What Once Was (A Steins;Gate 0 Story)
Chapter 52-A New Beginning
Disclaimer:I don't own Steins;Gate, only this story...
It was a day like any other. People were out on the streets, going about their business, whether that was heading to work, meeting up with a significant other, having a meal with friends, or simply running errands. Akihabara was the same as it always was, a hotspot for anime aficionados, good old Otakus, and tech-gurus. It wasn't called the 'Electric Town' for nothing. People from all walks of life came to experience what it had to offer, even if the only reason they were there was to visit the shrine, or a maid café.
Okabe Rintarou was one of the people who called this place home, living in an apartment that he had affectionately named 'The Future Gadget Lab' or 'The Lab' for short. He fell into the category of those who were proficient in the use of technology. Mainly, finding old parts and using them to build inventions or 'gadgets' as he called them.
Most of them were all small creations that didn't have much of a practical use, but he had high hopes that one day, he would make something truly great. He would be famous, then, and the world would bow at his feet, worshipping him and his impressive list of accomplishments. It hadn't happened yet, nor did it seem like it had a chance of occurring any time soon, but he was confident that his delusional fantasies would become reality eventually. Of course, he would never label his dreams as delusional or fantasies, that was just what everyone else thought they were.
Everyone who knew him, anyway, which admittedly wasn't a very long list. It included his family mostly, along with the few friends that he had. Mainly, Mayuri and Daru who were Lab members that frequented the Lab. There was Ruka too, the boy that lived at the shrine. Although, referring to him as a boy wasn't entirely accurate, since he was so feminine in appearance and mannerisms, but on the most basic level he was a dude. It was always treated as the highest honor anyone could receive, being made a member of this group.
It was basically another way of saying that they were friends with one of the world's greatest minds. The truth was that he was the one who was lucky to have any friends at all with his eccentric behavior, which a lot of people were put off by and found it unappealing. Anyone who came by his apartment often enough had the potential to become a member, but Ruka wasn't one of his main friends, and he never stopped by, so he wasn't considered a member. As such, there were currently only three members including Okabe.
On this day, all of them were at the Lab, since it was their designated hangout spot. They were, well, hanging out, or at least Mayuri and Daru were. Mayuri always seemed to be working on her latest cosplay outfit, and Daru was always sitting in his favorite chair at the computer. He was playing another one of those video games about having a harem that he loved so much. Mayuri was sitting on one side of the couch, working on a costume, and Okabe was in the back bedroom.
"Don't worry my darlings! Daddy loves you all equally!" Daru exclaimed, talking to his harem. "Except for you, Arisu-chan! I love you the most!" He whispered the last part so that the other girls wouldn't get jealous of the deeper love that he and Arisu shared.
She was the red-haired student council president, stern and demanding, as she tried to keep the other students in line. When they were in private, however, she showed him a softer more gentle side that bordered on caring. That was what he loved most about her, not that he would ever tell the others that. He had always had a thing for the student council president type in anime and in the dating simulators that he was always seen playing.
If one were to attempt to come up with a reason for why that was, perhaps it was because he wanted the kind of relationship that was never available to him when he was in high school. Someone as popular as the student council president would never give him the time of day in real life, and it was always easy to want something that you couldn't have.
As he had told Okabe many times before, virtual girlfriends were easier to deal with, because even the most popular girl in the whole school could fall in love with him if she was virtual. That was the whole reason that he preferred 2D girls. Although, there was always the possibility that he just hadn't found the right girl yet, and when he did, he would understand how much better having a girlfriend was in real life, devoid of the restrictions that being separated by a screen entailed.
Mayuri giggled at his silly antics, being used to them by now. "You're so weird, Daru!"
"Look who's talking, Mayuushi!" Daru chuckled. He had been called weird so many times before that it no longer phased him, especially when it was coming from one of his close friends. It was more of a compliment in his opinion, to be different meant that he was one of a kind, after all. Who wanted to be like everyone else, anyway?
"Hey, that was uncalled for! I'm not…" Mayuri started to protest, but when she thought about it, she realized that he had a point. "Well, okay, I guess it was a LITTLE called for. I'm not exactly normal, either." She laughed, enjoying the banter that came with having good friends.
They both returned to their activities, continuing in comfortable silence for a while, nothing but the gentle humming of the air conditioner filling the space left behind by their lack of conversation. Mayuri glanced over at the empty spot on the couch next to her, sadly.
