Chapter 48: "Repairing Time (The Truth of 365 Days and the Beginning of the Celebration)"
Here is a quiet residential area a little away from the city center. In a corner of a modest town where the bustle in front of the station doesn't reach‚ that old apartment building stood.
Built fifty years ago‚ seven stories tall. The exterior walls were faded in places‚ and the rusted iron handrails bore the marks of long years. Still‚ the residents greeted each other warmly with "Good morning" every day‚ and seasonal flowers bloomed continuously in the small flowerbed at the entrance. It was such an ordinary‚ warmth-filled apartment building.
In front of the building was a narrow alley just wide enough for one car to pass. Across from it was a park where neighborhood children gathered. The slide‚ though faded‚ had been carefully repainted. The swing wet with morning dew. Even though the sky was closed off in heavy leaden gray‚ only the green of the rain-washed trees shone with breathtaking vividness.
For seven days straight‚ the rain had been falling relentlessly.
Because it was the rainy season. The TV news and the car radio weather forecasts all said so with a laugh. Not a single person doubted even slightly that this was 'the beginning of the end of the world.'
Monday after the holiday. 7 a.m.
In one room on the third floor of the apartment‚ the aroma of freshly roasted coffee and nicely toasted bread slowly spread through the cozy dining area. The father‚ spreading out the newspaper‚ brought the steaming mug to his lips. The mother in her apron was efficiently putting the washed dishes into the drainer while peeking into the toaster's glass window.
"Mitsuba‚ the bread's burning."
"I'm already done eating."
Mitsuba‚ in her school uniform‚ carried her empty plate to the sink. On her back was not a randoseru but the middle school designated shoulder bag. Today was Monday‚ so there was school. Mitsuba looked up at the wall clock and furrowed her brows in dissatisfaction.
"…Mom."
"Hm?"
"Is big sister still sleeping?"
"Looks like it."
The mother smiled wryly with a troubled look. "That girl stays up all night on her days off without any limit."
"At this rate‚ she'll be late?"
"True…"
The mother let out a small sigh and wiped her wet hands. "Please‚ Mitsuba. Can you go wake her up?"
"Ehhh~…"
Mitsuba made an obviously reluctant face. "Big sister doesn't wake up at all once she falls asleep."
It was at that moment. A dry sound of folding the newspaper‚ *rustle*‚ echoed. The father stood up.
"Ah‚ well then‚ I'm off to work."
"Ah!"
Mitsuba pointed at his back. "He's running away!"
"No‚ no."
The father headed toward the entrance with a wry smile‚ as if fleeing. "Dad will get scolded if he's late too."
"Unfair!"
"Dear!"
The mother called out to his suited back with a laugh. "Don't forget your umbrella‚ okay?"
"Yeah."
*Clack.* The heavy metal door opened. At that instant‚ the violent sound of rain dominating the outside poured into the room all at once.
*Shaaa… Shaaa…*
It was an overwhelming rain‚ as if the very bottom of the sky had broken. The father frowned slightly and looked up at the ominous gray sky.
"…It's really pouring."
"It really is."
The mother also gazed outside the window past the threshold. "I wonder how long it will continue."
At that time‚ from the old radio placed in the corner of the kitchen‚ the calm voice of a news caster began to flow.
'――Due to the record-breaking heavy rain‚ the largest in observed history‚ which has continued for seven days‚ landslides and river flooding are occurring one after another in various areas.'
'This rainfall is expected to continue for some time. Please refrain from non-essential outings and maintain maximum vigilance――'
"How unpleasant."
The mother shrugged her slender shoulders. "I really want clear skies soon."
"Well‚ it'll stop eventually."
The father picked up a cheap vinyl umbrella. "It's the rainy season‚ after all." He said so and smiled gently as usual.
No one. Really‚ no one. Dreamed that this rain would eventually dissolve all the land and sink the world to the bottom of the end.
"See you later."
"Take care!"
*Bang.* The heavy metal door closed. Once again‚ the quietness of daily life returned to the warmth-filled space.
