After seeing them off and closing the door behind me, I let out a deep sigh.
Some things happened today, but in the end, it was fun. Really fun.
I found myself wishing Sanae had been with us too. Maybe next time, just like she said.
Speaking of which, what's she up to right now? I guess I could just message her and find out.
[Me]: What are you doing, Sanae? Are you done with the packaging?
Her reply came almost instantly—right as I reached the living room.
[Sanae]: Yes, it was quite tiring, but we've finished the work. Right now, I'm helping my mother with lunch preparations. What about you, Hayato?
[Me]: I just saw Yuka and Misaki off at the door. I already finished lunch, too. Really, if you had been here, you should've tried Yuka's cooking—she's amazing at it.
There was a brief pause before Sanae's reply came in.
[Sanae]: It's really a shame that I couldn't make it this time. I really wanted to be there… Now I feel kind of sad. Won't you make it up to me?
I guess she was feeling left out.
[Me]: How can I do that?
[Sanae]: Go somewhere with me?
[Me]: Sounds fun. I'm in.
[Sanae]: Great! We can decide on a destination later.
I thought that was the end of our conversation, but after a short delay, another message popped up on my screen. And for some reason, it carried a weight I couldn't quite explain.
[Sanae]: Also… You seem to really like Yuka's cooking.
It was just text. Simple words. So why did I feel like there was something more behind them?
My fingers hesitated over the keyboard. Why was I thinking so hard about how to respond? Shouldn't this be something I could reply to casually?
Yet, a gut feeling told me I shouldn't take it lightly.
[Me]: Haha, how could anyone resist delicious food?
[Sanae]: Is that so? In that case… I want to cook something for you too. Would you like that?
That caught me off guard. Sanae, cooking?
[Me]: I'd love to! But… you can cook?
[Sanae]:Not much. Just a few things. So don't get your hopes up too high.
[Me]: That's fine. I'll still look forward to it.
And with that, our conversation ended.
That night, after the evening had settled into quiet, I messaged Sanae to discuss where we should go. I figured it was a good time to talk, but even after hours passed, I didn't receive a reply.
She must have been completely worn out from helping her mother and ended up falling asleep early.
Monday arrived, marking the final week for students to choose their desired club. I suppose it's time for me to take action.
Still, I can't believe it's already been nearly a month since I arrived in this world. So much has happened in such a short time that it feels like far more than just a month has passed.
I entered the classroom to find Yuka already there. We greeted each other as if nothing had happened yesterday in my bed. Honestly, that was for the best—it wouldn't do any good to dwell on things like that.
As I made my way to my seat, the girl from my dodgeball team hesitantly greeted me. She sat in the back of the middle row. I returned her greeting with a smile.
Come to think of it, I never asked for her name. If another chance arises, I'll make sure to ask.
Then came Misaki, later than usual, greeting both Yuka and me with her usual energy.
However, as the minutes ticked by and homeroom approached, Sanae was still nowhere to be seen. A growing sense of unease settled in my chest.
Then, as if to confirm my worst fears, the homeroom teacher entered the classroom with a dejected expression.
Please, God, no.
I silently prayed, clinging to the hope that my suspicions were wrong. But the moment he opened his mouth, speaking in a somber tone, that fragile hope shattered.
"Students, we have some unfortunate news."
My body went rigid. My hands trembled beneath my desk.
Don't say it. Please, don't say it.
But the next words sealed my dread.
"We have received a report that the student who transferred yesterday was found dead along with her mother. It was a murder case. The police are currently searching for the culprit."
The entire classroom fell into a heavy silence.
Then, all at once, three students shot to their feet—Hayato, Yuka, and Misaki.
"N-No way…" Yuka's voice trembled, disbelief etched across her face.
"S-She was just with us the other day…" Misaki stammered, her usual energy drained, replaced by a pale, shaken expression.
No matter how much they bickered, the three of them had been growing closer. Sanae had been part of their circle, however briefly. Of course, they would be shocked. Of course, they would be devastated.
But the worst among them was Hayato.
The weight in his chest was something different—something heavier, something colder.
Both Yuka and Misaki turned to him, knowing he would be the most devastated. However, what they saw was far worse than they had expected. His eyes were wide, his face pale and drenched in sweat. His breathing was uneven, ragged—as if he were struggling to even process what he had just heard.
"H-Hayato, calm down," Misaki said, reaching out, her voice laced with worry.
Yuka, on the other hand, was at a complete loss for words. She had no idea what to say, no idea how to comfort him. But looking at him like this—so shaken, so unlike himself—it pained her deeply.
Misaki is saying something, but her voice feels distant—muffled, as if I'm submerged underwater.
I can't focus.
Calm down. I need to calm down.
I can't afford to freeze like this. I don't know how long it's been since she died. Every second wasted is a second too late.
Yes. There's still a way.
I can just go back in time and save her.
Even if it won't erase the fact that she died once, even if those memories will remain with me…
That's fine.
I'll carry that burden alone. No one else has to know.
His mind settled—just enough for clarity to return. Slowly, he lifted his gaze, meeting the varied expressions of his classmates. Most were filled with concern, uncertainty, or shock. But among them, Yuka and Misaki's stood out the most.
Their eyes, clouded with worry, fixated on him.
He forced a smile, an attempt to reassure them.
"Don't worry," he said, his voice steady yet eerily hollow. "I will save her. We can all have fun together again."
But instead of easing their concerns, his words only deepened them. That smile—it wasn't reassuring. It was broken.