"Daru, I'm worried about Okarin. I'm trying not to be, but I can't help it. Do you think he'll be okay?"
Daru could sense the change in her tone of voice, knowing that the carefree mood from earlier was replaced with a much more serious one. "Relax, Mayuri. You know how he is, he doesn't let anything get him down for long. I'm sure he'll be back to all that Hoouin Kyouma ridiculousness before you know it." He wasn't as worried as Mayuri, but even he was starting to get concerned.
"Yeah, you're right. But still, I haven't ever seen him like this before. He's never acted like this, and I've known him since we were kids. I wonder what happened to him?" Mayuri wondered, gloomily.
"Some girl he liked probably rejected him and now he's depressed. It happens to everyone at some point in their life. It even happened to me, once. It makes you feel like there's nothing good left in the world, and you'll never be happy again, but eventually you get over it. How do you think I got so fat?" Daru was half-kidding, but it could have been possible.
"Really, Daru, you used to be skinny? No offense, but that's kind of hard to picture." Mayuri gasped in disbelief.
"Yep, that was before I asked out the student council president and she rejected me. Arisu wasn't even gentle about it either! She flat out told me that she didn't like my face! I was so depressed about it that I ate and ate until I looked like this. After I gave her some of her favorite books, though, she realized that I wasn't so bad after all, and now she loves me more than the other girls in my harem. She's also my favorite." Daru explained. He had sounded so serious that Mayuri almost believed him, until he mentioned Arisu.
"Wow, Daru, I thought you were being serious for a minute there, but you were only talking about your VIRTUAL life and body! Come on, do you ever take anything seriously?" Mayuri said, puffing out her cheeks in aggravation.
"All right, you got me. I've pretty much always been overweight, so that story was false. I couldn't resist messing with you. Sorry, Mayuushi." Daru apologized.
She sighed, "It's fine, Daru, I wasn't really mad. I'm just frustrated, because he's been like this for several days now, and I don't know what to do to help him. Maybe he needs someone else besides us to make him feel better." Mayuri had always been able to cheer Okabe up better than anyone else, but no matter what she did, nothing was working. "But, if his best friends aren't enough, then who is?" The situation was starting to look hopeless to her. She hadn't completely lost hope yet, but it was fading.
"I think he needs to get out and meet some new people. He rarely leaves the Lab, so it would probably be good for him to be around someone that he doesn't see all the time." Daru suggested, wisely.
"That sounds like a good idea, Daru. If he ever comes in here, then let's tell him about it!" Mayuri was impressed. Granted, it didn't take much to impress her, but Daru was normally such a goofball, that it was surprising when he came up with good advice.
A few minutes later, Okabe walked into the room, taking a seat on the couch beside Mayuri and letting out a sigh.
"So, the vampire has finally risen from his coffin! I know that it's hot outside, but even I get out more than you do. That's sad, when you think about it. If you put some sunscreen on, I'm sure you'll be fine. You won't have to worry about being fried to a crisp." Daru joked, not taking his eyes off of the screen in front of him.
Okabe hadn't been sleeping well, and he was tired. Much too tired to make any sense of what nonsense Daru was currently spouting. "Mayuri, can you translate what he just said for me?"
"Um, well, basically what he said was…Okarin I know that it may not be what you want to hear, but…We both think that it would be a good idea for you to go outside today. It's sort of obvious that something is bothering you, and you don't seem to want to talk to us about it, so it might be better for you to find someone new to hang out with that you can help you more than we can." Mayuri told him, anticipating the negative reaction that he was likely to have, and hoping that he wouldn't be mad.
He was quick to dismiss their suggestion with a wave of his hand. "If I won't even tell my fellow Lab members, then why would I want to tell my problems to someone I barely know? No, it's too risky to divulge personal information in public. One never knows when the Organization could be listening. In fact, anyone I speak to out there has the potential to be an agent in disguise!" Okabe looked over at Mayuri, in slight annoyance. "Besides, I thought I told you to call me Kyouma. What is it about that, that makes it so hard to understand?"
He had been trying to get them to call him that ever since they had first met, but the name that he made for himself had never caught on. His current nickname 'Okarin' (made up of the first three letters of his first and last name) left much to be desired, but it was the only one they seemed inclined to use, and it seemed impossible to change their minds once they had settled on it.
"No way I'm ever calling you that, dude." Daru spoke up, immediately.
