Part 123: The members of Future Gadget Laboratory ride bikes

The world waves. My legs shake. I look down with my fingertips to my brow, waiting for my senses to return to normal.

I'm struck by each possible emotion, one by one, against my will.



At first, I couldn't hear her over the buzzing in my ears, but her voice eventually reaches me.

"...see? You're all shaky. It's only the second dary, so what are you doing with all this exhaustion?"

Kurisu thrusts her finger at me, acting all preachy.

"I'm sure you'll find the pin. There's still plenty of time, so you don't have to rush. More importantly, you'll worry both Mayuri and me if you collapse, you know? Take care of your body a little."

It seems I've successfully time leaped.

"Yeah... I know."

I turn and nod to Kurisu, then collapse on the sofa.



In some sense, this is running away, but there was no other way to prevent Suzuha's dying taste of despair without Mayuri's death. This was the only choice.

Mayuri will be killed in two days. If the last peaceful days left for me, Mayuri, and Suzuha are these two days...



All we can do is keep repeating. Over and over again. Within the confines of these two days, I will keep living...
















I push down on the pedal and begin to ascend the Harumi Bridge with the sea breeze blowing. The spokes rhythmically revolve, reflecting rays of strong sunlight. Sweat oozes out of my every pore, but it's not unpleasant. It's actually quite healthy. It somehow reminds me of running around the school grounds back in my elementary days.

"Feels good, man!"

"Hwooh, hee, why do I have to tag along for this?"

"Same... here... haah, hwooh... I mean, the wind's too strong..."

"Daru's kinda chubby, so I think he needs to exercise more!"

"Fat neckbeard master race..."



She's riding her favorite bike, nimbly turning the pedals.

"The scenery sure is nice."

From here on Harumi Bridge, you can see Tokyo Bay clearly, and far away is the Rainbow Bridge. What you see in the surrounding reclaimed land is not willy-nilly residential areas, but the extremes of either huge skyscrapers or vacant land. Leisurely traveling here from Akihabara shouldn't take more than 2 hours. I actually knew how surprisingly close it was when I returned home to Akiba by nonstop bus after ComiMa, but I never thought I'd come here by bike.

Everyone except Suzuha is using rent-a-cycles. I proposed this cycling activity as a change of pace from the search for an unfindable pin. Of course, I already know who the pin belongs to, and who Suzuha's father is, but I dare not tell anyone. If at all possible, I want to spend these two days in peace and delay Suzuha's time travel. That became my current goal.

"I actually thought it was going to be a waste of time until we left, but people are creatures who need to spend time like this every now and then."

"Making the Time Leap Machine was... more fun... for me..."

"Hi, hikikomori are the strongest... Today, today is proof..."

"You two are all worn out, ehehe..."

"How sloppy. You won't survive like that, you know?"

In contrast to the composed Suzuha and Mayuri, Kurisu and Daru are exhausted. I know the distance between Akiba and Ariake, so I preserved my physical strength well.

"W-Where's some water?! Still no vending machine?! I could kill for a glass of water!"



"You, you serious...? I can't, it's impossible..."

"Okarin, you sure know your stuff. Have you been here before?"

"...Yeah. Many times."

Yes, I've been here many times. Many times, I've gone this way.



I don't quite know how many total days it's been. I think in terms of 2-day cycles. Now is already the fourth cycle.

On August 13th, Mayuri is killed in the Rounders' raid. This truth is locked up in my heart alone.

Indeed, we were living typical college student days. This cycling activity is also part of it. Suzuha and Mayuri look like they enjoy cycling, and it's fun, so I have us do it in each cycle. Our destination is Tokyo Big Sight in Ariake. Several days from now, it will be home to ComiMa, the world's largest doujinshi marketplace event.

"Big Sight is right ahead if we keep going straight. We should be there in about 10 minutes."

"Break before that..."

At last, Daru seems to have used up the last of his strength. While still on his bike, he rests his upper half on the guardrail that divides the roadway and the footpath. There, I turn and park next to Daru's bike.

"That's dangerous, you know. Get up."

"Let me rest a bit!"

"Didn't I just tell you it's dangerous?"

I sigh and pull Daru by the arm.

"Okay, okay, I get it--"

Right after Daru gets up--



The wind pressure left by the truck is almost enough to blow me and Daru away. The bridge faintly sways from the shock.

"Th-That was close!"

He probably wouldn’t have made contact even if he had leaned out, but that still doesn't change how dangerous it was.

"I'm saved thanks to Okarin..."

"You know, it kind of seems like Okarin saw the future..."

"You used a D-mail, didn't you?"

Mayuri's innocent smile. Kurisu's cynical grin. Both of them were probably joking, but they're not really mistaken. The only thing wrong was that I time leaped instead of using a D-mail.

Suzuha's eyes meet mine. She seemed to be having so much fun just before, but now she's favoring me with a bewildered expression.

I avert my eyes.



Daru's vigor gradually returns as he faces Big Sight with arms wide open.

"This is the first time I've come when nobody's around!"

"So it's this wide, yet it gets crammed with people during ComiMa... unbelievable."

We personally experience Big Sight in its full majesty when there are few people around. Even though you wouldn't think "it's big" when you see it during ComiMa.

"Hey hey, Mayushii's hungry!"

"Isn’t there a family restaurant nearby? Let's rest there a bit."

"We have to go the same distance on the way back, huh. Just thinking about it is depressing..."



Suzuha looks up a Big Sight.

"What's wrong, Suzuha?"

I dare ask. I already know Suzuha's answer. She's excited to see Big Sight in real life.



Suzuha's eyes are shining.

"You know, Big Sight's gone in 2036. As part of a large-scale reclamation project, they roll out a bigger event hall. The dome reaches that whole area."

While saying so, Suzuha points above Tokyo Bay.

"But Hashida Itaru just now said that it's being treated as a holy land. Isn't there an amazing event called ComiMa? My mother said she participated in that event at met my father there."

"I see, so your mother may have been a fujoshi."

"That's why I've always wanted to see this. Thank you, Okabe Rintarou. I feel like I've gotten just a little bit closer to my father."

You 'feel like', but...

A sharp ache stabs through my heart. I know who Suzuha's father is. It's the dude right over there. I don't tell her, though. It shall remain a secret until after the Time Leap Machine is complete. Just to prolong these 2 days of peace.

"Okariiiin! Suzuuuu! Hurry, hurry up!"

"Hey, they're calling us. Let's go, I'm hungry too."

Suzuha pulls my hand and I start running. I plaster a bitter smile on my face.

Today was fun.

Tomorrow will also be fun.

That's right.