Before they could ask what I meant, I moved. With a swift motion, I threw open the window and leaped.
Screams erupted behind me. My classmates, shocked and horrified. But the loudest voices—Yuka and Misaki—calling my name, their panic slicing through the chaos.
For a brief moment, I glanced down mid-air. It's just the second floor, not high enough to kill me. At worst, I'd break multiple bones. But… what if I landed wrong?
What if I fell upside down? A snapped neck would surely do the job instantly, right?
(AN: I think I should really add the "suicidal protagonist" tag lol.)
I opened my eyes to find myself exactly where I expected to be.
But something was different.
Unlike the usual darkness that greets me, the space was now bathed in a deep, ominous red glow. Floating shards flickered erratically, each displaying the same unsettling message.
[Warning! You have used the "Authority of Time" a certain number of times despite being a mortal. The world is putting forth a small resistance as a form of penalty.]
Another shard pulsed, revealing the consequence of my actions.
[Penalty "Pain Sharing": You will die from the same amount of pain and suffering the "Heroine" experienced that caused their death.]
(AN: Imagine a heroine died after being r@ped💀, not that i will ever write that, it's just my dark humor.)
Because of the unnatural calmness this place grants me, I was able to analyze the warning objectively and distinguish three key things.
First, the true name of this mysterious power is "Authority of Time."
Second, this power wasn't meant to be wielded by a mortal. This led me to a chilling conclusion: some kind of "godly entity" was involved in all of this. But why? If this power was divine in nature, then how did I obtain it? If someone granted it to me, "what was their reason?" The list of questions I had—questions without immediate answers—only continued to grow.
And lastly, the third and perhaps most important detail: the penalty probably only applied to the "Auto Death" triggered when a main heroine died. In other words, it wouldn't affect me if I chose to harm myself.
Just like before with Misaki, I couldn't access all the shards. According to the world's system, Sanae's "importance level" was classified as "insignificant." That meant my options were severely limited, but i already have a perfect time in mind.
From my experiences wandering through this place, I had realized something crucial—I could exist here for about ten hours before my very existence began to fade. But ten hours wasn't enough. I needed to go back even further.
That was why I chose a shard, returned to life, and immediately killed myself again to reset the timer.
It was only a theory at first, but I was confident it would work. And after doing that, I finally reached the moment I had been aiming for.
For a brief moment, I considered going back just a little further—to erase what happened with Yuka in my bedroom. However, that was outside my time limit, meaning I'd have to die one more time to make it possible.
I sighed. 'Too much hassle.' I decided against it.
I came back to reality, my breath ragged as I instinctively clutched my neck. The phantom pain of breaking it twice in a row lingered.
The first time was when I jumped from the second floor.
The second was when I hanged myself in my room in the middle of the night.
Both deaths had been instant, so the full extent of the pain hadn't seared itself into my memory. In short, I was handling it better than the previous times.
I raised my gaze to the entrance of my house, relieved to see that I had arrived at the exact moment after Yuka and Misaki had left. I quickly pulled out my phone and typed out the same message I had sent earlier.
"What are you doing, Sanae? Are you done with the packaging?"
Just like before, her reply came almost instantly.
"Yes, it was quite exhausting, but we've finally wrapped everything up. Right now, I'm helping my mother prepare lunch. What about you, Hayato?"
I stood motionless at the entrance, my fingers tightening around my phone. The moment her response appeared on the screen, a wave of relief washed over me. The weight pressing on my chest eased slightly. The familiarity of her words anchored me back to reality, reassuring me that I had truly made it in time.
But this time, I didn't send the same reply as before. Instead, I let my heart speak for me.
"I want to see you."
A long silence followed. Too long. My grip on the phone tightened, unease creeping in. Had something unexpected happened? Did I make a mistake? But before my thoughts could spiral further, my phone buzzed with her response.
"Why?"
Isn't it obvious? If I hadn't possessed this power, I would have lost her forever. Her face, her smile, her presence—everything would have been erased from this world.
"Because I miss you."
The moment I sent those words, I realized just how much my emotions were weighing on me. That hall of return, with its eerie detachment, had numbed my feelings. But now, out in the real world, everything was rushing back at once—crashing over me like a relentless tide. I didn't know why I was saying these things, why I was letting my heart take the reins.
All I knew was that I meant every word.
"I'm happy that you miss me too. Do you want to come over? My mom wants to meet you, and… I also want to see you."
Despite the exhaustion weighing down my mind, a smile found its way to my lips. Unlike before, there was something different in her message—something lighter, more genuine. She sounded truly happy.
"Sure. Just send me your address, and I'll be there in no time."
Within a minute, a message from Sanae arrived, containing her new address. I slipped my phone back into my pocket, but the warmth in my expression faded in an instant.
My eyes turned sharp, cold—void of any of the emotions that had been there just moments ago.
I already had a good idea of who was behind Sanae's murder. And if my suspicions were correct… they wouldn't have a pleasant experience.
I quickly got myself ready, slipping into one of the new outfits I recently brought. A light-colored pant, a crisp white T-shirt layered beneath a plain, half-sleeve navy blue shirt. I paired it with clean white sneakers to complete the look.
This was one of the few fashionable outfits I had—bought during a shopping trip with Misaki after that unexpected date with Yuka, when I realized just how lacking my wardrobe was.
No matter what intentions lie beneath the surface, on the outside, I'm simply a friend visiting another friend's house on a weekend. So, it only makes sense to at least look presentable—to wear a smile, dress well, and play the part, bringing something on the way wouldn't be bad either.