"Yeah, sorry, but I think Okarin sounds a lot cuter and more friendly. It suits you, or at least I think it does!" Mayuri replied, cheerfully.
"Ugh! That's exactly why it's a problem! How am I supposed to strike fear into the hearts of our enemies with a name that's more likely to make them think I'm not a threat? As long as you insist on calling me by such an absurd moniker, no one will take me seriously!" Okabe yelled, in exasperation.
"Honestly, Okarin, you can be such a drama queen sometimes. While I'm glad to see you acting more like your old self, what we call you isn't important right now. You need to get over whatever's bothering you, and being cooped up in here all the time isn't doing you any favors." Daru swiveled around in his chair, now facing Okabe. He never looked away from the computer unless he was serious, so this was proof that he was.
Okabe was beginning to realize just how important this was to them. They were really worried about him, so if it would make them feel better and get them to stop bothering him about it, he would comply with their demands. "Alright, I understand. If it will get you to stop pestering me about it, I'll go outside for a bit. Can I at least have breakfast first?"
"Hey, that gives me another great idea! Why don't you go out somewhere and get breakfast? If you went to a café or something, then you're likely to meet someone else who's eating, and you might make a new friend!" Daru said, and Mayuri nodded.
"Yep, that sounds good to me! That means you can't eat breakfast, so get going Okarin!" Mayuri agreed.
Mayuri and Daru stood up, as Okabe got to his feet. Before he had a chance to react, they got behind him and began pushing him towards the door. Once it was open, they pushed him outside and shut it. Okabe heard a clicking noise, which told him that they had locked the door.
"Hey! This is treason! How could you betray me like this? I might have expected this from you, Daru, but not Mayuri!"
"Sorry, man, but this is for your own good. Don't come back until you've met someone." Daru said, from the other side of the door.
"Yeah, don't think of it as betrayal! We're only doing this because we love you and want you to be happy! Isn't that right, Daru?" Mayuri also spoke up from the other side.
"Uh, love is a strong word, but Mayuri's right in the sense that we're only trying to help because we care." Daru agreed.
Okabe walked away, grumbling about his current situation. He had never expected the day to turn out like this, and if he had, then he probably would have stayed in bed. "I can't believe they locked me out! Of my own apartment, no less!" He sighed, continuing down the sidewalk in a random direction. "I wish I had someone who understood me. I feel like I did at some point, but I can't remember who it was. Am I just imagining things?"
He took a photo out of the chest pocket on his lab coat, looking down at it, as he had done at least once every day for the past few days. The image of a pink-haired girl smiling and making a peace sign stared back at him. For some reason he couldn't even begin to fathom, a wave of unspeakable sadness overcame him every time he saw this picture, and this time was no different. After seeing it, the only thing he felt like doing was crying. The past few days were spent torturing himself with it and doing just that in his room.
Each time he viewed it, he hoped that he would be able to uncover the secrets that it held, but he never did. Instead, it only made him sadder. Okabe had never seen this girl before in his life, but the photo carried with it a sense of familiarity that made him wonder if he was forgetting something important. Who WAS this girl, and why did a picture that was meant to convey happiness make him feel the exact opposite? Whoever she was, he could say with absolute certainty that if she were here with him, she would understand what he was going through.
Something told him that she might be the one he needed to meet. The one who could help get him out of this funk. Was the sadness he felt, because of something she had done to him, or was it his fault? His stomach rumbled loudly, reminding Okabe of what he was supposed to be doing. It was hard to think on an empty stomach, and there were more important things to be doing. If he wanted to regain access to the Lab, he would have to accomplish the task that he had set out to do at Daru's and Mayuri's urgings. He placed the photo back in his pocket, taking extra care not to damage it in any way. The mystery would have to wait until later, unfortunately.
"Hmmm…where is a good café when you need one?" He scanned his immediate surroundings for a building that looked like it would be a café. "Aha!"
A building like what he was looking for was a little ways down the street, across from his current location. He made his way over to it, hoping that it was as good an establishment as its outward appearance would suggest.