The mother glanced at the wall clock and gasped.
"Mitsuba!"
"Yes‚ yes."
"Hurry and wake up your big sister!"
"Got it~"
Mitsuba walked down the short hallway with slightly puffed cheeks‚ *pata pata*. She knocked lightly‚ *kon kon*.
"Big sister~?"
No answer.
"I'm coming in~"
*Clack*‚ she opened the wooden door. The blackout curtains remained tightly closed. In the dim private room‚ Nagisa was curled up in the comforter‚ sleeping with a face as happy as if she had obtained everything in the world.
"Nfuu…"
Her sloppy mouth loosened sloppily.
"Already… I can't eat the extra-large parfait anymore…"
Mitsuba involuntarily put her hand to her forehead and looked up at the ceiling.
(She's having a food dream again…)
It had always been like that. Happy dreams‚ fun dreams. In the world her big sister spun‚ extravagant calorie-laden feasts always appeared.
"Big sister."
She shook the curled shoulder firmly from on top of the comforter. "It's morning."
"…………"
"If you don't wake up‚ the extra-large breakfast will be gone?"
"…………"
Not a twitch. Complete sleep mode. Mitsuba let out a small sigh.
"Seriously‚ can't be helped."
Then‚ she raised the corners of her mouth a little mischievously.
"Then‚ maybe I'll eat big sister's extra-large parfait all by myself."
It was at that moment.
"THAT'S A NOOOーーー!!"
*Whoosh!!* The comforter flew vigorously into the air. Nagisa sprang up from the bed like a spring-loaded doll. Her fluffy blue hair was messy from bedhead. Her eyes were only half open. Yet.
"I won't hand over my parfait to anyoneeee!!"
She shouted at full voltage while hugging the pillow tightly with both arms.
For a moment‚ the air in the private room fell completely silent.
And then.
"Ahahahaha!"
Mitsuba finally couldn't hold it in and burst out laughing. "Big sister‚ you're the best!"
Still half-asleep‚ Nagisa tilted her head blankly.
"…Eh? My extra-large parfait…? Where…?"
From beyond the door‚ the mother's lively laughter could be heard.
"Fufu‚ looks like she's up. Breakfast is ready‚ so come down to the living room quickly~!"
"Yeees!"
On the bed‚ Nagisa stretched her back big and comfortably. "Breakfast…" She bloomed with a full-faced smile as usual‚ looking happy.
Outside the window‚ the rain signaling the end of the world continued to fall coldly today as well.
No one knew. That this boring‚ utterly ordinary morning would one day become a miraculously precious memory (log) that they would desperately wish to "return to."
And――. Gradually after that. Our world headed toward definitive deletion (delete) and came to an end.
Morning had arrived.
Soft light shone into the multicolored resin walls‚ dyeing the inside of the closed cocoon in pale rainbow colors. Outside the dome‚ the relentless winter wind was still stroking the bottomless sea of mud. However‚ the sound of that cold wind was no longer the footsteps of terror announcing death.
In this small sanctuary created by the four of them‚ the magnetic engine continued to send gentle joule heat today as well‚ nurturing a 'morning body temperature' gentle enough and more for humans to live. The world remained destroyed. Even so‚ only this place had once again surely obtained waking time to live humanly.
"Good moooorning!"
I vigorously tossed aside the fabric that served as a blanket and jumped up as the first one today. The hem of my oversized white T-shirt fluttered energetically like a flag of joy‚ *pata pata*. The coordinates I should head to first were already decided.
"Good morning!"
At the center of the misshapen table. I brought my face close to the modest bulge of earth that everyone had repaired with their body heat yesterday.
"Did you sleep a lot today too?"
There was no reply. Of course I knew. There was no way a sprout would emerge from the seed in the soil in just one night. Even so.
"Sleep a lot and grow into an extra-large deluxe!"
While gently protecting the sensation-less marshmallow left arm‚ I vigorously waved my only free right hand toward the soil. "Let's do our best together today too!"
"No matter how much you talk to it every morning‚ the growth rate parameters won't change."
