I... Hate the sun...!

As Kurisu lay in bed, she couldn't continue sleeping, because the sun was shining through the window directly in her face. Wait... Kurisu's eyes shot open, as she observed her surroundings. Kurisu wasn't lying on the couch she usually slept on, but on Okabe's bed! Which meant that Okabe was sleeping on the couch. The small green couch that he barely fits on and was once standing in the old lab. But that also meant that Kurisu fell asleep the night before while watching a movie with Okabe that she forced him to watch. And she fell asleep. Directly afterwards, guilt spread in Kurisu. Did I really... Fall asleep? The fact that Kurisu fell asleep would ruin the plan for today. So she had really drifted away from the original world line. Kurisu got out of bed, refreshed and as if she sleeped really well, which she did, but that feeling went away once she remembered what day was today. Part of her was hoping that Okabe would live, but the other part knew he was going to die today. "Okabe...", Kurisu muttered, sleepiness still sounding in her voice while she walked toward the couch in the middle of the room, which stood a meter or two away from the TV. But Okabe wasn't lying on the couch. He was lying on the floor next to the couch. Kurisu couldn't help but feel sad, seeing that. "Okabe...", Kurisu said again, just this time a bit louder. The body on the floor started shifting, ultimately pushing itself up to a sitting position. "Is everything okay?", he asked, looking way more exhausted than the day before. "Why-?", Kurisu started, but then just walked over to Okabe, pulled him to his feet and pulled him to his bed. "What are you doing", he laughed, while Kurisu silently tucked Okabe into bed. "You haven't slept, have you", Kurisu stated, clearly not a morning person. Okabe suppressed a smile. "You looked so tired, so I decided to let you sleep in my bed", Okabe explained his reasoning. But that reasoning wasn't good enough for Kurisu. She didn't even have to ask why Okabe didn't sleep on the couch, but on the floor. The guilt of Mayuri's death was obviously still haunting him, or else he wouldn't have gone out of his way to not sleep on the couch. Kurisu just sighed and rubbed her eyes. "You sleep now", she spoke while turning around. She would think of the plan more detailed now, trying to figure out how she can get around Okabe's death, since he wouldn't be awake. But. "I am fine, Kurisu", Okabe explained, slowly getting out of bed, hesitating though, when he caught the glare Kurisu was giving him. She needed him out of the way urgently, so that she could think clearly, without having to worry about upsetting Okabe in any way or making him suspicious. The ideal choice was to somehow force him to sleep, but that was already suspicious in itself. Then Kurisu noticed something. Whatever she may have done to slightly change the course of this world line, it wouldn't affect the weather at all. So theoretically, Kurisu should have about five minutes, in which she had originally checked the groceries and made the shopping list while Okabe was distracted. Kurisu hated herself for thinking like that. Shouldn't she be trying to avoid Okabe from being sad if she has the power to, not abuse it? But that was Kurisu's only choice right now. It was a choice she had to make to save Okabe. "Are you sure?", Kurisu questioned, looking at Okabe over her shoulder. He had dark circles under his eyes and looked abnormally pale. It was too obvious that Okabe barely had any shut eye. Okabe nodded and gave Kurisu a small smile, before getting off the bed and walking toward one of the other two rooms of this apartment: the kitchen. Kurisu glanced to the clock. For a free day, she had slept extra long. It was already ten o'clock, which meant she only had approximately five hours left and she had to think of something. Maybe Okabe dying was just coincidence and if he would've stayed at home everything would've been fine. Convergence would make sure he doesn't die earlier than he's suppose to. Kurisu grabbed her head and messed up her hair in frustration. From Okabe's experience, everything was pointing toward it being Convergence and the only way around it being going to the Beta attractor field. But Kurisu was sure that Okabe would not accept that. There's no way he would willingly switch world lines ever again. He claims he came to terms with the Convergence points of this world line, but Kurisu knew he was just trying to convince himself. So what else could Kurisu do to avoid Okabe's death. Try over and over again. But that would definitely damage her psyche. If she repeated the time leap too often and relived the same days over and over again, she would go crazy. But did she have a choice? No I don't. I must save Okabe. I won't let him die. I'll let him live longer, so he can have a happy... Life... Kurisu's blood ran cold. Was it morally wrong to force Okabe to live on, even if he didn't want to? First now Kurisu realized how selfish she was thinking. Could she really do that to Okabe? Suddenly Kurisu felt two hands resting on her shoulders. She could feel that they were warm and soft, even through her shirt. And Kurisu needn't turn around to know who it was. There was only one more person in this apartment after all. Then, the two hands moved from her shoulders and wrapped around Kurisu's neck, pulling her into a hug from behind. The same kind of hug Okabe gave Mayuri, when she was depressed. Kurisu's arms relaxed and dropped down, hanging loosely now. Even though Kurisu knew that that hug was out of desperation, since Kurisu had suddenly been acting weird, she enjoyed it way too much that she even felt guilty. But now Kurisu was now more determined than ever. She will save Okabe, no matter the cost. No matter what sacrifice must be made. Even if she looses it in the process, she wants to live another day, with Okabe by her side. It's a selfish reason, but something worth fighting for. Just so that Kurisu can live a life without regrets. Regrets of not saving Okabe, when she had the chance to.