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Okabe was now inside, sitting alone at a table. The café was surprisingly packed, and he was lucky to have found a seat at all! There were no empty seats other than the two that he was currently occupying. If he had gotten there a minute or two later, then it was likely that NO tables would have been available. He was perusing the menu, trying to make a decision on what to buy, when someone cleared their throat. It was clear that their intention was to gain his attention, so he gave it to them. When he moved the menu away from his face, a girl was standing next to his table, looking extremely uncomfortable. She appeared to be around his age, if his guess was correct. Her long crimson hair framed her face perfectly, and her navy blue eyes were full of life and curiosity. Just like the girl in the picture, she radiated a sense of familiarity, as if he should know who she was, but he didn't.
"Excuse me, sir." Once she knew that she had his attention, she smiled politely and continued. "Hey there. Um…would you mind if I sit here?"
Okabe stared at her for a moment without saying anything, making her even more uncomfortable. On one hand, he wasn't in the mood to talk to anyone, but on the other hand, he wanted to explore this feeling that he had around her. This would count as meeting someone, as well, so he could kill two birds with one stone. Could he really push her away?
"All right. Well, I guess I'll be going then." The girl turned around and began walking away.
If he didn't do something, she would be gone from his life forever, and he would never be able to solve the mystery. That thought wasn't what made him sad. Although that would definitely be disappointing, the fact that he might never see her again bothered him more than it should have. He felt a deep sadness, realizing that for some reason, he couldn't bear to see her leave.
"Wait! Don't go!" Okabe cried out in desperation.
The girl stopped in her tracks, turning to look at him over her shoulder. "What is it? I need to find somewhere else to go if you aren't going to let me sit there. Or did you change your mind?"
"Yes, I suppose I did. Please, take a seat." Okabe offered, gesturing to the chair across from him at the table.
The mysterious girl backtracked to the table, and sat down, placing the messenger bag wrapped around her shoulder on the floor next to her. He hadn't noticed that she was carrying it before, but he was distracted at the time. It was embarrassing to admit, but her beauty had completely blindsided him as soon as he saw her. He wasn't accustomed to running into, let alone speaking, to attractive girls that weren't Mayuri, so it had caught him off-guard.
"I'm sorry about this. I wouldn't have bothered you under normal circumstances, but all of the tables were already taken, and I didn't have anywhere else to go." She explained, awkwardly.
"No, not at all. I'm sorry for making things so awkward. I've never been much good at talking to women, especially one as attractive as yourself." Okabe fought the urge to put his hands over his mouth, in disbelief of what he had just said. He hadn't meant to let that slip out. Heat spread across his face in embarrassment. "I just made things more awkward than they already were, didn't I?"
She blushed heavily, her cheeks turning bright pink. "I didn't…there's no way he could have…I had to have misheard him. He called me attractive, didn't he? This isn't the first time a guy has tried to hit on me, and I can usually tell what they're really after, but there's something about the way HE says it. It sounds, I don't know, more genuine somehow? I wonder if he meant it, but in my heart, I know the truth. He DID."
The girl did her best to pick up the conversation. "Thank you, it makes me happy that someone thinks I look good. I'm…uh, not that great at talking to guys either, so I understand how you feel." She smiled shyly, and brushed her hair behind her ear with one hand, stretching the other out towards him. "I'm not sure where my manners were earlier, but let's make our meeting official. My name is Kurisu Makise. What's yours?"
Okabe extended his hand out to meet hers, establishing a connection. He firmly grasped it, and completed the handshake. "My name is Okabe Rintarou. It's nice to meet you." He was shocked again by the lack of control that he had when it came to speaking to this girl.
First, he had blurted out his thoughts to her, and now he had meant to say Hoouin Kyouma, but he couldn't for some reason. What was it about this girl that made him want to act differently? What made him feel like he could be his true self around her, that there was no need to be someone he wasn't? Was she a spy sent by the Organization to dull his senses and dampen his inherent abilities? Although his mind said she was, his heart was telling him that she wasn't. If he hadn't met her before, then how would he know that she was trustworthy in his heart? This was a puzzling mystery indeed, and it was only getting more interesting with every new feeling he discovered.
"It's nice to meet you, too." The girl, now known as Kurisu replied.
Okabe went back to studying the menu, unable to decide what to get. Kurisu held her head in one hand, while the other was idly tapping across the table's surface. Her nails were cut short, but they were still long enough to provide the clicking noise that usually accompanied such an action. She sighed, the first sound either of them had made since their introduction. She was waiting for him to finish with the menu, so that she could look at it, but he was taking forever, and she was getting impatient.
"Hey, Okabe. Can I see that for a sec?"