A familiar exasperated voice flew from behind.
"Muu!"
I turned around. Rin-chan‚ getting up while carelessly scratching her bedhead black hair‚ stood with her arms crossed in a displeased manner‚ still in the white T-shirt that didn't quite fit her size.
"Plants need morning greetings too!" "They don't." "They do!" "They don't." "They absolutely do!" "Stupid Nagisa." "Ehehe~!"
It was peaceful from the morning again today.
On the transport sled watching that heartwarming exchange‚ Momiji-chan shook her slender shoulders with a giggle.
"Fufu… You're full of energy again today‚ Nagisa-chan."
"Of course!"
I puffed out my chest proudly. "For these children to grow up full of energy‚ my cheering power (buff) is necessary!"
"That illogical theory does not exist in my rulebook."
Rin-chan immediately shot it down. "It does!" "It doesn't." "It does!" "It doesn't." "Mooo!"
Today as well‚ the four small laughter voices rolled pleasantly against the multicolored inner walls.
Eventually‚ in the corner of the room‚ Haru-kun closed his waterproof notebook with a *patan* and stood up.
"Good morning‚ everyone."
"Morning~!" "Good morning." "Good morning."
The four morning greetings softly reflected off the marble-patterned resin walls. Just that made the resolution of the whole world feel like it had been overwritten a little brighter.
The breakfast menu was the same as always. What was distributed to the four of us was inorganic‚ hard compressed biscuits. Yesterday‚ the day before‚ the day before that‚ and today too――just fuel (cost) to maintain life.
I took a bite of the dry block and closed both eyes tightly with a serious expression.
"…………"
Rin-chan narrowed her slender brows as if sensing something bad. "Now what is it."
I slowly opened my eyes.
"Today‚ you know‚" *munch munch*. "It was shortcake flavor!"
"Huh?"
"The human brain‚ you see!"
I kicked the floorboard vigorously and stood up. "Can supplement taste data with imagination!" I thrust my only free right hand high toward the sky. "In other words! If I perfectly emulate an extra-large shortcake in my mind!"
I took another bite of the dry block.
"See!" *munch munch munch*. "The bright red strawberries‚ the rich fresh cream‚ the fluffy sponge‚ I can feel them all so realistically!"
"What you're feeling is only your brain's internal system."
Rin-chan returned an instant reply at absolute zero.
"Ehhhhh!?" "That's some serious escapism." "It's not!" "Stupid Nagisa." "Ehehe~!"
"But‚"
Momiji-chan shook her sunset-like red hair and smiled faintly. "If you can eat it so enjoyably‚ that might be a wonderful talent for gently overwriting the world."
"Right~!"
Seeing me puff out my chest triumphantly‚ Rin-chan let out a deep sigh. "…Momiji‚ don't spoil the idiot."
Gentle laughter warmly filled the air of the closed cocoon today as well.
Around that time. A little away from our laughing circle‚ by the window‚ only Haru-kun remained motionless with his waterproof notebook still open. The tip of the pencil he held had stopped completely. His gray eyes were staring at the sea of mud spreading beyond the resin wall.
There were no waves today either. Only the cold winter wind flowed inorganicly.
He dropped his gaze back to the notebook on his lap once more.
Yesterday. The day before. And today. Observation data‚ atmospheric pressure‚ humidity‚ temperature‚ wind direction‚ cloud cover‚ precipitation probability. He lined them all up on a blank timeline and compared (scanned) them.
"…No mistake."
He muttered in a small‚ hoarse voice. He looked outside the window again. Gray sky. Overwhelming silence stretching endlessly. The experience points he had accumulated while crossing death lines as an observer rewrote themselves into terrifying conviction deep in his chest.
This was not just the calm before a storm. Nor was the system simply shifting into temporary sleep mode. Something more fundamental. More decisive. Was being completely deleted (delete) from the code of the world itself.
He slowly exhaled a heavy breath and took one more step closer to the window.
