Chapter 6

I thought the mood at dinner might be a bit awkward, having a stranger in the group. The only person I had really eaten with outside of my family was Sakura, and even then it was only just the two of us. Now I was sitting with four people who barely knew me, yet still went out of their way to make me feel welcome.

"Did you get enough to eat? There's some more if you're still hungry." Sakuta asked me, finishing up his own bowl moments before. "No I'm good, it was delicious. Thank you though." Around the table, everyone looked to be satisfied with dinner. Throughout the meal, I listened to the four of them catch up and talk about their lives.

Mai was an actress, recently she had been filiming some commercials in the area. "There was some offers to do some shoots but they were all out of the area, I wanted to stay locally for a bit." She poked Sakuta in the arm. "Someone gets a bit lonely when I'm gone for a few days."

Sakuta smiled at her. "Are you sure it's not you getting lonely? After all, last time you oww." He cut off what he was saying as she began pinching his arm where she was poking him. He rubbed where she pinched him after she let go, though any hard feelings were clearly missing as she placee her hand over his.

Mai looked over at Rio. "How's the academic work coming along? You mentioned you had a big project you were working on." Rio looked away for a moment, in thought. "It was going well, but we hit a roadblock in our research." She looked over to me. "I work in a team that is trying to uncover what causes the syndrome in the first place, and coming up with ways for people to solve things by themselves. That's another reason why I'm helping you, it might help out our research get past the roadblock."

By this point, we had all finished eating. We cleaned up the table, and shortly after any sign that we had dinner was soon gone. "Hey Kaede, we're going to keep talking, you don't have to stick around." Sakuta looked over to his sister, dropping hints so that way we could discuss my problem. "No problem, I'm going to meet Kotomi for a bit."

We waited until we heard the sound of the front door closing. "Sorry about the wait, I just don't want to involve her with this. She's dealt with it enough in her own life." Sakuta finally said. I nodded, understanding enough from what he said. Rio pulled out a notebook and her phone, opening up a recording app. "It's easier to record everything said, any missed detail could be a big help."

Rio drank some of her water in front of her before continuing. "As of now, we have two main problems to solve. One, how to get you out of the syndrome and back to your normal life. Two, what we can do so come tomorrow morning we won't have to start from scratch." She wrote on the paper the two problems and circled them. "The second should be our first priority, as the chances of us solving this the first time around isn't high."

Sakuta nodded, beside him Mai looked deep in thought. "What if we write ourselves letters?" Sakuta asked, but Rio was already shaking her head. "I don't think that will work, if the receipt for his stay at the net cafe was gone in the morning then chances are the letters will be gone as well." She paused for a moment, then looked over to me. "We can try having you write the letters instead, if you don't mind the extra work."

I nodded, having to write a few letters was no problem. "Just tell me what to write and I'll get it done." Rio took 3 pages from the notebook and handed them over to me. "We'll do the letters afterwards, so just hold onto these for later." I set the pages to the side, and looked back at Rio. "There's probably something I should say before we move onto the next problem."

Everyone's eyes looked to me. "When I was getting cleaned up earlier, something happened. I saw things that never happened, but they felt real. Like events that could happen but haven't yet." Rio picked up her pen. "Do you remember what they were?" She asked, ready to begin writing. I thought back to the scenes from the bath.

"It was three different scenes, in all three I was watching myself like a bystander. I couldn't interact with anyone or anything, but they were all so vivid and realistic. The first one..." I paused remembering the look on Sakura's face. The confusion and pain, the tears falling, the crazed look on my own face as I chased after her.

"It looked like I was trying to talk to Sakura, but it didn't go so well. She was confused and scared, running away from me. I didn't see what was said, just the aftermath." As Rio wrote down what I said, Mai spoke up. "Did it look like a place you recognized?" I thought back to the first scene, but there was nothing familiar. "No sorry, the main focus was her and I. Nothing else really stood out."

Rio tapped her pen against her open hand, finished writing the first scene. "The second scene I saw was in a police station. I was being questioned about finding her and what I saw. I didn't see much but the tone of the officer didn't make it seem that it was going well for me." I thought back to the second scene. The clock on the wall in that room showing it was one in the morning, so I must have been there for hours being questioned.

