The second Kurisu opened her eyes, she was holding her phone against her ear, but nobody was on the other side of the line. Then, she remembered. This happened, when you time leap. Kurisu was glad everything went as expected. Slowly, Kurisu let her hand drop down from her ear, so that it was loosely hanging down, the phone still in the call. "Who called?". Kurisu first now noticed that she was standing in front of May Queen Nyannyan's with her duffle bag, in which her cat maid clothes were, and Okabe right next to her, his hands in his pant pockets and a curious look on his face. Kurisu was so surprised and glad to see Okabe alive again that she couldn't answer for a few seconds. "U-uh... The-the person... Got the wrong number. Yeah", Kurisu stuttered and hastily tried stuffing her phone in her bag, dropping it in the process. "Here, let me help you", Okabe laughed and bent down, faster than Kurisu, to pick up her phone and gave it to her afterwards. "Thanks...", Kurisu uttered, still a bit stunned about suddenly seeing Okabe. Time leaping really messes with your mind. Kurisu sighed. "Are you okay?", Okabe now asked, seeming to have picked up on Kurisu acting weirdly. "What?", Kurisu exclaimed, perhaps a bit too suspicious and tried to calm herself. Her strategy was to follow along the two days, as originally planned, just that Kurisu wouldn't go grocery shopping with Okabe. That was it. Maybe she could somehow make Okabe live longer. So she had to act normally and not let the time leap confuse her too much. "O-oh. I'm fine", Kurisu answered and forced a smile. As Kurisu looked at Okabe's worried face, the image of Okabe's body lying limp on the ground because of Kurisu, flashed through her head and made her feel sick. But Kurisu had to toughen up. She decided, she wanted to save Okabe. So she had to endure it. "Let's go home", Kurisu spoke, swinging her duffle bag to her other arm, as it wasn't exactly light, and started walking ahead. "So how was work?", Okabe asked Kurisu with a small smile on his face. He had definetly picked up on Kurisu and probably had his guesses, as to why Kurisu suddenly acted so weirdly. "This time there were no perverts. At least only closeted ones", Kurisu joked, not really knowing what to say, since Okabe hadn't asked that before. Okabe chuckled and looked ahead again, still with that small smile. Kurisu was about to ask Okabe about how his day was, like she did the first time, but before she could, a little brown haired girl with twin braids ran towards them. It was Suzuha. Okabe's eyes widened at the sight of the little girl, probably remembering Suzuha die, and forcefully closed his eyes, unlike Kurisu who just gulped and then smiled at Suzuha. "What are you doing here", Kurisu asked while bending down, to be about the same height as Suzuha. Suzuha looked a bit sad and clearly worried, which also worried Kurisu. "Mummy sent me away. But I don't know why", Suzuha whined and had tears in her eyes. Kurisu's mouth formed an 'o', before she smiled at Suzuha again. "Then why don't you go to your Daddy", Kurisu suggested. Suzuha seemed to have sighed. "Alright", she uttered, before running off again. From what Kurisu knew from the older Suzuha, is that she is barely with Daru, but rather with Yuki, her mother. That's why she doesn't know who her father is and searches for him. Kurisu was always impressed at how time tied itself together, leaving no plot holes at all. Kurisu was not happy about that. Then Kurisu stood up again and reciprocated the smile that Okabe was giving her right now. "You really are good with kids", Okabe joked and started walking with Kurisu to the train station again.