It took him a minute to realize what she was referring to, and when he did, he shrugged. "I don't see why not. It wasn't like I was doing anything with it, anyway. I haven't ever been here before, and I'm not sure what's good." Okabe admitted, handing the menu over to her. With so many people in this place, all of the menus were being used, so there wasn't one for Kurisu.
She opened the menu and flipped through it, looking for a specific page.
"This is your first time? Wow, this is one of my favorite places to visit! I'll order for us. I always get the special, and I think that you'll like it as well."
When the waitress came by to get their order, Kurisu ordered the special and two coffees, leaving the waitress to write it down on her notepad and go tell the cook. Immediately after the waitress was out of sight, it dawned on Kurisu what she had just done. She hadn't thought anything about it, almost as if it was a completely natural thing to do.
"I apologize, if I overstepped my bounds. I'm not sure what came over me. It's hard to put into words, but it didn't feel strange to do that. It was like this is something we do often, even though I only met you for the first…time…a few minutes ago…" Kurisu had been feeling strange ever since she had approached his table, and she was beginning to think that there was more to these feelings. Was HE experiencing them, too?
"No, it's fine, Kurisu. I was surprised to be sure, but it doesn't bother me that you ordered for us. If you had left it up to me, it's likely that you would have still been waiting on me for 10 more minutes." Okabe chuckled, "As far as these feelings being hard to put into words, I whole-heartedly agree. I'm not sure WHAT this is, but I want to find out. It feels like we've been through this before, and I'm not sure what it means." After she mentioned that she felt the same feelings, he saw no reason to hide his, so he had told her the truth.
"So…you feel it too. Whatever it is, I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm excited to find out. This situation is very interesting, and I want to continue studying it, as long as you're okay with it. What do you think, should we explore this further?" Kurisu had phrased it as a question, like it was something that he could answer however he wished, but it was more of a request. It wasn't hard to tell what she was hoping he would say.
Okabe acted like he was considering it for a moment, but there was only one choice he could make, and he knew it. If she knew him as well as she felt like she did in her heart, then Kurisu was pretty sure which one it was. He saw the look she was giving him, hopeful with a hint of shyness.
The smile that he presented her with had more of an effect on her than she expected, causing her to go weak in the knees. She was thankful that she was already sitting down, or she would have fallen to the floor, as her knees buckled, unable to support her weight.
"Kurisu, I want to take this as far as it can go, wherever that ends up leading us. I can't deny that there's something between us, and I'm looking forward to figuring out what it is, together." Okabe responded, reaching across the table to grab her hand.
Normally, she would have slapped a guy if he tried to touch her and they had only met several minutes ago. Others had done it, but she always stopped them, and she would have done the same thing this time if it had been anyone else but him. She didn't understand it, but his touch felt different than anything else she had ever felt before, it didn't bother her if HE touched her. In fact, it felt right.
She squeezed his hand, in assurance. "Together." She agreed, presenting Okabe with a smile of her own that only served to enhance the beauty that she already possessed. For a moment, Okabe was struck speechless, all of the breath being stripped from his lungs. Her smile was dazzling, and it was a while before he had recovered enough to speak. Who WAS this woman? And why did she have such a strong effect on him? The mystery was becoming increasingly complex, and the more he uncovered, it was apparent how little he actually knew. It scared him to think how vulnerable he seemed to be when she was around.
When their food finally arrived, Kurisu realized the major error she had made when she ordered. It must have been a subconscious decision on her part, to only order one special instead of two. Okabe insisted that it was all right, and he wasn't worried about it, but she felt bad eating in front of him when he didn't have anything to eat. He was hungry, but his hunger wasn't as important to him as solving the mystery surrounding his feelings. Okabe sipped his coffee absentmindedly, thinking about Kurisu and why he felt such a strong attraction to someone he barely knew.
The special consisted of bacon, eggs, and grits. Kurisu didn't eat much, so she usually had to bring the leftovers home with her. She eventually gathered enough courage to speak up. She blushed heavily at the idea that she was about to suggest.
"O-Okabe, I can't eat all of this by myself, and I was wondering…would you like to share it with me?"
Okabe blushed as well, since that was the sort of thing that was pretty much reserved for couples only. "No, I couldn't possibly…"
"Okabe, It's fine, really. I don't mind! In fact…I w-want you to." Kurisu looked down at the table, her long crimson hair acting as a curtain that hid her face from view.
