"By the way, Kotomi, you really are brave. You knew gumi Kato had seen through your lies, and yet you still followed her ho."
Kazumi sat on a comfortable sofa conjured within the ntal space, stroking Kotomi Izumi's head as she lay on her lap. That sort of act was probably best called a lap pillow.
"I knew gumi realized I was lying. I did it on purpose—I wanted her to get angry… yes, I deliberately let her see through my lie, just to make her mad."
After speaking, Kotomi glanced at her abdon, where the gory wound still remained. No matter how bloody horror gas were, they were ultimately fiction. Seeing it in reality sent a chill crawling up her spine. Fortunately, when gumi stabbed her and then herself, she used a short knife. If it had been a longer blade, it might have pierced her entire abdon through.
"Why would you do that? You know gumi's calm exterior hides a deep possessiveness."
"I guess… I wanted her to be rougher with when we're doing that kind of thing."
Kotomi murmured softly. For so reason, she liked it when gumi treated her roughly in intimate monts. So she kept testing her, wanting to see just how rough gumi could get.
This ti, too, she had wanted to lure gumi into being harsher. That was why she deliberately let her see through the lie about spending all of Sunday at ho, and then followed her to her house without hesitation.
She hadn't expected things to spiral out of control. gumi's actions had indeed grown rougher—no, more than rough. They had turned cruel. She had even used a knife.
Kazumi needed a mont to process Kotomi's words. After her mind spun for a bit, she finally reacted and tugged the corner of her lips.
"You're a masochist, aren't you?"
"…I won't deny it." Kotomi stayed silent for a long ti before quietly admitting it.
Those four simple words were like a trigger. Kazumi instantly felt the urge to unleash her tentacles.
Fortunately, she managed to reel in her reason quickly. After all, while Kotomi appeared tangible right now, she was still essentially a fragile soul. She couldn't endure anything too extre.
"In a bit, I'll revive you and gumi, then rewind ti a little. But if you can't coax her properly, even if you're revived, she might stab you again. Don't expect to be able to save you both twice. Next ti, I'll only preserve your soul."
"Like saving and loading in a ga?"
"Sothing like that—but not exactly."
"Will gumi rember stabbing ?"
"Afraid she'll hold it against you later? That I can't say for sure. Normally, after a soul is preserved and ti is rewound, humans forget the mory of their death."
"And ? Will I forget?"
"You won't. You're not human," Kazumi replied without hesitation. Then, realizing how it sounded, she added quickly: "You're the Queen of All Females. Even if you went through countless cycles of soul preservation and ti rewinding, you wouldn't forget."
"Once is enough. I don't want to be stabbed over and over again…" Kotomi shuddered, then rolled over, burying her head between Kazumi's thighs.
After a while, she asked again, "Kazumi, can you revive and gumi now?"
"Anyti. I rested just now and regained a little strength. But you'd better be careful this ti. If you trigger the yandere ending again, gumi won't survive it. I won't be able to use soul preservation and ti rewind twice in quick succession. I'll only protect your soul, holding you in eternal darkness until the mont cos to bring you into a new world."
Kazumi poked Kotomi's cheek, her tone as light as ever. But the words themselves were anything but a joke.
"Did using soul preservation and ti rewind back-to-back have any side effects on you?"
Sensing sothing off in Kazumi's words, Kotomi sat up and looked at her seriously. Only then did she notice that the hand Kazumi had been stroking her hair with looked like dandelion fluff in the wind—ready to scatter and vanish at any mont.
Kazumi gave a wry smile, shaking her small hand helplessly.
"I was planning to tell you after reviving you, but I didn't expect you, usually as dense as a block of wood, to notice now. Hmph. I've used soul preservation twice in a row, and next I'll use ti rewind. The energy cost is sothing I can't explain clearly to you right now. From one perspective, what I'm doing is reversing life and death itself.
"Everything in the world has its own laws. Humans have their laws, nature has its rules, and the system world has its order too. To reverse life and death ans bearing sin as the price. Don't think I'm not afraid—I am. But for your sake, I find I have nothing left to fear. Inside there's only courage."