The next day, Kurisu went to May Queen Nyannyan's for the early shift, just as she did before her time leap, even though Kurisu was extraordinarily tired, in comparison to before. She had barely slept, contemplating whether her plan would actually work. Everything hints to it not working, such as the example of Mayuri. Okabe had repeated time and time over again, just trying to save her, but in vain. Would Kurisu eventually also give up on Okabe? Kurisu shook her head, trying not to think about it. She was determined to save Okabe. She couldn't let him die. As Kurisu entered the building, she was greeted by the usual. "Kuu-nyan!", Faris exclaimed, a bright smile lining her face, while she hugged Kurisu. "Yeah, yeah. You can let go now", Kurisu laughed nervously and couldn't help but feel all the stares of the men in the Cafe. She was sure each and every one of them was thinking this was a Yuri breakthrough. Faris laughed and then removed herself from Kurisu, now a sly grin on her face. Kurisu was prepared of what was to come now. She knew exactly what Faris wanted, but if Kurisu would say anything now, Faris would become sceptical, if she isn't yet. Faris had this special talent, of seeing what is truly in one person's heart. "The ways of the world choose you, nya, to be my new apprentice", Faris started speaking in a loud voice. Then, she lifted her arms up, and did the pose Kurisu hadn't seen for over ten years. "It's the choice of Steins;Gate, nya!", Faris yelled throughout the room, that sly smile still plastered on her face. You could tell that Faris missed Okabe Rintaro a lot, but missed Hououin Kyoma even more. The way she said words, even showed a little hint of desperation that only the most observing people would notice, such as Kurisu. But still, Kurisu couldn't help but smile. It was a small, sad little smile that was more like a hope to see Okabe truly happy again, but that wouldn't happen. Kurisu knew that, yet she still hoped for it. That one day, Kurisu could wake up from this nightmare and see Hououin Kyoma again, even though she didn't truly like him, she wanted to see Okabe smile again. Smile wholeheartedly. But right now, Kurisu could just imagine that these last years hadn't happened. That SERN hadn't become a dictator of the whole world. That Mayuri was waiting at the old lab, with Okabe in his typical lab coat and chunnibyu act. That all, Kurisu could imagine in this building. The building that hadn't gotten changed or even touched by SERN and still seemed like the same old. That's why Kurisu worked here as one of the only staff members and that's why Kurisu wanted to protect this still happy seeming place, to where perverted otaku go to, to get served by cute cat maids. That's how Kurisu got through the day and momentarily forgot all her problems. "Come with me, nya", Faris said and started walking to the staff room of the Cafe, Kurisu following shortly after. After Kurisu entered the room, Faris shut the door behind her and locked it, probably to keep non staff out. And in that moment, Faris seemed like a different person. She seemed more serious and less moeh. "I need to talk to you", she spoke, her voice low and without any cat sounds. Faris was being serious. "We are having a bit of a crisis", Faris began explaining while pacing around the room. She was obviously nervous. "What's wrong?", Kurisu asked, feeling a bit forced, since she already knew the answer to her question. Faris gulped and turned to Kurisu, revealing her serious and a bit scared face. "We are barely making enough money to come around", Faris confessed, not being able to look Kurisu in the eye anymore. But Kurisu just smiled and took a step towards Faris. "Otaku culture sure has decreased over the years", Kurisu laughed bitterly and tried to attempted to reassure Faris like before. Though Kurisu already noticed the difference of Divergence, which could be a problem. "Maybe it's time to advertise a bit more", Kurisu suggested, trying to disregard the stomach pains she was getting while saying that. A few years after Mayuri's death, Ruka had started advertising for the Cafe. Faris had gotten so many more customers thanks to Ruka, but since Ruka died, the amount of customers went down drastically. That was about the time, when Okabe couldn't take it anymore and surrendered to SERN. The multiple deaths of his friends, just adding more air to the fire, his guilt. "You could try and look for a cute girl to start giving out fliers-". "I'm thinking of closing down the Cafe", Faris rudely interrupted Kurisu, feeling guilty afterwards though. Kurisu did not expect that at all. She somehow needed to convince Faris to keep on running the maid Cafe, for Kurisu's personal reasons and for Faris's mental health. "You could lower my pay", Kurisu suggested the first thing that come to mind. Faris stated at Kurisu wide eyed. How could she lower the pay of her only employee, just so that the Cafe wouldn't stop running. "It's okay. I don't even really need a third of the pay you give me", Kurisu added with a sweet smile, which Faris couldn't help reciprocate. Seconds later, Faris's arms were wrapped around Kurisu's neck, as Faris hugged her tightly. "Thank you, Kuu-nyan", Faris thanked her, after she stepped back a little and smiled brightly. Kurisu couldn't help but feel warm inside. "The pleasure is mine", Kurisu said and smiled. And in this short moment, Kurisu had forgotten all about the Convergence points of this world line.