"You said that you called the police before, but you didn't stick around to talk to them in person right?" Rio asked, recalling what I had told her previously. I nodded, and she took some more notes down. "Was there anything else you saw?" I didn't want to remember the third scene, but I knew it might help figuring things out.

"The third scene..." I took a deep breath. "In the third scene, I saw Sakura sitting next to me. I was the one who was stabbed." Everyone was silent after that, the only sound was Rio writing in the notebook. Finally she placed her pen down. "That's the first time this has happened?" I nodded, "do you have any idea about why it happened?"

Rio mused for a moment, and then looked back to me. "This is only a theory, but I think this might be another side effect of your interaction with yourself. You're already looping in time, so I think those scenes you saw were possibilities that you could end up in. By being in the warm water and relaxing your mind, it opened you up to the ripples caused by the rock you threw when you tried to talk to yourself."

She paused for a moment, and any hopes I had were quickly dashed. "I would try to avoid that from happening again. We don't know what effect it could have on you, seeing different possible futures. Even if you see the optimal solution, you probably won't see everything leading to it. That means if you try to copy it, you could create an outcome that's completely different."

"So no long baths and no meditation, got it." I sighed, though relieved at the same time. I had no idea what else I would see the next time it happened, and the thought that even seeing the best path could be ruined if I tried to recreate it turned me off from wanting to go through the experience even more.

Sensing that my mood had gone down, Sakuta spoke up. "So what can we do about the first problem? We need to find a way for him to save Sakura but it seems like there's already some roadblocks." Next to him, Mai agreed. "If you're right Rio, and those scenes

really are possibilities, we need to be careful to avoid them."

"I've put some thought into it, and thanks to the new info I've come a little closer to understanding. The first scene seems like you tried to talk to her but ended up saying too much, possibly a future where you've repeated this day so many times that it became too much to handle. Someone who has no idea about the syndrome trying to understand would be confused, and possibly scared that you've gone insane."

"The second scene is easier to avoid, as you didn't call the police on your true first day before the syndrome started, so no matter what they'll still show up. Plus, it's probably best for your mental state to not see that again." I nodded, having to see her there on the street once was enough for a lifetime.

"The third scene is something you need to avoid, though I can understand why it happened. The problem is, we don't know what would happen if you die while stuck in this loop. Will the you that's currently going through the same day also die? If not, how do you explain dying in front of her and being totally fine the next day?" Rio sighed.

"I'm glad you told us about the scenes you saw. It may not have given us a golden solution, but it does help." She placed her hands underneath her chin. "I think our best option right now is trial and error. I don't see enough to come up with the optimal solution, so we'll need some more data first."

Mai stood up, grabbing a kettle from the cupboard above the stove and filling it with water, before placing it on the stove. "I think we could use some tea and a short break." Sakuta stood up as well, but instead of heading towards his fiancé he sat down next to me. "If you're feeling up to it, we can write my letter now. It'll be short and simple, don't worry."

Beside me, Rio stood up and stretched. "Knowing you Sakuta, if it was anything other than short and simple I'd be worried." Mai laughed, grabbing four cups and saucers from the cupboard. "Now now Rio, be nice. Teasing him is my job after all, unless you're trying to steal that from me."

Rio went over to the stove, and her and Mai began to talk amongst themselves. Beside me, Sakuta merely smiled. "You get used to it after a while. We may not seem like it, but Rio and I go way back. She's one of my closest friends, though she may try to deny that if you ask her." He winked, and leaned forward. "Anyways, about that letter."

As the water for the tea was being boiled, Sakuta told me what to write for his letter. As promised, it was short and simple, only taking up a third of the page. "So who is the Tomoe? That name has come up a few times." I asked Sakuta after finishing up his letter. I could see over at the stove that Rio and Mai had stopped talking for a moment, listening in to what Sakuta had to say.

"She was my junior at school, we had an encounter one morning and because of that ended up in a situation somewhat like yours. Because of the syndrome, I ended up repeating a day a few times, though in the end everything went back to normal." Sakuta looked over at Mai as he said this, clearly trying to avoid saying anything that might lead to him being pinched or poked.

Luckily for Sakuta, the kettle began to whistle, saving him. The two girls headed back to the table, filling the cups with the now hot tea. Thanking Mai as she handed me a cup and saucer, I could smell the aroma of the tea coming from the cup in front of me. The taste was unlike any that I had before, and it was obvious from the look on my face.

