Part 126: John Titor says something unexpected

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 Dare 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!"



"Eh?"

Everyone was startled by my line.

"Try it. Kill."

"Wait, seriously replying to a troll thread?"

"Yeah, seriously. Why don't you do it? If you want to do it, then do it."

"Hey, Okabe. What are you saying so suddenly?"

"Okarin, you shouldn't say such things like that, okay?"

"Annnyway, why so mad, Okarin?"

"Nothing."



"Geh, really? That's unexpectedly far."



I've kept repeating this closed loop so many times that it's hard to keep track.

I've even forgotten the reason I'm doing this.

I'm only spending each day as if I'm only signing it.

Everyone says the same things.

Everyone responds the same ways.

My physiological responses have blurred a bit, but aside from that, every day is the same.

Same, same, same, same, same, same, same, same.



But it's still within deviation. The points still form a line.

Everything that happens is insignificant.

Everything that happens is meaningless. Pointless.

I am the only one still living in this loop.

Everyone else is only being kept alive.

I'm just keeping them alive.

We're just spinning our wheels in this dead world.



Yeah, I am already dead.

I can’t keep living like this.

Mayuri's life and death?

Moeka's attack?

Suzuha's time travel?

My first self might have cared about all that.

Since when?

When did I stop caring?



What happened to me worrying about things like Mayuri's life and death or Moeka's attack?

After these two days, everything will be as before. Everything will be reset. I will reset it myself.

Then I guess it's pointless to worry.

Ridiculous.

I've repeated this loop how many times before?

Without seeing anything, without hearing anything, my senses have gone dull.

It's like I'm absentmindedly separated from everything by a membrane.

I've already gotten used to it.

Thus, I don't find it inconvenient.

I simply adapted.

I simply optimized.

To this far too narrow world.

To this far too nice world.

Why is getting used to it so bad?

Shouldn't it be best to get used to it?



Daru 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. I stop and look on with abated eyes.

"Woah!"

An ear-piercing car horn. Daru hurriedly lifts himself from the guardrail.



Daru clumsily falls off his bike and lands on his rear.

"Th-That was close!"

"Hey, are you okay?"

"Are you hurt?"

Kurisu and Suzuha stop their bicycles and help Daru get up.

"Wawah, that truck's awful!"

Said truck already crossed the intersection after the bridge and has become a tiny speck.

"Hah, what a shock. The hell's wrong with that truck?! Don't screw with me, I should have checked the number! Then I could be like 'Reported'!"



The truck's number smoothly rolls off my tongue. It's a number I'm sick of seeing. It's imprinted into my mind.

"There, I told you. Go report him."

I hold out my phone to Daru.

"...Okarin, do you hate me?"

"You said you wanted to report him, so I'm giving you the opportunity to report him."

I blandly spin these words. It doesn't matter. Nothing matters.

"Sure, Hashida's attitude needs adjustment, but yours isn't good either, Okabe."

"No preaching, you class rep character."

"Wh-What?"

"You shouldn't be fighting! Daru's alright, so we should all live happily ever after, okay?"

Ignoring Mayuri's intercession, I keep holding out my phone to Daru.

"You're not going to report him?"

"W-Well, I guess I'll let him off the hook this time."

I take a deep breath while putting away my phone. Suzuha's stern eyes face towards me. She looks like she's about to say something, but I take that glance straight on. I no longer feel a thing.



And then they go search for the family restaurant. I turn my back to those three and walk towards the ocean, but Suzuha stands there, as if blocking my way.

Her eyes confront me head on. I try to pass without saying anything, but she cuts me off.

Her sincere eyes stare at me head on, but my heart doesn't sway.