It wasn't falling. The 'tongue of deletion (strong acid rain)' that had so persistently scraped us‚ dissolved the land‚ and tried to eliminate us as unnecessary data hadn't dropped even a single drop for many days now.
One day could be a coincidental bug. Even two days could still be within expectations. However.
Three days. Four days. And today.
"…Is the world's regeneration (patch) beginning…?"
Haru-kun muttered quietly. He turned the page of the waterproof notebook. Countless formulas filled the page.
『Day 5』『Day 6』『Day 7』
Precipitation observation‚ humidity trends‚ atmospheric pressure changes‚ wind direction‚ cloud cover‚ deletion system occurrence predictions. Or――the transition in height of old rocks (land) that should have sunk‚ visible far out at sea. All of them were absolute survival calculation formulas he had accumulated thousands and tens of thousands of times as an observer.
The pencil moved. *Scratch scratch*. He wrote another line of numbers. Erased it. Rewrote it. Erased it again.
"…Wrong."
Once more. "Wrong." He rewrote the formula. Changed the calculation model. Corrected the observation error.
――『The sea level is dropping…!』
Even so. No matter how many times he recalculated‚ the probability of whether we could continue surviving from now on absolutely did not change.
"Haru-kuuun!"
An innocent voice struck his eardrums from behind. "The biscuit became pudding flavor today too~!"
"It didn't." Rin-chan answered instantly. "It did!" "It didn't." "It did!" "Stupid Nagisa." "Ehehe~!"
Momiji-chan narrowed her eyes lovingly again.
It was peaceful. Far too peaceful.
Haru-kun quietly turned around. The figures of the three precious people laughing from the bottom of their hearts. In the center of the junk table was the modest bulge of earth. No sprout had emerged yet. Even so‚ perhaps because I spoke to it every morning‚ that spot alone looked faintly warmer than yesterday.
He strongly wished to protect this scenery. This irreplaceable thing. That was why presenting uncertain hope‚ only for it to be rewritten into the worst despair again――his logic as an observer absolutely would not allow it.
"…Haru-kun?"
Momiji-chan tilted her porcelain neck curiously. "What's wrong?"
Drawn by that voice clear like a water droplet‚ the gazes of the three naturally gathered on him.
"Eh?" I also tilted my head‚ swaying my fluffy blue hair. "Haru-kun‚ are you doing extra-large difficult calculations again?"
There was no response.
Rin-chan quietly stood up from her spot. Her black eyes pierced straight through Haru-kun's profile. The moment she caught his tense expression‚ her slender brows twitched slightly.
"…Did some error get detected?"
It was a sharp remark befitting the main engine.
Haru-kun did not answer. Instead‚ while hugging the waxed waterproof notebook tightly to his chest‚ he looked once more at the outside world beyond the resin wall.
"There must… be one somewhere…"
Unsettling power gradually filled the fingertips gripping the pencil. The notebook paper trembled slightly as if reflecting his inner conflict.
In his brain‚ the thousands and tens of thousands of vast observation data accumulated while crossing death lines were being reconstructed at an incredible clock speed. All of it converged into a single cruel 'hypothesis.' And the answer derived from that hypothesis was the conclusion that he himself‚ as an observer‚ wanted to believe the least in this world system.
Haru-kun slowly closed the notebook.
*Patan.*
The small sound echoed in the silent dome. That dry sound was like the cold funeral bell announcing that the long‚ long observation of the world he had continued recording had finally reached 'one ending.'
"…I‚"
Haru-kun muttered in a fading voice while looking down.
"Have been searching all this time…"
Both fists gripping the waterproof notebook on his lap were trembling faintly.
"For the possibility that this world system would return to a survival route."
His gray eyes were shaking violently with pain.
"If the tongue of deletion (rain) stopped. If the core system recovered somewhere and this surface could… come back to life one more time."
It was a quiet confession. It was not a log of a cold observer‚ but the earnest prayer of a teenage boy who had lived through the sea of despair mud.
"That simulation itself is correct as data. In fact‚ the sea level has definitely begun to drop."
He shook his head weakly‚ self-mockingly.