"The tea was a gift from a film I worked on, the director had some connections and managed to get some for the cast. Normally it's impossible to find, they don't actually carry it in stores." Mai said, noticing my expression after taking a drink. "It's very good, the director was very kind." I probably would never had a chance to experience this flavor of tea, so I was grateful.

As we sat in silence, enjoying the tea, a thought came to mind. "I wish Sakura was here to experience this." She would have loved that I was spending time with people, and I made up my mind that when all of this was over, I'd bring her around to meet these people who were helping me. "If it's not a problem, I was wondering if when this was all done that we could do this again with Sakura."

Sakuta and Mai looked at each other and nodded. "Of course, that would be really nice." Beside me, Rio nodded as well. "It would be silly to do all this work and not even get to meet her." I smiled, looking forward to that day. Sakuta added "Rio you can invite Yuuma, it can be a triple date." Rio made a face at him. "I'll think about it."

We cleaned up after the tea, this time Mai came to me as Sakuta and Rio headed to the living room. "We can write my letter now if that's okay with you." We sat back down at the table, and she told me what to write down. Like Sakuta, it was short and simple, though her letter took up half the page. As I wrote, I could feel her staring at me.

"You must really care about this Sakura, don't you?" She said, waiting for me to finish up the letter. It was the first time any of them had brought that up. "Sorry, it's just that you remind of Sakuta, how hard he worked when we first meet." A smile came across her face. "Do you mind if I ask how you guys met?" I asked, curious about the past between the three of them.

"It was because of the syndrome, at the time it was something that was affecting me. Sakuta managed to save me from myself, with help from Rio. We had some ups and downs, but everything was worth it." She smiled warmly at the thought of their past. "Sakuta really worked hard through all of it, just like how you're working hard now."

I could see why he did, looking at Mai. Beneath all the teasing and pinching, underneath the beauty that was Mai, was someone grateful for the special person in their life. If you saw them together in public, you might wonder how they ended up together. But seeing them together, how they were, and learning a little of their history made it obvious that they were meant for each other.

"I'll go grab Rio for you." Mai stood up, smiled at me once again. "And if you need anything, feel free to ask. We all want to help, so there's no need to try and tackle things by yourself." She headed towards the living room, and I was left with my thoughts. Before long, Rio was sitting down next to me, sparing my mind from wandering too much.

"Before the letter, there's something I want to say." Rio finally spoke up, after we sat at the table for a few minutes in silence. "I know things may seem a little discouraging, but we will find a way to make things right. All of our experiences in the past with the syndrome have taken time to work through, so don't take it to heart if it takes more time to solve."

Even now, it must have been obvious to her the worries I had inside. It was true, more so after what I had seen during the bath. What if I did end up snapping from having to repeat this day so many times with no results? Rio reached out and placed her hand on my shoulder. "Don't worry. We will help you get this figured out, I promise. You're not alone in this, even if we do end up forgetting in the morning and have to cover old ground again."

With that, she gave me one last smile, and moved her hand back from my shoulder. "Now, shall we get this letter done?" Of the three, hers was the longest, taking up a page and a half, filled with a lot of what I had told her and her own personal ideas and thoughts on the matter. Finally finished, I placed the pen down and stretched. It was already late, by the time I finished the last letter it was night once again. We stood up from the table, all the letters finally finished.

Meeting Sakuta and Mai in the living room, we sat down and watched what was playing. Thankfully, they didn't have the news playing, sparing me from another reminder of why I was in this situation. Instead, they were watching a movie. It was one I hadn't seen before, though one of the actors in it seemed familiar.

"This is one of my latest films, Sakuta and I always watch them together since I have to be away while filming them." Mai spoke up as we watched. It was a good film, even after missing the beginning portion. When it was over, we sat for a moment. Rio was the first to get up.

"I'll head out now, if no one needs me for anything else." I stood up as well, and turned to her. "Thank you again for everything. I guess I'll see you today." I joked, and she smiled lightly at that. "That's good, keep your head up. Mai, Sakuta, I'll talk to you guys later. If anything happens, let me know."

With that, and a few waves goodbye, she left. With just the three of us now, it did feel slightly awkward being alone with a couple. Plus, after spending most of my day with Rio, I was just more comfortable being around her. "Sakuta can you go grab some blankets and pillows for our guest?" Mai spoke up before the silence of Rio leaving lingered for too long.

