinks behind the counter, his thoughts still a mess. The store bell jingled. He looked up.
Sarah.
Wearing a hoodie this time, hair tied up awkwardly, trying to look "normal."
"You… vanished," he said flatly.
"I was resting," she replied. "Shifting timelines takes a toll."
He stared. "You expect me to believe you were timeline-hopping while I was freaking out wondering if you were even real?"
Sarah stepped forward, placing two apples on the counter. The same kind as before.
"Let's test something," she whispered.
She handed him a pocket mirror.
Kentarō looked in.
The apples weren't the same.
One reflected as green. One reflected as red. But in real life—they were identical.
She leaned in. "Only people drifting between timelines can perceive the shift."
"Why me?" he asked again, voice quiet.
She smiled sadly. "Because you died trying to protect me—again. In Timeline 136."
He felt a sudden wave of nausea. The mirror slipped from his hand and shattered on the counter.
Just then, Daichi Kuroda, the old high school bully, walked into the store with two friends, laughing loudly. He paused.
"Well well. Minami. Still working part-time like a loser, huh?"
Sarah looked at him blankly. "This one's an anomaly."
"What did you say?" Daichi stepped closer, cracking his knuckles.
But Kentarō stood up, face firm. "Not today, Kuroda."
Sarah's voice was ice. "Touch him, and this timeline will end sooner than you expect."
Daichi, spooked by her intense stare, muttered a curse and walked away.
Kentarō exhaled. "You scare people, you know that?"
She smirked. "Only the ones not supposed to be here."
🌙 That Night – Kentarō's Apartment
As Kentarō brushed his teeth, the cracked mirror from the store kept replaying in his head.
Two apples.Two timelines.Two versions of one life.
The doorbell rang.
He opened it.
No one was there.
Just a note, taped to the wall.
"You're being watched.The Watcher moves in shadows.The wrong choices will cost her everything—again.-Mira"
Kentarō stared at the note, heart pounding.
The game had begun.