The next morning felt… wrong.
Too normal.
Too quiet.
As if the world had no idea something was breaking behind the scenes.
---
Haru sat at his desk, staring at the notebook filled with dates.
April 17 — she appeared.
April 20 — next appearance.
Three days.
---
Three days where she wouldn't exist.
---
"…Or wouldn't be visible," he muttered.
---
Sora glanced at him from the next seat.
"You've been staring at that thing all morning."
---
"…I'm thinking."
---
"That's dangerous."
---
He smirked slightly.
"Yeah. For me—or for reality."
---
She didn't laugh.
"…You're planning something, aren't you?"
---
Silence.
---
"…Haru."
---
He closed the notebook.
---
"…I'm going to test it."
---
The Theory
After school, they returned to the rooftop.
The wind carried cherry blossom petals across the empty sky.
No Yuki.
Just absence.
---
Haru leaned against the fence.
"…She said she exists in my unused days."
---
Sora crossed her arms.
"We already know that."
---
"No," he said.
His eyes sharpened.
---
"We don't know what counts as 'unused.'"
---
Silence.
---
"…Explain."
---
Haru took a breath.
---
"What if it's not about time passing…"
---
He looked at his hands.
---
"…but how I use it?"
---
Sora frowned.
"…You mean like—being productive?"
---
"Not exactly."
---
He shook his head.
---
"…What if it's about whether my time has meaning?"
---
The Dangerous Idea
Sora's expression changed.
Slowly.
---
"…Haru."
---
He met her eyes.
---
"I'm going to waste tomorrow."
---
---
"No."
---
Her answer was instant.
Sharp.
---
"Absolutely not."
---
The Plan
He looked away.
"…Just one day."
---
"No."
---
"If I'm right—"
---
"NO."
---
She stepped forward.
Grabbing his arm.
---
"You're talking about throwing away your future just to test a theory!"
---
"It's not throwing it away—"
---
"It IS."
---
Her voice trembled.
---
"You said she's running out because you're moving forward."
---
Silence.
---
"…So what are you going to do?"
---
Her grip tightened.
---
"Go backwards?"
---
The Truth He Can't Ignore
Haru didn't answer immediately.
---
"…If I don't understand the rules…"
---
His voice dropped.
---
"…I can't save her."
---
Sora froze.
---
"And if I do nothing—"
---
He looked at the empty sky.
---
"…she disappears anyway."
---
Silence fell between them.
Heavy.
Unfair.
---
Sora slowly let go.
---
"…You're serious."
---
"…Yeah."
---
The Experiment
The next day—
Haru did nothing.
---
He skipped school.
Ignored messages.
Stayed in his room.
---
No studying.
No reading.
No thinking about the future.
---
He lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling.
---
Hours passed.
---
"…This feels worse than I thought," he muttered.
---
It wasn't relaxing.
It wasn't peaceful.
---
It felt… empty.
---
Like time was slipping through his fingers.
---
And for the first time—
He understood what "wasting a day" really meant.
---
A Presence That Shouldn't Be There
Evening came.
---
The sky turned orange.
Then gold.
Then—
---
"…Haru."
---
He froze.
---
Slowly—
He sat up.
---
"…No way."
---
She wasn't supposed to appear today.
---
But standing by his window—
---
Was Yuki.
---
More faint than before.
But undeniably there.
---
"You really did it," she said softly.
---
His heart pounded.
"…You're here."
---
She smiled faintly.
"…Just barely."
---
Proof of the Rule
Haru stood up quickly.
---
"This proves it."
---
Sora's voice echoed in his mind.
You're going backwards.
---
"…No," he whispered.
---
"I'm learning."
---
The Cost Reveals Itself
Yuki took a step forward—
Then stumbled.
---
"…Yuki?!"
---
He rushed to her side.
But his hand passed slightly through hers.
---
Her form flickered.
---
"…It's unstable," she whispered.
---
"…What is?"
---
"…This day."
---
She looked at him.
Sad.
Gentle.
---
"You forced it."
---
The Hidden Consequence
Haru's chest tightened.
"…That's bad?"
---
She nodded.
---
"When you waste a day… I can appear."
---
She looked down at her hands.
Fading.
---
"But it's not a real existence."
---
Her voice trembled slightly.
---
"It hurts."
---
Silence.
---
"…What?"
---
The Pain of Borrowed Time
She smiled weakly.
---
"…It feels like I'm breaking apart."
---
Haru froze.
---
"…Why didn't you tell me?"
---
"Because you would still do it," she replied.
---
He had no answer.
---
A Line He Shouldn't Cross
Yuki stepped back slightly.
---
"…Haru."
---
"…Yeah?"
---
"Don't do this again."
---
Her voice was soft—
But firm.
---
"This isn't the kind of tomorrow you promised me."
---
His hands clenched.
---
"…Then what am I supposed to do?"
---
She looked at him.
Eyes filled with something fragile.
---
"…Live properly."
---
"…And let me disappear?"
---
Silence.
---
She didn't answer.
---
The Breaking Point
Her form flickered again.
More violently this time.
---
"…Time's up," she whispered.
---
"No—wait—"
---
"I'll see you on the next real day."
---
Her smile returned.
Faint.
But warm.
---
"Three days from now."
---
And then—
---
She vanished.
---
Aftermath
Haru stood alone in his room.
---
The silence returned.
---
But this time—
It felt heavier.
---
"…I hurt her."
---
The realization hit harder than anything before.
---
Not just losing her.
---
But causing her pain.
---
A New Rule
The next day, Haru returned to school.
Sora was waiting.
Arms crossed.
Clearly angry.
---
"You did it, didn't you?"
---
"…Yeah."
---
"…And?"
---
He looked at her.
Quiet.
Serious.
---
"…It worked."
---
Her expression darkened.
"…But?"
---
"…It hurts her."
---
Silence.
---
Sora exhaled slowly.
---
"…Of course it does."
---
The Path Forward
Haru clenched his fists.
---
"…I won't do it again."
---
Sora raised an eyebrow.
"…Really?"
---
He nodded.
---
"If I'm going to save her…"
---
His eyes steadied.
---
"…it won't be by destroying myself."
---
Sora watched him for a moment.
Then—
---
"…Good."
---
She turned away slightly.
---
"Because if you kept doing that…"
---
Her voice softened.
---
"I'd stop you."
---
Haru smiled faintly.
"…I know."
---
The Countdown Continues
April 20.
Three days.
---
Haru looked at the sky.
---
"…Next time."
---
His voice was quiet—
But filled with resolve.
---
"I'll do it the right way."
---
Because now he understood—
---
Not all miracles should be forced.
---
End of Chapter 15
---
Chapter 16: Someone else notices the anomaly 👀