Makise Kurisu sat on the couch inside the small apartment of Okabe Rintarou and Hashida Itaru. She and Okabe had been sharing a box of hot ramen while Hashida worked on solving the mysterious IBN 5100. Somehow he'd fallen asleep, and Okabe had seemingly failed to notice. He was babbling on and on about the "secrets" and the "organization", in which Kurisu understood little about. He must be crazy, for sure, she thought to herself for the twentieth time that day. Still, there was something about him that kept her coming back, and she couldn't really explain it. For one, she didn't want to go back to her empty hotel room, she wouldn't cope with the solitude. It was better in here. And she knew, despite the fact that Okabe was absolutely nuts, he cared for her, something he showed in tiny ways, probably thinking she wouldn't notice. But she did. She noticed how he hurriedly cooked for her the last meal in the flat, offered her one of the bananas meant for experiments, and let her stay until long after curfew. She stared at him now, talking about things that didn't make sense. It must be his eyes, she thought. Or the hint of stubbles on his chin, or maybe even the fact that he is as thin as a stick. Suddenly he opened his mouth wide, and she immediately knew. His laughter. It was his terrible, deranged way of laughing to himself that made her insides stir a little, and she felt like smiling herself, but restrained from doing so. "You are so quiet, Christina! Something bothering you?" he asked accusingly. "There's no -tina!" she yelled, knowing he'd ignore her, but she secretly found this continuos fight between them amusing, because it gave her at least something to say to him. The truth was, most of the time she didn't seem to have any words for this strange man she was so sadly attracted to. "There's nothing wrong," she said after a moment of silence. "I guess I'm just tired, that's all." Okabe got up from his chair and looked down on her. "I will go and buy us something to drink." He held her thumb up to her and then vanished down the stairs. Kurisu lay down on the sofa, and looked up at the roof. What was she even doing? She was going back to America soon, why would she go and fall in love with some weirdo? No, this wasn't love. Just physical attraction, a petty crush. She closed her eyes and smiled to herself. Just something to pass the time with.
When she opened her eyes, the room was dark, the lights had been turned off. There was a blanket on top of her, which she quietly removed as she sat up. Okabe sat on the chair across the table, but his head was slightly hanging back and his eyes were closed. He was breathing heavily. Okabe Rintarou. Why do I have to call you Hououin Kyouma? I don't want him, I want to know the face behind the mask. She shuddered as the remembered his reaction when she had said his real name. Better do as he says. She stood and walked over to the sleeping guy in front of her. In the darkness she studied his face up close, and noticed how he had a zit near his hair line, and dark circles under his eyes. She bent over him, and carefully placed her lips on top of his. A short, soft kiss, and when she ended it she kept her face only millimetres from his. "Thanks for the meal, Rintarou," she said before she left the flat.