"W-Well, I hate to impose, but since you offered, I suppose I can do it." Okabe stammered, almost too embarrassed to respond.
Neither one was acting like themselves, but in this case it wasn't considered a bad thing. This was just how they acted when they were around each other, it seemed. Okabe got up to go get a fork, and spare plate, then came back and got some of her food.
"So, how is it?" Kurisu asked, between bites of food.
"It's really good. I'm surprised how good it is, honestly. I'm not sure how you knew, but you were right." Okabe smiled, as he took another bite of the food in front of him.
"Something told me you'd like it. I'm glad to see that I was right." Kurisu grinned, "Like I said before, I come here all the time to work on my research."
"Research, you say? And what exactly does this research entail if you don't mind me asking?" Okabe's interest was piqued. If Kurisu was a fellow lover of all things science, then he had a feeling that they would get along well, and have plenty to talk about.
"I'm not trying to be rude, but I'm not sure that you'll understand what I'm talking about. I'll try my best to explain it, though. I wrote a paper using the research that I've gathered so far. It's about the study of memories and how they're retained. I won't go into all the specifics, because it gets kinda technical in some parts, but that's basically what the topic of it is. I'm always trying to learn more and gather research, so that's why I'm here. It's all stored inside the laptop that I have in my bag. I carry it with me everywhere, so I can work on it whenever I need to. I used to travel back and forth from America to here, but I don't much anymore."
"I'm impressed! I had no idea that we had so much in common, Kurisu." Okabe told her.
"It's nothing, really. I'm surprised at how easy it is to talk to you, Okabe. I'm usually the type of person that keeps to herself unless it's someone I'm close to." Kurisu sighed, "Not many people truly understand me, and I'm alone most of the time."
Okabe could sympathize, because he felt the same way sometimes, especially lately. "I understand that feeling well. I've never quite fit in anywhere." He reached across the table, grabbing her hand and squeezing it supportively. "You don't have to worry about that, because you're not alone anymore, and if I have any say in it, you never will be again."
Okabe had no idea where those words came from, but it awakened something in both of them, resonating in their souls. It caused a chain reaction, where they were whisked away to another place, another time.
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"I can't even begin to fathom why you chose me, but I'm glad that you did. I love you so much that I can't get you out of my head, whether it's in the morning or in the evening. I can't put it into words, how much it means for you to stand by me through all of this." Okabe said to Kurisu, the love he felt for her visible in his gaze.
"Oh, Okabe." Kurisu replied, as they looked into each other's eyes lovingly.
"My Kurisu." Okabe responded.
They leaned in closer, their faces about to touch, but the scene was cut off, before anything happened.
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They snapped out of it at the same time, both having a slight headache after being forced to recall a memory that they weren't supposed to have. It was never meant for them to see, but now that they had seen it, it was impossible to get it out of their heads. Okabe and Kurisu jumped back from each other like they had been electrocuted, both of them blushing heavily. Although, the rest of the scene hadn't played out, it wasn't hard to imagine what happened next. What was that just now? It felt so real, like it was an actual memory of theirs, but that didn't make any sense. The strange feelings they had only intensified at this revelation, confirming what they should have known all along.
"K-Kurisu, if you saw the same thing I did, then you most likely know what I'm about to say. As crazy as it sounds, the only conclusion I can come to is that…I already know you. We've met before, which explains the Déjà vu I've been experiencing, and some outside force must have made us forget. I propose that we…" Okabe was interrupted by Kurisu, who had finished her food and was hastily sliding her bag back on her shoulder.
"O-Okabe, I know we had to have been close at some point, but this is…it's just too much to handle for me, right now. I'm sorry, but I have to go." Kurisu said, apologetically. The experience had obviously unnerved her, as evidenced by the shaking of her hands as she went to the counter, and paid for her meal, leaving extra to cover Okabe's coffee. Kurisu didn't understand what had just happened, and this fear of the unknown was what scared her off. She left quickly, and before he had even realized what happened, Kurisu was gone.
"Don't go…" Okabe said quietly, barely above a whisper.
He sounded weak and pathetic, or at least that's how his voice sounded to him. The sadness from before had returned, momentarily forgotten while he was distracted by the conversation they had been having. He was left behind, with almost no chance of seeing Kurisu ever again. He hadn't even gotten her number, and after this strange incident, he doubted that she had any interest in seeing him.
Although it was embarrassing to admit, Okabe couldn't help feeling like he had just been dumped.