Kurisu would follow her original plan of just trying to not go grocery shopping and see what would happen. If everything went as planned, Okabe should have live. There was no threat that could kill him, so he should have been safe. Suddenly the door yanked open and in stormed a panicked Daru, hastily closing the door behind him and panting. "Too close!", he uttered, before looking around the room. Over the course of fourteen years, Daru had lost a lot of weight and was way more fit than ever before. Even though he was out of breath right now, it was unimaginable how much he must've ran to get here. "Makise. You should probably lock the front door next time", Daru stated and slowly walked to the red-headed girl. Kurisu just gave a small smile, before looking at the bathroom door. Okabe was occupying the bathroom right now which was sound proofed along with the kitchen, so whatever Kurisu would say right now, Okabe wouldn't here it. "That was intentional", Kurisu explained and took seat on the green couch. Daru looked at Kurisu enquiring and took a step closer to the couch. "What do you mean by that?", Daru asked and anxiously looked around. He obviously felt something was off. "I may be coming to the safe point later", Kurisu spoke plainly and rested her head on her hand, blowing away a string of hair that was blocking her eye sight. Daru's eyes widened in shock, as he stepped away from Kurisu. He definetly wasn't expecting that to come Kurisu at all. "So have the time leap machine ready please". Now Daru was completely baffled. "Why do you need it?", he asked, not quite believing that Kurisu would've time leaped. Kurisu narrowed her eyes a little, before sighing and smiling at Daru. "I can't explain right now", Kurisu confessed and averted her gaze to the floor, in an apologetic manner. Daru nodded while turning back to the door leading to the outside of the apartment. "Stay safe, Makise", Daru said, before jogging over to the door, opening it and leaving the apartment with a quite loud bang from the door closing. In that moment, Okabe came out of the bathroom, curiously glancing into the living room and bedroom - the bang was obviously loud enough, to sound through the bathroom door. The face Okabe was making was not only curious, but also seemed a bit troubled or betrayed. "Who was that?", he asked a simple question, not looking away from Kurisu while closing the bathroom door. Kurisu's eyes widened. Would it cause problems if she told Okabe that Daru came by? In the original world line Okabe knew that Daru came, so what would it bring, lying to him. "It was Hashida", Kurisu answered and turned her body to Okabe who now seemed a bit more troubled than curious. With a questionably sour expression, Okabe walked over to couch and seated himself next to Kurisu. He stayed silent, not because he had nothing to say, but because he was seemingly collecting himself and thinking of what exactly to say. The fact that Okabe became so reserved ever since, already made Kurisu slighty sader, disregarding that he might die in roughly half an hour. "Why did he come by", Okabe asked bluntly while sounding more cold than he actually is. Actually, Okabe is the opposite of cold in most cases. Kurisu lowered her head, as she slightly narrowed her eyes. "He momentarily wanted to take cover from the guards", Kurisu explained and couldn't help but feel like with every word she said, she either hurt Okabe or made him even more suspicious. In the process of Okabe turning his head to face Kurisu, he also turned his body toward Kurisu, showing how invested Okabe was in Daru's sudden appearance. Suddenly, Okabe's eyes widened momentarily, before he shut them and faces forward again. "And you opened the door for him, I presume", Okabe stated, not really as a question, but clearly believing that Kurisu opened the door for him. Was that the effect of Reading Steiner? Kurisu wasn't sure how to respond to that. If she told Okabe that she had left the front door open, then she would've had to answer multiple other questions. But if she just kept her mouth shut and let Okabe believe whatever he wanted to, then Kurisu would have a higher chance of Okabe not figuring out that she time leaped. Then suddenly, a ray of sunshine penetrated the dark rainy clouds, shining into the apartment and catching the attention of both Kurisu and Okabe for various reasons. If this event happened before Hashida came by in the original world line, then that means that he for some reason was early. But what could've caused Daru to arrive at the apartment earlier? While Kurisu held her chin in thought, Okabe stared at the familiar sight with widened eyes and an open hanging jaw. The same moment, Okabe pressed his eyes closed and got up from the couch, snapping Kurisu out of her trance moment. "Okabe...", Kurisu started, but got cut off by the surprisingly low voice of Okabe. "Excuse me", he uttered and made his way into the kitchen, followed by a rather loud thump. Kurisu couldn't tell what that thump was, but because she knew Okabe wanted to be alone right now, she wouldn't look and hope that Okabe didn't hurt himself in any way. Up until now, everything had worked out kind of as planned, ignoring the fact that Daru came by earlier than expected, which Kurisu still couldn't explain to herself. Now if Okabe just safely stayed in the apartment for a following half an hour, he