"However… the world's initialization process will require an overwhelmingly vast number of clocks until complete restoration. With the life support time (time limit) and reserves (resources) left for us‚ we absolutely cannot catch up…"
The dome's air sank heavily as if frozen. Rin-chan‚ with her arms through the sleeves of her white T-shirt‚ said nothing. I‚ too‚ could not even spin words due to the suffocating feeling.
Only. Momiji-chan on the transport sled quietly shook her head.
"…No."
Her voice was soft like spring sunlight melting the frozen winter snow.
"It's not that it didn't make it in time‚ Haru-kun."
She slowly raised her upper body and stood up on the floorboard with her feet. The exoskeleton (splint) she wore made a gentle driving sound‚ "…kyuu." She slowly walked forward. While gently swaying the hem of her matching white clothes‚ she approached and stood beside Haru-kun by the window.
And‚ just like him‚ she gazed at the inorganic water surface spreading beyond the resin wall.
"Today‚"
It was a clear‚ water-droplet-like resonance.
"The world really 'ended' once."
The winter wind blew through. The gray mud swayed coldly. There was no pulse of life anywhere. No residual heat of civilization anywhere. No humans anywhere. The lifespan (timeout) of the Earth as a system had completely run out.
"But you know‚"
Momiji-chan smiled bashfully. It was an endlessly kind smile that only those who truly knew deletion (delete) could show.
"What ended was the world 'alone'."
Haru-kun slowly raised his face as if flicked.
"…Eh."
Momiji-chan turned around. The eyes harboring sunset-like light were not looking at the dead outside world‚ but straight at the coordinates of this small 'home' protected by the multicolored marble pattern.
The misshapen table. The modest bulge of earth with no sprout yet. The magnetic engine continuing to emit heat. The oversized white clothes everyone was wearing together. And――the three most precious companions in this world system.
"I understand it."
Static electricity coil‚ power storage cells‚ porous water purifier‚ buoyancy control balance‚ outer wall durability rate‚ remaining reserves‚ pure water that could be produced. She had scanned all of it as the last observer‚ the last mechanic‚ the last resident.
"That's why I know."
She gently placed her slender hand on her white chest.
"Our home‚"
At those words‚ the gazes of us three gathered on her all at once as if drawn in.
"Even if the world ends‚"
Momiji-chan smiled a little proudly.
"We can still‚"
One beat. A gentle‚ endlessly clear interval of silence.
"Live for three hundred and sixty-five days."
Another beat.
"We can."
That decisive number fell quietly like ripples into the center of the room. No one could process that log immediately.
"…One year."
Rin-chan muttered in a dumbfounded voice.
"That's right."
Momiji-chan nodded deeply. "The service life of the magnetic engine‚ the degradation rate of the power storage cells‚ the limit value of the dome outer wall‚ the maximum clock of the water purifier. …Even combining all those variables‚"
A quiet‚ calm-like smile.
"We can definitely live here for another three hundred and sixty-five days."
Haru-kun stared at her‚ even forgetting to blink.
"…In one year‚ the world's initialization patch will only progress a very small amount. It is logically impossible to raise our survival probability."
"Yeah."
"The world. Has completely died‚ Momiji-san."
"Yeah."
Momiji-chan nodded casually. "That's exactly why."
That smile was gentler and more nobly calm than any timeline we had ever encountered.
"We‚"
"Will outlive the world system that has died out."
…….
It was at that moment. No one could utter the next words. However‚ only the density of the air filling the closed cocoon had clearly changed.
Outlive. The world. Longer.
It was not a 'remaining life (cost)' just to wait for deletion (delete). It was not a 'log of despair' defeated by the cruel system. It was――a declaration of living out our own time as humanly as possible‚ overtaking the lifespan (timeout) of the world itself.
It was far too. Far too kind and proud a victory declaration (hacking).
Haru-kun's gray eyes slowly‚ yet violently‚ shook.
"…Only one year."
He muttered quietly while gripping the waxed notebook tightly. Momiji-chan softly blocked the lingering despair like a spring breeze.
