Hello, everyone. As you can see, this is my very first fan fiction. I hope you enjoy this~

Disclaimer: I do not own Paprika. Paprika rightfully belongs to Satoshi Kon and his studio. I'm only a fan writing a fan fiction. I do not intend to promote Paprika.

The Reason Why

"Tokita."

"Yeah?" Tokita responded, rolling back his chair.

Chiba softly smiled, placing her cup of tea gently on the saucer. "Do you remember?"

"Remember what?"

The room was silent. The single source of light apparent within Tokita's computer seemed strangely resonating in the cold, dark-blue room. There were piles of Tokita's knickknacks sitting on his desk; numerous disks and remnants of failed experiments (some that were previous versions of the DC Mini, of course) lay everywhere. The wallpaper seemed to peel off a little, but everyone was so occupied to care. There were several posters of robots and images of G-rated cartoons pasted onto the walls. The pictures of Himuro and Tokita were still clipped onto the Christmas lights draped across each end of the room. Despite all this, no hints of awkwardness seemed to exist.

Chiba's face was white as a sheet as usual; but her warm smile seemed to melt the coldness inside her into spring. Tokita stared in bewilderment, eyes wide, yet waiting for her to speak.

"That time...in the elevator."

Tokita scratched his head in regret, wishing that he hadn't caused Chiba any grief-well, about how she had to stumble over, nearly crushed under his weight.

"Y-yeah, about that time, I sure learned my lesson! Ha ha."

Chiba's smile faded a little. She glanced at Tokita in slight disappointment, wishing that he had known about her dream. Her head and eyes sank simultaneously, darkened pitch-black by the dim atmosphere itself. Her pale, well-maintained hands reached for the cup, and slowly delivered it to her rouge lips. She sighed as she took a sip. Her smile returned a bit, in remorse. She sent the delivered cup back onto the saucer, and turned back to Tokita.

"You don't remember at all, do you?"

"H-Honestly, I don't know what you're talking about, At-Chan."

Chiba snickered a little, her head slightly turned at an angle, her smile widened with pure discretion.

"Such a child. That little head of yours is probably numbed beneath all that fat. You really should monitor your food consumption..."

Tokita, confused now, only laughed along, a sour rhythm playing along with his breath.

Chiba's head sunk once more in the darkness, pondering. She remembered the day when that dream happened-the repulsive doll clad in a crimson kimono and a pair of wooden sandals, Tokita consuming her physical body, being revived as a dream-like apparition, and pulling Tokita out of that building, and-

Chiba's smile disappeared. The room-the entire world seemed to get darker as she shut her eyelids. "Do you know the reason why I say those things?"

Tokita stared in fabricated interest, internally hoping for her to say something unrelated to punishment.

Chiba smiled once again, her ebony eyes gleaming slyly.

"It's because you're so open to everything. That's why you're so much fun."