"What price exactly?!" Kotomi asked anxiously. She wanted to be revived, but not at the cost of Kazumi's wellbeing…
"Forcing life back, especially reviving two at once—the energy consud and the price I must bear will instantly exhaust as a system. I'll fall into a long slumber. As for when I'll wake…" Kazumi's bitter smile deepened. "I don't know."
But it was the only way. The mont Kazumi chose soul preservation, she had already accepted this outco.
She was afraid. As a system, if her energy were depleted, the host's powers wouldn't disappear—but Kazumi herself might either wake from her slumber after a long ti or never wake at all, vanishing in her sleep.
Even knowing this, she still used soul preservation, and she would use ti rewind next. Because she didn't want Kotomi to die.
The rest of the path… would have to be walked by Kotomi alone.
Seeing Kotomi's face about to crumple into tears, Kazumi smiled faintly and pushed her small shoulder. "Don't show that expression. You need to grow up. From here on, you'll have to rely on yourself."
"Will the slumber from energy depletion hurt you in any way?" Kotomi asked, lips trembling.
"No."
Kazumi shook her head firmly, her brightest smile on her face.
"It's just exhaustion. Just a long sleep. You don't need to worry. It's like when humans get tired and need rest. What, you weren't planning on making work overti, were you? Haha… enough joking. Be ready. I'll return your soul and rewind ti."
Her words eased Kotomi's heart a little. She followed Kazumi's instructions, stepping off the sofa and sitting on the floor.
Kazumi also left the sofa.
The two faced each other.
"Before I fall asleep, I have one small request. Kotomi, can you… hug first?"
Kotomi did as asked, holding her tightly in her arms. Kazumi's skin was soft and damp with sweat.
Her warm body carried the steady thump-thump of a heartbeat.
The silent embrace lasted who knew how long. It could have been hours, or just a few seconds. In this ntal space without ti, there was no way to tell.
Kazumi leaned closer, brushing her nose against Kotomi's. Light of pink and blue shimred beautifully around her, like when she usually returned from the real world into Kotomi's body.
As Kotomi's eyes began to close fully, Kazumi seed to whisper sothing softly.
When Kotomi returned from the ntal space to reality, Kazumi had already set things in place: if she were to vanish during her slumber, then Kotomi would forget everything about her.
In Kotomi's mory, she would only recall having a cold, silent system. One that never spoke, never chatted with her. Its only benefit? The shop prices were cheap.
"If you ever feel lonely or afraid~ just climb the mountains and cross the seas~ all that you lack will be healed by the imagined sound of strings and the ocean's tide~ with kindness and love, hold onto the love within your reach~ with those eyes full of affection~ watch her~ as she walks toward the place no one else can reach~"
At the very end, Kazumi smiled faintly, humming softly, before sinking into her long sleep.
...
When Kotomi opened her eyes again, the world around her from her feet to the horizon was dyed in afternoon sunset.
She realized ti had rewound to after school, when she was walking ho with gumi Kato.
"Kazumi…" Kotomi called softly. But unlike before, there was no reply. The ntal space was silent, vast, and empty.
Before she knew it, tears had begun to fall.
From now on, she would have to live using only her own strength.
And wait—until Kazumi awakened from her long slumber.
...
"Kotomi."
gumi Kato softly called her na from not far away. Kotomi turned around, instinctively touching her stomach.
The wound was gone. Her soft skin had returned to normal.
Kotomi walked a few steps, then suddenly stopped, again rubbing her stomach. To gumi, this little action looked so cute she couldn't help but laugh lightly.
"Are you hungry? Co on, let's go. I bought a lot of snacks earlier and left them in the kitchen. Once we get ho, I'll grab so for you."
Kotomi almost replied casually, but then quickly recalled her death—when gumi stabbed her. Both of them had entered the house empty-handed, so where had gumi gotten the knife?
Only one place—the kitchen.
Realizing this, Kotomi understood imdiately: she couldn't let gumi go into the kitchen alone. From the mont they stepped into the Kato house, she had to stay close to her at all tis.
That was only the beginning. Last ti, after killing Kotomi, gumi had decisively killed herself too—because love had turned to hatred.
Now it was Monday afternoon. It was too late to erase the lie about "spending all of Sunday at ho." What mattered was finding a way to ease the imbalance in gumi's heart.