"That's not it‚ Haru-kun."
A smile like the finest sunlight.
"We have one year 'as well'."
With just that single character rewrite‚ the meaning of the cruel time that had bound us until now was surely and completely repaired (repaired).
No one could immediately reply.
Winter morning light gently shone into the small dome through the multicolored resin walls. Haru-kun remained unable to move from his spot‚ still hugging the waxed notebook to his chest.
One year. Three hundred and sixty-five days.
Looking at just the array of numbers as an observer‚ it was by no means a long clock. From a human lifetime it was merely a fragment‚ and from the history of this planet‚ it was not even a blink of an eye.
"One year‚ only…"
Toward the lingering despair that unintentionally spilled from his mouth.
"Wrong."
A short‚ knife-sharp voice overlapped. It was Rin-chan who spoke. She had her arms through the sleeves of the slightly ill-fitting white T-shirt and wore her usual bold smile on her lips.
"One year 'as well'."
Her jet-black eyes slowly gazed at the sea of mud outside the window.
"Think about it‚ Haru."
It was a powerful‚ sharpened voice. "The old world system is dead. The core code that tried to exclude us has stopped. The unreasonable god has disappeared‚ and complete deletion (delete) from above will never fall again."
She muttered one by one as if confirming her own logic (rules). And――the corners of her mouth lifted slightly in triumph.
"…In other words‚"
Rin-chan snorted. "All the constraints (debuffs) that bound us have completely crashed as of this very moment."
Haru-kun raised his face as if flicked.
"Rin…-chan?"
"The world system has ended."
She awkwardly shrugged her slender shoulders. "If so‚ the timeline from now on is one hundred percent――"
She puffed out her white chest a little proudly.
"A complete free domain ruled by my physical laws (rules)."
At that declaration‚ I blinked my eyes in surprise.
"…Ah."
"No one‚"
Rin-chan spun the words with conviction. "Will ever command us again what to eat today‚ where to flee‚ or when to shut down (dead)."
The low driving sound of the static electricity coil resonated faintly as if backing up her words.
"We decide everything. We will construct all the logic (rules) of this floating home ourselves."
Those words were a powerful 'freedom' declaration befitting the clumsy mechanic who had loved machines and formulas through any hardship.
"…Freedom."
Haru-kun muttered in a cracked voice.
"That's right."
Rin-chan nodded deeply. "Precisely because the world system has ended. We have finally obtained true freedom."
It was that moment of taut silence.
"――Nfuu!"
A familiar laugh burst quietly into the silent dome.
"Ah."
Rin-chan immediately frowned as if detecting the worst error. "Stupid Nagisa."
"Nfufufufu…"
I could no longer stop my shoulders from shaking. "Ehehe…"
"Hey‚ stop that ominous laugh."
"Pff‚ ahahahaha!"
And then.
"Yaaayyyyyyyy!!"
I thrust my only free right hand high into the sky. The hem of my baggy white clothes swayed largely like a victory flag in sync with the joyful action.
"Extra-large deluxe great victoryyyy!!"
A limit-breaking cheer echoed throughout the dome.
"Eh?"
Haru-kun froze with his eyes wide open in daze.
"World System-san!"
I spread my right hand toward the modest bulge of earth on the misshapen table. "We completely beat youuu!!"
"…………Huh?"
Even Rin-chan stopped moving and froze.
"We will live one year longer than World System-san!"
I swung my right arm around and hopped up and down on the floorboard. "Amazing! We're the strongest! It's our team (one entity)'s complete victoryyy!"
"Hey‚ wait you idiot."
Rin-chan pressed her white forehead as if enduring a headache. "…Why does my coolest logic turn into that when it passes through your brain?"
"Because!"
I turned the biggest full-faced smile of the day toward everyone. "World System-san‚"
I pointed with my right hand at the inorganic sea of mud spreading outside the window. "Went to sleep (shutdown) first‚ right?"
"…Well‚ logically that interpretation is not wrong."
"But!"
