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The rumbling stops.
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I smell a familiar smell.
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I hear familiar noises.
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I open my eyes.
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Daru was playing a game on his computer
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Mayuri was sitting next to me, humming a soft tune
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I hear clinking noises as Kurisu tinkers with the Phonewave
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"GOD FUCKING DAMN IT!"
I'm back.
I time traveled to 1975.
I'm back.
I made my goodbyes with everyone.
I'm back.
I rode with Suzuha in the time machine.
I'm back.
"Ah!" I see someone sitting next to me jump. Mayuri looks at me in surprise.
"What the hell's wrong with you Okarin?" Daru was rubbing his chest. "You might as well have given me a heart attack!"
Kurisu runs into view. "What? What happened? Who yelled?"
I can't take this anymore. I jump up from the couch, kicking over the small table in the process.
"Okabe? What-"
"Shut up! God damn it all of you shut up!" I shout out a response before running out of the lab. I know that it was rude, but I don't care.
I'm still in a time loop.
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I stare up at the sun, squinting against the bright light.
There are barely any clouds in the sky today.
The hot rays unmercifully roasts my skin. I welcome the hot sensation anyway.
Laying down on top of the Radio Kaikan roof, I try to explore any situation to this time loop, to no avail.
I've tried time traveling, time leaping, sending D-Mails, and even letting Kurisu time leap herself.
The only other possibility of escape left is...
No, stop it.
I suppress that thought before it could bloom.
That won't solve anything. Get a hold of yourself.
It's been around 40 minutes since I ran out of the lab. I wonder what they think I've been doing?
Kind of lost my temper there. I think regretfully.
I hear the door creak open slowly.
Someone slowly walks towards me. Their shadow casts across my eyes, providing protection against the rays of the sun.
"There you are."
Kurisu.
"You know you're gonna get bad sunburn if you stay out here all day." Kurisu huffs while looking down on me.
"..." Without responding, I sit up.
"So, what are you doing here?"
"Just thinking." I avert my gaze from Kurisu's eyes.
"Does this have anything to do with your temper tantrum back at the lab?"
"You could say that."
"Want to tell me what this is all about?"
"Why do you care?" I challenge.
Kurisu sharpens her glare. "I went through the trouble of looking for you! The least you could do is tell me why you're laying down here!"
"Leave me alone. You don't have to look for me. I'm not a lost little boy."
"Jeez, I was worried enough to come look for you and you just..."
Kurisu's eyes widened as she realized what she just said.
"Ah, no wait I wasn't worried..." Kurisu shakes her head. "Ugh!"
After stumbling over her words, Kurisu sighs deeply and puts on a serious expression.
"Just tell me why you look so depressed, will you?"
Slowly, I shake my head.
"Depressed? No. I'm... I'm terrified." I admit, honestly.
"Terrified? The great Hououin Kyouma is terrified?" Kurisu smirks and puts her hands on her hips.
"..." My alter ego was the last thing on my mind right now.
"Come on, Okabe. You look like a kid being forced to eat oatmeal." Kurisu drops her hands.
"Close enough. But I would think that I'm more like a kid that's being grounded by their parents for all of eternity."
"All of eternity, huh? Sounds boring, not scary." Kurisu comments.
"It's both."
Kurisu rolls her eyes, annoyed. "Get to the point Okabe."
"Apparently, I'm stuck in a permanent time loop."
"..."
After that, an awkward silence fills the air.
...
Finally, Kurisu sits down next to me.
"Care to elaborate?"
"I wake up on the 11th at 3:00 PM. As soon as it turns midnight on the 13th, I come back."
"What have you tried?"
"Different time leaps, D-Mails, letting other people time leap, and..."
"And?" Kurisu raises her eyebrows curiously.
"And physical time travel."
"What? How?" Kurisu leans closer to me. "Explain!"
So I tell her. Not only about Suzuha, but about Mayuri's fate and my experiences in other world lines. Everything spills out to Kurisu.
...
After I finish my recollection, Kurisu tilts her head thoughtfully.
"So... The catalyst for all of this is your first time leap? The one you did with the broken Phonewave..."
"Yeah. It seems like that using the broken Phonewave stripped me of my 'Reading Steiner', as well as putting me in this time loop.
"But the time frame for this loop is different then your initial time leap, isn't it? Instead, it uses a time frame from your second time leap."
I stare at her, surprised. That hadn't even occurred to me.
"So, wouldn't it be possible to at least change the times of your loop?"
All at once, I suddenly feel hope return to me. If this was true... I could move forward through time once again.
"... They don't call you 'Girl Genius' for nothing, huh? I guess I shouldn't be surprised at this point." I reply.
Her face lightly flushes. "I'm just pointing out the obvious!"
I snort. "Obvious to you, maybe. Cut the modesty."
Kurisu stands up and offers her hand. "Come on, Mr. Mad Scientist. Let's find a solution to this mess you got yourself into."
I look at her outstretched hand. Then, to her face. Though those eyes seem calm and uncaring, there is warmth and concern behind them. Her chestnut hair gently swings in the wind.
I grasp her hand and pull myself up.
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I see Daru and Mayuri swing their heads towards me as I enter the lab.
"Okarin!" They bought exclaim at the same time.
Daru walks up to me with a stern expression. "What happened Okarin? I don't think I've ever seen you that mad before."
"Yeah!" Mayuri pipes up. "Mayushii wants to know what's bothering Okarin!"
"Gah! It's terrible!" I moan dramatically. "The Organization has sabotaged my secret supply lines! I had 300 kilograms of golden bars on it's way here, to supplement our research funding! All of it has gone up in flames from the Organization's destruction!"
"Come on dude. We're actually worried about you here."
I clear my throat. "Regardless, I apologize for my sudden outburst. I shall take measures to make sure that the Organization doesn't get away with this!"
"As you can see, I managed to find him and drag him back here." Kurisu says from behind me. "Looks like he's back to his delusional self."
"I am not delusional!" I counter.
"Yes you are." Daru snorts.
It seems like my ramblings as Kyouma has managed to cause Daru to drop the subject. Mayuri on the other hand...
"Okarin! Tell Mayushii what's bothering you!" she says, tugging my sleeve.
"I've told you! My 300 kilograms of golden ba-" I start.
Mayuri shakes her head "No! What's REALLY bothering you!"
"I'll uh... Tell you later. I'm fine ok?" In reality, I have no intention of telling Mayuri about my time travel dilemma.
Thankfully, this seems to placate her. "Okay. Talk to Mayushii any time you want!"
And with that, Mayuri sits back down on the couch and starts sewing cosplay costumes again.
"Come on." Kurisu walks to the back room, where the Phonewave is.
"Right." I follow, eager to get myself out of this loop.
"Alright. Now, since you're currently stuck in this time loop, if I fail to find a solution, then just come to me as soon as possible and re explain things. Describe what I did so that I can work with more knowledge. Understand?"
I nod determinedly.
"Good. Let's get started."