Sakuta left the room, and then it was just me and Mai. She looked over to me. "We'll be getting to bed soon, if you feel like watching anything else feel free. And there's drinks in the fridge if you get thirsty." I shook my head. "Thank you, but it's probably best if I get some sleep too. I'm a fan of reading over watching tv anyway, no offense."

"None taken, there are some books on the entertainment center if you wanted something to read." Mai stood up, heading towards the bedrooms of the apartment. She stopped before reaching the hallway, and turned around. "Have a good night." I returned her statement, and then I was alone.

Well only for a moment. I barely had a chance to check the books they had when I heard footsteps behind me. "I hope this is enough, it doesn't get super cold in here so you won't freeze or anything." I turned to see Sakuta carrying a somewhat thick blanket with two pillows on top. "No that's perfect, thank you." He set the blanket and pillows down on the couch.

"Did you see anything you liked? It's a bit of a mess, having three different people's choices of books." I glanced back to the few shelves lined with books. There was some that along the spine had titles like "Chewing The Scene: Acting 101" and "Channeling Your Muse." Those must have belonged to Mai. Past the acting books, there was another section filled with books on singing techniques, and a binder with a tag that said "Sheet Music."

"Some of those belong to Mai's sister, she's part of an idol group so she left some stuff here to read and practice for when she's staying here." Sakuta spoke up as I glanced over the books. Getting past that section, the rest of the books were a mix of best sellers you'd see at the front of a bookstore with some gems hidden among them. I had almost finished looking through them when one caught my eye.

"Hey is everything good?" The sound of Sakuta's voice was closer now, and I jumped. Turning around, Sakuta was a few steps away, looking concerned. "Yes, sorry. I just saw one of the books and it reminded me that there's something I need to do." How was I to know that they'd have a copy of "The Little Prince"?

Sakuta nodded, satisfied that everything was okay. "If you feel like reading, you can use of the lamps next to the couch. That way you don't have to get up to turn out the lights when you're done." He turned and headed for his room. Like Mai before him, he stopped before turning the corner. "Kaede will be back shortly, so if you happen to fall asleep and get woken up by her coming back I apologize."

With that, he gave a small wave and walked away, leaving me alone in that living room. I turned back towards the shelves holding books, and started to reach out for "The Little Prince." But before I made contact with it, I stopped. It just didn't feel right to read it if it wasn't the copy that belonged to Sakura. Glancing through the books again, there was nothing else that caught my eye. Though I did note that there seemed to be a random spattering of panda related books throughout the collection.

Heading back to the couch, I laid down and thought through everything that happened so far. I was thankful that at least now I didn't have to worry about where I was sleeping at night, and I had people who could help me. Even with all the bad, there was some good to balance things out. As I pondered what to do tomorrow after clearing the air, I heard the front door of the apartment open and close.

"I didn't wake you, did I?" A light voice called out to me, and I looked toward where it came from. Kaede looked back to me, a mix of hopeful and bashful filling her face as she waited for a response. "No, I was just thinking." She smiled, and waved goodnight before continuing towards her room. "At least everyone is nice." I thought to myself, laying in the now dark living room.

I could feel the pull to sleep creeping in, and so I shut my eyes and slowly felt as though weights were on my eyelids. The last thoughts in my head before falling asleep were of Sakura, wondering what she'd say if she could see me now. Before long, even those thoughts were gone and I was fast asleep.

The Authors Desk

(whew) slowly but surely the story continues. I honestly have no idea how far overall I am with this story. I'd love to throw out some numbers and say that we're _% of the way done, but I can't. Even when coming up with the future chapters and plot, so many little things change that can completely derail future story bits. I'm not going to lie, Kaede almost spent the whole night out until I remembered that she should probably come back home.

As promised, though I may need to bend that promise in the future, the only new characters were simply name drops. Maybe down the line in the story we'll get to hang out with Yuuma, but that's far off from now. At this point, having our protagonist, Sakuta, Mai, and Rio as a main cast to interact with is enough. Kaede will most likely remain a side character, though as we now move forward towards trying to solve the looping problem don't be surprised if we get to hang out with characters from IWTEYP again.

As always, thanks for reading and I'll see you at the next chapter.