This time I strongly pointed at our own chests wrapped in the matching white fabric. "We are still operating so full of energy!"
"In other words!"
I puffed out my white chest proudly with an *ehhen*. "It's our complete victoryyy!"
"What is it a victory over‚ idiot." "Against the world!" "There is no log of such a match." "There is!" "There isn't." "There absolutely is!" "Stupid Nagisa." "Ehehe~!"
We laughed. Laughed. Laughed together again‚ raising our voices.
That endlessly bright laughter beautifully blew away the heavy despair that had covered the closed cocoon just a few minutes earlier‚ like the first spring wind.
Even Momiji-chan on the transport sled finally couldn't hold it in and put her hand to her slender lips.
"Fufu… ahaha."
While making the exoskeleton (splint) on her chest creak gently with a "…kyuu‚" she shook her shoulders.
"That's right‚ Nagisa-chan."
She floated a sunlight-like smile and gazed at the silent outside world. "We… didn't lose to the world system."
That decisive statement unraveled the cold formulas frozen deep in Haru-kun's chest with a warm sound.
One year. Three hundred and sixty-five days.
It was not a cruel countdown heading toward shutdown (dead). It was a timeline full of exceptional provisions (blessings) to outlive the world. It was the extra-large deluxe final bonus time left just for the four of us.
The true value of that time began to be repaired (repaired) humanly in the depths of his heart with a definite heartbeat.
That night.
The cocoon protected by the multicolored resin walls was wrapped in the usual warm and gentle light. The low driving sound of the magnetic engine. The regular small water sounds from the porous water purifier. The air circulating slowly‚ carrying spring. Outside the dome‚ the relentless winter wind continued to stroke the sea of mud. But inside‚ only the lingering echoes of the daytime laughter still remained gently.
"Nfufu…"
Slipping into the dry fabric sleeping bag‚ I loosened my sloppy cheeks happily again today. "We… beat the world system…"
Whether it was sleep talking or still in a doze‚ it was a leisurely tone as if she herself didn't know.
"We didn't have a match."
Rin-chan immediately threw in a retort from the other side of the darkness.
"We won…" "We didn't." "We won extra-large deluxe…" "Stupid Nagisa." "Ehehe~…"
Just like that‚ the replies cut off comfortably. A few seconds later‚ only peaceful and modest sleeping breaths‚ *suu suu*‚ melted into the darkness.
"She's asleep."
Rin-chan awkwardly shrugged her slender shoulders in the dimness. "As always‚ only her thinking (clock) switching is the world's fastest single-celled organism."
"Fufu…"
From atop the transport sled‚ Momiji-chan laughed quietly. "That's exactly why Nagisa-chan is amazing."
"?"
"She doesn't doubt for even a second that the timeline called tomorrow will come."
At those words‚ Rin-chan slowly closed her mouth. Eventually‚ she let out a small‚ long breath.
"…Well."
As if hiding her embarrassment‚ she snorted brusquely. "I don't hate that groundless survival logic (rule)."
Toward that too-clumsy true feeling‚ Momiji-chan smiled softly again.
A little away by the window. Only Haru-kun was quietly awake. He straightened the hem of his matching oversized white T-shirt and placed the waxed waterproof notebook on his lap.
This day was one of the longest and most strange days in his life (log). The day the world completely ended. And――the day he learned he would outlive the world.
He slowly turned the cover of the notebook.
*Flip.*
Going back through pages that recorded many layers of history. Day 1. Day 2. Day 3. Day 4. Day 5. The pages piled up. What was engraved there was required water volume‚ food remaining‚ survival probability‚ environmental debuffs‚ rainfall predictions‚ shutdown risks. Observation‚ calculation‚ scanning. All of it was cold survival data accumulated solely "to head toward the end."
And――today.
He opened a new blank page. He put the tip of the pencil to it. But he couldn't write no matter what. His fingertips stopped there.
"…………"
It was a long‚ luxurious silence.
Eventually. He softened his gray eyes and smiled quietly.
If it were the logic (rules) as before‚ he would have naturally written this today as well.