wouldn't die. The end was in sight. The thirty minutes Kurisu had to wait were like living hell, though. Every second Kurisu expected something bad to happen and Okabe to disappear in front of her very eyes again. The fear of that happening got Kurisu so on edge that when Okabe returned into the living and bedroom, Kurisu practically jumped out of her seat and grabbed her rapidly beating heart. "O-oh, sorry", Okabe uttered and took a seat next to where Kurisu was standing. That had always been his place. At least after Mayuri's death. On the left most side is where Mayuri used to love to sit. To cope with the guilt, Okabe never sat on Mayuri's favorite spot. Instead, Kurisu sat there, of course with hesitation every time, feeling the guilt herself. "Nono. It's okay", Kurisu nervously laughed, dropped onto the couch and started wiping the sweat off of her forehead. She had to keep calm. Panicking now wouldn't benefit anybody right now. But Kurisu couldn't help but feel uneasy. Some part deep inside her knew that it wouldn't be so easy to save Okabe. In that moment, Okabe gave Kurisu a small smile, before turning to the turned off TV screen. "Okabe?", Kurisu asked, not being able to refrain from asking Okabe that burning question that had been inside Kurisu for too long. She wanted to know it so badly that she didn't care if it made her seem even more suspicious. "What is it?", Okabe answered and faced Kurisu with a blank and unreadable expression. Kurisu gulped, before turning away from Okabe and tucking a strain of hair behind her ear. Then, Kurisu faced Okabe again with a serious demeanor and couldn't help but feel anxious. "What if... What if you were to die?", Kurisu asked and attempted to not brake eye contact with the individual in front of her. Okabe's eyes widened in disbelief, before he fleetingly glanced around the room. He seemed to have no answer that he wanted to tell Kurisu. "If I die...", Okabe started and stared at his lap, not being able to make eye contact with Kurisu who noticed this and felt even more anxious now. The tension was unbearable. Suddenly somebody, or rather something started knocking on the door, asking for permission to enter, or else they would brake down the door. Kurisu practically ran to the door, cussing under her breath that she hadn't been able to hear Okabe's answer. As Kurisu opened the door, she could hear more than just the same pitched voices of the guards, but also another voice that seemed oddly familiar. In front of her stood two guards, but only one of the two faced her. The other one was trying to keep someone from getting away. Though Kurisu couldn't see that someone. The front guard shoved Kurisu away from the door with no remorse, causing her to stagger backwards and fall to the floor. Okabe, seeing that, jumped out of his seat with widened eyes and directly ran over to Kurisu's aid. "Are you hurt?", Okabe asked and attempted to help Kurisu to her feet. But Kurisu couldn't answer, nor stand up right now. The person who was being held from the second guard was none other than Daru. Then the front guard got out his into him installed gun and pointed it at Kurisu. "Did you help this man take cover?", the guard asked the question Kurisu was fearing most, since what she had done was unforgivable treason. Kurisu and Okabe's eyes widened simultaineously. That's when it hit Kurisu. If Kurisu and Okabe had gone out to go grocery shopping, then while the guards checked their ids, Daru could've sneaked out. But because Kurisu and Okabe hadn't gone out and distracted the guards, Daru was caught. While Daru was trying to wiggle himself out of the second guard's grip, he nervously smiled and looked at Kurisu and Okabe apolotegetically, multiple times. "I'm sorrry, I don't know what you mean", Okabe answered, clearly being a lie. Yet Okabe said with such a straight face that it horrified Kurisu. In that moment, Daru's eyes widened, as the guard now took a step closer and pointed the gun directly at Kurisu's head. He was obviously threatening with Kurisu, to get out the true answer. Kurisu gulped. "Yes, it's true", Kurisu stuttered and ultimately regretted it. A few seconds later, a gun shot sounded and Kurisu was pushed to the side. A sharp pain spread throughout her head, as it made contact to the floor. But Kurisu falling to the ground was not the only sound that filled the room, besides the gun shot. "Okarin!", Daru yelled and pulled away from the guard to run his friend who lay limp on the ground. Kurisu shot up, just to see the horrible scene again: Okabe lying in a pool of his own blood leaking from his chest. He was clearly already dead, for when Daru started shaking him, he didn't respond whatsoever. Kurisu's throat felt constricted, as she made her way to Okabe's side. What is this... Kurisu couldn't withhold the tears that were welling up in her eyes. And Kurisu wasn't the only one. "You...", she started muttering and looked at the guards with tears streaming down her face. The pain and anger she was feeling right now were threatening to overflow, as she stood up with clenched fists. "Makise, you shouldn't-". But before Daru could stop Kurisu from doing something potentially stupid, Kurisu had already speeded toward the front guard with the gun, tackling him. Moments later, Daru stormed by Kurisu and knocked the other guard over, before hastily dragging Kurisu out of the apartment.