After Kurisu had finished her morning shift, a bit involuntarily, she headed straight home to check on Okabe. If she hasn't drifted of the original world line too much, then he should be sleeping right now. But Kurisu wasn't so sure anymore, of she was that close to the original world line. She still wasn't sure if that was a good or bad thing. The fact that Faris almost gave up on May Queen Nyannyan's proves exactly just that. So Kurisu just hoped for the best. Once she entered the apartment, she noticed that a few things were different from when she came home, before the time leap. Unlike before, Kurisu didn't have to extra go out to get food for lunch, but it seemed like Okabe already went shopping and even cooked food, from the smell of it. The apartment was also tidied up. Did Okabe not go to sleep? That question answered itself, when Okabe casually walked into the living room and bedroom of the apartment and noticed Kurisu. "Oh. You're already home", Okabe stated, seeming very surprised. "I thought you had afternoon shift today?", Okabe asked while curiously walking over to Kurisu who now was frozen in place. I drifted so far off of the original world line... Kurisu couldn't answer, but just continued staring at Okabe with wide eyes. "Kurisu?", Okabe asked again, this time taking a step forwards so that he stood directly in front of Kurisu. Then Kurisu snapped out of her state of shock and closed her eyes for a few seconds, trying to process all that happened. What had changed the Divergence? Was it just the fact that Kurisu had memories from the future? Or was it, because she answered the phone, delaying the conversation Kurisu had with Okabe, no, even changing it? Could that little detail really change this much? That's when Kurisu remembered. The one D-Mail that decides whether Mayuri dies or Kurisu dies. It's the butterfly effect. "I decided to take an early shift today", Kurisu finally answered and forced another smile. Kurisu could tell that Okabe was sceptical about Kurisu's late answer and didn't hide it very well. "Even though you were exhausted?", Okabe questioned and narrowed his eyes in scepticism. Kurisu's eyes widened, as she heard Okabe's sentence. He was awake at that time? Why was he even awake? "And how do you know that?", Kurisu asked, now frowning and raising her eyebrows, while putting one hand on her hip as a challenging manner. The second Kurisu said that, Okabe's eyes wandered everywhere besides to Kurisu and Kurisu, noticing this, just kept on staring at him. "Gah! Fine, I was spying in you", Okabe confessed and crossed his arms, giving a sour expression. But Kurisu wasn't satisfied with that answer. She wanted to know exactly why Okabe decided on watching Kurisu. Perhaps that was the reason the world line diverged, though it doesn't explain Faris's sudden lack of motivation to continue running May Queen Nyannyan's. Kurisu knew for a fact that it should've played out differently. Faris shouldn't have interrupted Kurisu and just listened to her. But Faris did interrupt her. Plus, she seemed to miss Okabe a lot today. Then, it clicked. "You asked Faris what happened at the maid Cafe...", Kurisu uttered in disbelief while relaxing her hand again, letting it hang. By now, the duffle bag Kurisu had with her, already laid on the floor, along with Kurisu's jacket. Okabe nodded slightly. So little that if Kurisu hadn't known for sure that Okabe had called Faris that she would have missed it. In that moment, suddenly Okabe grabbed Kurisu by the shoulders and bent down so that his face was the height of Kurisu's, his facial expression serious and maybe a bit upset. "You time leaped, right?", he asked in a rather low voice. It was a simple question with only one answer, but for Kurisu it caused a dilemma. Her eyes widened in shock, as she couldn't form one single logical sentence. Kurisu could hardly just tell Okabe that she indeed time leaped from one day in the future to avoid his death which probably is Convergence, to a man who accepted this world line and all its Convergence points. But if Kurisu lied, it would be betraying the person who chose her over somebody else. But did she really have a choice? "What are you talking about", Kurisu hissed and pulled away from Okabe, leaving him standing awkwardly. That wasn't the smoothest of Kurisu's moves, especially since she took a while to respond, but it was the only thing she could think of in those little seconds she had time. Okabe's eyes narrowed as he continued to observe Kurisu, as she picked up her duffle bag and her khaki jacket off the floor. Kurisu was sure that she didn't quite convince Okabe that she didn't time leaped, but she in the time it took to pick up her dropped stuff, she could think of an excuse as to why she acted so weirdly. One that wasn't even really a lie. Kurisu turned back to Okabe, but not looking him in the eyes, as she rather looked right next to him and tried to hide the redness that was spreading across her face. "There just was this pervert that kept on touching my butt, whenever I served him!", Kurisu spat and crossed her arms as she was clearly upset. Because Kurisu was so scared that Okabe wouldn't believe her, she turned her back to him and scrunched her eyes closed, praying that Okabe would believe her. And shortly after, a heartwarming laugh filled the silent room, that ended awkwardly with Okabe chuckling. Kurisu turned around, now her whole face in crimson as she yelled, "What are you laughing at!", but just got a suppressed smile out of Okabe, instead of an answer. It seems like Okabe was trying really hard not to laugh. And that's when Kurisu's personality traits really began to shine. Moments later, Kurisu took a step forward and attempted knock Okabe over, by putting both of her hands on his chest and pushing with all the might her small body had. But that only made Okabe loose his balance and his self restrained, as he began laughing so genuinely that Kurisu couldn't even be mad at him anymore. Instead, Kurisu just smiled at the sight of Okabe clutching his stomach in pain of laughter.