『Remaining: 365 days』
Yes. As a cruel time limit heading toward our own shutdown (dead).
But it was different now. That decisive number was not the terror of a countdown‚ nor a bug leading to the end. It was a promised 'future (asset)' obtained by the four of us.
Haru-kun slowly looked at the page he had been using until yesterday. There was the line graph of survival predictions he had updated countless times. He gripped the pencil once more with strength.
And then.
*Scratch――* He drew one line. Then another‚ carefully overlapping a horizontal line. So that he would never again be bound by cruel probabilities. So that he would not be pulled back to past death lines. A resolute double line (delete) was drawn through the survival observation logs accumulated until now.
It was a quiet ritual of farewell to his past self who had lived as an observer of despair.
He closed the previous records (archive). He opened a new blank page where nothing was yet defined.
*Scratch.*
The dry pen tip slid across the white paper that seemed to suck it in.
『Day 1』
There‚ the tip of the pencil stopped once. Haru-kun lifted his face slightly.
At the center of the misshapen table. The modest bulge of earth with no sprout yet. Around it‚ the beloved three sleeping as if they had completely forgotten that the world system had ended.
I was loosening my cheeks happily as if munching on a parfait in my dream. Rin-chan was breathing healthy sleeping breaths with her arms awkwardly crossed. Momiji-chan had a peaceful sleeping face like sunlight filtering through spring trees.
Gazing at the texture of that beloved family‚ Haru-kun smiled a little shyly‚ yet with heartfelt warmth.
And. Below the once-written 'Day 1' characters‚ without hesitation‚ he carved new history with certain pen pressure.
『――The 365-day festival.』
*Scratch.* Finally‚ one more line as if breathing soul into it.
『Today is the first day of living longer than the world.』
He finished writing.
Haru-kun gently put down the pencil. Deep in his chest‚ the cold chains that had bound his calculation domain for a long‚ long time unraveled and melted with a sound. There was no longer any need to calculate survival rates out of fear for the future. To welcome that future‚ he just needed to love today with all his might as a human.
It was then.
"Guuuuhhhhhhh……!!"
Into the silent cocoon rang out an inappropriately huge and energetic black hole alarm.
"…………"
Haru-kun turned around dumbfounded. Inside the dry fabric sleeping bag‚ I was pressing my stomach while rubbing my sleepy eyes half-open and sitting up.
"Haru-kuuun…"
"Yes?"
"I'm hungry…"
"You ate the rationed biscuits before sleeping‚ didn't you?"
"The festival timeline… consumes a ton of calories‚ huh…"
"I don't understand the statistical logic at all."
"Ehehe~…"
*Thud.* Just like that‚ I fell back down following gravity and fell asleep again. A few seconds later.
"Nfuu… Hacking into the giant shortcake kingdom…"
Only the happy‚ sloppy sleep talk melted into the darkness again with a regular rhythm.
Involuntarily. Haru-kun couldn't hold it in and burst out laughing.
"Fuu… ahahaha."
Quietly‚ really quietly. But for the first time since arriving at this bottomless sea of mud‚ he raised his voice and laughed with his own emotions.
Drawn by that warm laughter‚ from the darkness where it was unclear if they were awake or asleep‚ Rin-chan and Momiji-chan also let out smiles they couldn't quite hide.
Beyond the multicolored resin walls‚ the four definite body temperatures slowly spread‚ drawing a marble pattern.
The world system had completely ended. The frozen surface that would never update a new sunrise again.
However. Only inside this small floating home‚ everything was different.
The proud main engine (engine) continued to light the residual heat of life for living humanly. The beloved laughter of the four echoed gently. And――a completely new clock hand‚ not dominated by anyone's command (rule)‚ now quietly began to move.
It was not the cruel final year (countdown) of a world heading toward destruction.
It was the 'first day of the festival (Day 1)' that the four had won together‚ wrapping their body heat in matching white fabric.
（End of Chapter 48 『Time Repair (The Truth of 365 Days and the Beginning of the Festival)』）
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