If she succeeded, she could avoid the yandere ending and continue sweetly together with her.
If she failed, even if she stuck to gumi's side and never let her act alone, gumi would still find so way to grab a weapon. Maybe not a knife this ti—maybe strangling, or another thod.
Kazumi's warning remained clear. If Kotomi was killed again, Kazumi might barely save her—but gumi would definitely die.
Revival had not made Kotomi relax. If anything, her mindset had changed. Neither she nor Kazumi had infinite saves and reloads. If she died again this ti, it would truly be the end.
Kazumi had traded a long slumber for this one chance at revival—for both her and gumi. Kotomi had to succeed.
Not only for herself, but also for gumi—and for Kazumi, now asleep.
Kotomi's death mory hadn't vanished. She still rembered gumi's tear-streaked face sared with blood as she looked at Kotomi's corpse—eyes brimming with love, her expression twisted between crying and laughing—as she ended her own life without hesitation.
That mont burned into Kotomi's heart. She admitted that when gumi stabbed her, she had felt panic, confusion, and the rage of survival instinct.
But when she saw gumi turn the knife on herself, what Kotomi wanted most was to reach out and hold that blade in her hand.
And say: I'm sorry, gumi. I really do love you.
But back then, she had already lost too much blood. Her vision was gone. She couldn't even lift her hand, let alone speak.
They entered the Kato house again.
Mr. and Mrs. Kato were out. Only gumi and Kotomi were ho.
"Kotomi, go upstairs to my room first. I'll grab so snacks from the kitchen," gumi said with a light laugh as she slipped off her shoes.
"No." Kotomi refused flatly.
"Hm?" gumi turned slightly, looking at her in puzzlent.
"Snacks aren't necessary. If we eat now, we won't have room for dinner. Mmhm! Let's just go upstairs. I want to copy the notes quickly. Or… did you really invite here just to copy notes?" Kotomi leaned close to her, her tone carrying a trace of temptation.
gumi blinked, then chuckled softly. "That doesn't sound like sothing you'd say. No matter how many snacks you eat, it never affects your appetite for dinner~"
If I let you go to the kitchen for snacks, I can kiss tonight's dinner goodbye! Kotomi scread inwardly.
Her soft but insistent coaxing left gumi Kato with no choice but to give in. She agreed not to go to the kitchen and went upstairs to the bedroom together with Kotomi.
As soon as they entered the room, Kotomi sat down as usual to copy notes, though she kept a constant watch on gumi's movents. When gumi stood up to draw the curtains, Kotomi also rose to her feet—
The mont the curtains were closed, the room dimd instantly, with no light turned on. Only faint streaks of the sunset filtered through the cracks.
When gumi turned back around, she froze. Just a mont ago Kotomi had been sitting, head lowered, copying notes. Now… she was undressing?
"K-Kotomi, what are you doing?" gumi was caught completely off guard.
Kotomi shot her a coquettish glance, tossing her discarded undergarnt onto the floor before pulling gumi into her arms.
"gumi, don't think about anything. Just do what you want most right now."
gumi could feel Kotomi's racing heartbeat.
She could feel the softness of her touch.
Why was everything about Kotomi so intoxicating?
She loved Kotomi far too much.
Every word Kotomi had ever spoken to her, she treasured as the most beautiful words and mories of her life.
That was why, when she realized Kotomi hadn't really spent all of Sunday at ho as she had said, but instead had gone to karaoke with Yui Yuigahama—when she had skipped school that morning and arrived late together with Yukino Yukinoshita—gumi's heart had completely collapsed. Silent, yet utterly hysterical.
She couldn't accept Kotomi's lies.
Kotomi was like a flower petal drifting in the wind—so beautiful, yet whenever gumi tried to grasp her, she would slip away, floating off again. No matter how hard she reached, she could only hold onto that petal for a fleeting mont before it slipped through her fingers.
That sense of never truly having her… was unbearable.
"How… how can I truly make you mine?" gumi whispered, clutching Kotomi's small hands around her.
Then she pushed Kotomi down onto the bed, her movents rough, almost violent—yet filled with love, and anger.
"I'm right here in front of you, aren't I~?" Kotomi answered in a sultry tone, her voice light and teasing.
—
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