No, forget it...
The door was only open a crack. It was fine if it wasn't shut all the way, right?
Komie-san covered her ears with both hands, but the sound kept boring into her head. Water vapor billowed above her, and her whole body turned faintly red.
And that wasn't all.
Komie-san also felt dizzy and realized her body didn't seem to be obeying her. It seemed to want to turn around and look outside again.
Just one more look...
She'd already looked once, anyway. One more look... wouldn't hurt, right?
"No, I mustn't!"
A hazy realization surfaced in Komie-san's mind.
In this world, there was only the first time and all the times after it.
If she couldn't hold back and turned around for one more look, she might fall into the abyss and never be able to go back to how things were...
Kneeling on the bathroom floor, Komie-san felt as if time had stretched endlessly.
She didn't know how long it took, but at last, the voice outside that had been tormenting her mind and corroding her will finally stopped.
"...I'm heading back."
Amamiya Natsuki's voice came from outside.
"I-it's over...?"
The Quail girl covered her mouth and nose with her right hand to keep herself from making a sound as she breathed. Her eyes were veiled in mist, and water vapor was clearly welling up in them.
Zhuzhu's hair was disheveled. She clutched a pillow, the tear tracks at the corners of her eyes still wet, and she no longer had the strength to speak.
Of course, with her mind completely blank, she had no idea what to say, either.
"Zhuzhu, would you like a drink of water?"
Amamiya Natsuki asked gently.
He'd planned to leave just like that, but it felt a little too